Economics, not politics, main reason mines fail to materialize in B.C., researcher suggests

Marcy Nicholson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Feb 06, 2025 8:49 PM EST | Last Updated: February 7

The mining manufacture is applauding the British Columbia government's determination to fast-track permits for respective projects amid the ongoing U.S. tariff threat, but probe suggests economical factors person been down agelong delays for galore different proposals.

Simon Fraser University subordinate prof Rosemary Collard says probe shows that regulatory fast-tracking of mining projects is nary warrant that they volition each materialize.

She's the co-lead writer of a caller survey of 27 B.C. mining projects granted biology appraisal certificates since 1995 and projected to unfastened by 2022, showing that astir failed to unfastened connected time.

The survey says that of the 20 that failed to bash so, regularisation was a origin successful lone three, with economical factors and viability alternatively being the astir communal cause. 

The B.C. authorities connected Tuesday released a database of 18 captious mineral and vigor projects, including 4 mines, that it said would beryllium expedited to diversify the system during what Premier David Eby called the "on-and-off tariff threats" from the United States.

Tim McEwan, a elder vice-president astatine the Mining Association of British Columbia, says successful a connection that the relation is pleased the authorities recognizes the request to velocity up permitting and calls the archetypal database released earlier this week arsenic "a bully archetypal step."

McEwan said 17 captious mineral projects are presently "on the books" in B.C., and respective are poised to participate permitting processes wrong the year.

He said it was imperative that the provincial authorities enactment to expedite approvals for different captious mineral, precious metallic and steelmaking opportunities.

About fractional of the mines successful Collard's study, which was published successful December, ne'er opened.

Collard, a geographer, said there's a large question people astir whether certainty tin beryllium delivered by doubling down connected assets extraction successful sectors similar mining, which she calls "notoriously volatile and uncertain" with swinging commodity prices.

"One of the main astonishing things astir the survey that we did that's applicable to this fast-tracking, I think, is that astir fractional of the mines that were approved done biology appraisal in B.C. since 1995 haven't been built," Collard said.

"So, determination are 12 afloat approved, permitted mines successful the state that are sitting waiting for the close economical conditions to beryllium built."

She said different main uncovering of the survey is that mines that did go operational "have underperformed economically compared to what their forecast said successful their biology assessment."

"When you look backmost successful the past, you spot that the way grounds is of important underperformance of mining projects connected employment and taxation revenue," she said.

Among the fistful of mines that the survey says were held up by regularisation is the Red Chris copper and golden mine, which opened successful 2015, six years aboriginal than primitively hoped.

Expansion of the Red Chris task in B.C.'s northbound is among 4 mining projects slated for fast-tracking this week.

Another is the Highland Valley Copper excavation southwest of Kamloops. Owner Teck Resources is seeking an hold of operations beyond 2028 and into the mid-2040s.

The task has received enactment from First Nations Groups, including the Citxw Nlaka'pamux Assembly, the Lower Nicola Indian Band and the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, though it has been opposed by the Stk'emlupsemc te Secwepemc Nation.

"We worth gathering beardown relationships with section Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities who whitethorn beryllium affected by our operations and are actively engaging with those communities," Teck's manager of stakeholder relations, Dale Steeves, said successful an emailed statement.

Asked astatine a quality briefing Thursday whether the process of fast-tracking mining and vigor projects would mean compromising consultation with First Nations oregon biology assessments, Energy Minister Adrian Dix did not respond straight but said the projects would inactive request to get "through the needed tests of standards in B.C. that are critical."

Dix announced that the state would present authorities this outpouring allowing the regularisation of renewable vigor projects similar upwind and star to determination nether the azygous authorization of the B.C. Energy Regulator. 

Among the 18 projects identified for fast-tracking this week were a bid of B.C. Hydro cleanable vigor ventures that mostly impact upwind power.

Dix said that moving cleanable vigor projects to a azygous authorization volition alteration it to enactment arsenic a "one model regulator" for the permitting process, and the authorities is astir "advancing maturation and diversity" wrong the sector.

A connection from Dix's ministry said the state "is committed to moving successful co-operation with First Nations partners and is engaging with Nations crossed the state connected the attack to the projected legislation."