To help accelerate progress on mining and infrastructure projects, the Ontario government has announced proposed changes to modernize and streamline 13 provincial permits and approvals for natural resources, with an emphasis on low-risk and routine activities.
“These proposals, focused on low-risk activities, will provide certainty and predictability in getting permits from the province to advance the One Project, One Process initiative for mining, and the Forest Sector Strategy Roadmap,” said Mike Harris, Ontario’s minister of natural resources, in a news release.
Goals of planned changes
According to the news release from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the planned reforms will aim to:
- Reduce administrative burden and duplicative requirements for hundreds of natural resource permits each year
- Save proponents approximately 12,715 days of administrative burden annually
- Decrease unnecessary delays
- Speed up approval timelines for businesses and workers
- Generate well-paying jobs in mining, energy, infrastructure, housing, and other priority sectors
- Promote economic competitiveness and long‑term growth
- Keep protecting public health and safety and meeting provincial environmental standards
- Manage natural resources sustainably
“Our government is taking bold action to cut red tape and make Ontario the most competitive place in the G7 to invest, build and create jobs,” said Andrea Khanjin, Ontario’s minister of red tape reduction. “As part of this work, we are reviewing all economic development-focused permits across the province with the goal of eliminating or transforming at least 35 per cent by 2028.”
Ontario government’s call for input
For the proposed permit changes, the provincial government asked stakeholders, members of the public, and municipalities to provide their insights on plans to:
- Modernize fish and wildlife permits for routine and low-risk activities, including some fish sampling activities and wildlife management activities, which might save around 8,285 days of administrative burden
- Improve public lands management, including enforcement and compliance tools tackling problems like the unauthorized occupation of public lands, enabling some travel on closed roads, and permitting the placement of dry hydrants on public lands without site-specific authorization, which might save around 1,700 days of administrative burden
- Streamline forest-related permits through simpler approvals for low-risk or administrative activities, including renewing forest resource licences and removing trees for non-forestry projects, which might save about 2,730 days of administrative burden
“These practical changes will help improve efficiency, strengthen our forest sector and support the workers and communities that depend on it,” said Kevin Holland, Ontario’s associate minister of forestry and forest products, in the news release.
For the intended reforms, the province plans to engage directly with Indigenous communities, hold consultations, and share information on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.
More mining news
Here are some other news stories involving mining.
On July 24, civil society organizations in Canada criticized the bilateral free trade agreement between Canada and Ecuador, recently signed in Ottawa, and called on members of Parliament to reject the agreement when it comes before Parliament for ratification.
Julie Dabrusin – Canada’s minister of the environment, climate change, and nature – issued a July 31 decision finding a justification for the possible impacts of the Crawford Nickel Project in Ontario within the federal jurisdiction, upon considering the project’s future benefits.
Enjoy this story? Read the latest mining news on the main page!