LETTER: Ontario government rushing to 'reboot' gold rush

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Have you seen all the mining proposals on the Ontario Environmental Registry?

Interestingly, the provincial government also tabled its proposal Bill C-71 2023, which wants to streamline the process and cut red tape so mining companies can dig away. Thing is, does it drill down enough to the heart of the matter: ensuring the location is returned to its original state, or as close as it could be, and giving more than a cursory mention to First Nation consultation and rights?

We know we are going to need minerals for new technologies, lithium for batteries and yes, the gold in those northern hills for electronics. Yet, let’s hope that we are keeping a more watchful eye on this soon to be "rebooted" gold rush than we did on the fossil fuel industry. 

Did we know in 1977 we would be here with carbon emissions from fossil fuel? Well, OK, ExxonMobil did and didn’t share nicely in the sandbox, but now we need to learn from that and make sure we are stepping forward more wisely with the next sector in the race for profit.

One things for sure, when you talk about "rushing," it seems like the provincial government really got a head start. It is pushing this bill through faster than a diamond drill bit. You can comment on the Building More Mines Act on the ERO until April 16.

It really hasn’t been Ontario’s finest hour for democracy with this coming on the heels of rushing through the Build Homes Faster Act. Gold rush or democracy flush? We need to take care on both.

Melanie Duckett-Wilson
Newmarket