August 30, 2017

As community visits for our first ever Northwest Territories-made Mineral Resources Act approach, we want to highlight four key themes for discussion we will be focusing on at these public engagement sessions.

Access to land is at the centre of the minerals industry. Without this access, there could be no prospecting, exploration, or mining.

Generally, there are two overarching goals the Government of the Northwest Territories sees as important:

1. Ensuring benefits from accessing land for mineral development generates benefits within the jurisdiction
2. Encouraging individuals and businesses to explore public lands for minerals to generate these benefits

Through these public engagement sessions, we’re looking for input from YOU to find the best ways to reach these goals through the new Mineral Resources Act.

Topics

Under this general theme of accessing land, there are three topics our research suggests are important for discussion, along with some questions to consider for each of them.

• Land access for prospecting and exploration: Prospecting and exploration are the foundation of all mineral development. How should we manage rights to access land for these projects? Should we encourage more exploration with incentives? Should areas with high mineral potential be treated differently than under-explored ones?

• Mineral rights (tenure):  It’s important to manage how rights for prospecting, exploring, and mining are provided, maintained, and transferred. It is also important to make sure those who extract our resources fulfill certain responsibilities. Is the way mineral leases and claims are transferred too complicated? Should mineral rights be taken away if work isn’t being done?

• Online Map Staking: Modern technology has brought new opportunities within mining and exploration — ones not currently covered in our regulations. Should we allow prospectors to stake claims using online tools instead of only allowing claims to be made on-the-ground? Do you think this would encourage more exploration? What do we need to consider when tailoring this to the North?

Want more details on these topics? Visit Engage-ITI.ca/MRA to find backgrounders and information on these topics, along with other useful information to help get the context you need to HAVE YOUR SAY on this landmark legislation. 

For more information

Mike Westwick

Communications Officer

Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment

Government of the Northwest Territories

Mike_Westwick@gov.nt.ca

1-867-767-9202 ext.63039