Dr. Michael Sopko is chairman and chief executive officer of Inco and chairman of the Mining Association of Canada. He has written this article at the request of Keep Mining in Canada, a grassroots campaign designed to increase awareness of the importance of mining in this country.
On Nov. 20, representatives of mining companies, mining suppliers and mayors of mining communities will converge on Parliament Hill for Keep Mining in Canada’s second annual Lobby Day.
The event is of vital importance to the mining industry as it enables mining people to speak directly to key decision-makers in Ottawa about the issues and policies affecting our lives.
Mining delegates from across the country will be travelling to Ottawa to meet with ministers, members of Parliament and their staff. During the 90 meetings that have already been scheduled for the day, the delegates will tell our policy makers how important mining is to our economy and encourage them to take actions to improve the investment climate for the industry in Canada.
We are going to Ottawa with the constructive proposals outlined in our 12-point plan. At the top of the list is our proposal to streamline federal-provincial environmental regulations, an action promised in the Liberal government’s Red Book and in many subsequent government reports.
Action on this issue would send a positive signal that Canada is eager to attract mining investment and also develop our mineral resources in an environmentally sustainable way. Our call to action will be reinforced at a news conference.
After a busy round of meetings, delegates, ministers, members of Parliament and senior public officials will reconvene at the evening reception. I am particularly looking forward to introducing the keynote speaker, Natural Resources Minister Anne McLellan.
As chairman of the Mining Association of Canada, I believe the mining industry can take pride in the tremendous strides we have taken in this decade, particularly in the areas of environmental protection and the use of advanced technologies. It is important that we share our experience and our plans for the future with those whose decisions can affect that future.
Working together, in the spirit of the Whitehorse Mining Initiative, we can bring about positive change to the benefit of all Canadians.
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