EDITORIAL PAGE A gutsy move by Ontario’s mines minister

It may be little more than a moral victory. Nevertheless, Ontario Mines Minister Gilles Pouliot deserves a pat on the back for supporting mining at Shoal Lake in northwestern Ontario. Consolidated Professor Mines, a Conwest Exploration affiliate, has been trying to develop a mine there for years. With almost one million tons of 0.39 oz. gold per ton, it would likely be well worth the estimated $53-million investment needed for construction.

But an aqueduct to supply water to Winnipeg, Man., from Shoal Lake lies eight miles west of the proposed mine site, giving rise to objections from Manitoba. The mine site is in Ontario, however, causing something of a jurisdictional nightmare.

The project has already made history by being the first mining project in Ontario to be designated for review under the Environmental Assessment Act. That is already proving to be a costly and time-consuming process for the company.

In a gutsy move, Pouliot has gone against the grain of his New Democratic Party colleagues in cabinet and announced that the Ontario government supports mining development on Shoal Lake as long as it does not threaten the available supply of drinking water.

What that means has yet to be determined.

But Pouliot has shown support for mining and considerable backbone by standing up for the industry and implying that miners have a right to develop their mineral prospects as long as it doesn’t cause injury to others.

That is a reasonable position to take. It is an example other jurisdictions might do well to follow.