Dear friends,
Politics are becoming increasingly toxic and the climate is deteriorating, but we continue to resist the dominant industrial model and seek out alternatives.
The parameters around which our struggles were organized yesterday have now been profoundly transformed in these changing times. The rare and inadequate procedural tools we’ve been able to leverage in the past, such as public consultations or the belated impact assessments of mining projects, are now threatened with extinction by the rhetoric of de-regulation and the fast-tracking of “major projects of national interest.” When it comes to the constitutional rights of Indigenous peoples, which are still largely denied or flouted by governments, we are seeing legal wins continue to be challenged and appealed by governments and companies.
What has not changed, however, is the mining industry's audacity in presenting itself as the solution to the problems it has caused, at the expense of the rights and health of local communities. The same goes for the complacency and appetite of our political leaders for this same, tired old recipe.
But what this reminds us, above all, is the importance of collective action. From our work together, we continue to see real and tangible gains emerging, which, when combined, weave the fabric of a more just, healthier, less disposable world, and one that is less reliant on metals and minerals. The first half of this year has been filled with such gains and progress, thanks to you. As we approach the summer solstice, let's take a minute to look back on the path we have traveled together.
This summer, as always, we will rest and move forward!
Sincerely, Rodrigue Turgeon, Canada Program Co-lead
P.S. For 25 years, MiningWatch has stood alongside mining-affected communities… You can help keep our work sustainable! Please consider making a donation today.
Nouveau Monde Graphite: New Report Documents the Impacts of Exploration on Water
We’re proud to have contributed to an important report released last month, documenting the impacts of mining exploration activities by Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) in Matawinie. Following an independent community environmental monitoring campaign, the report identifies numerous cases of heavy metal concentrations in watercourses that exceed environmental protection criteria, likely attributable to NMG’s exploration activities. The report also highlights concerning methodological errors in the environmental assessments conducted by NGM.
There is virtually no documentation on the observed impacts of mining exploration on Quebec's ecosystems, making this report a unique and important contribution to our overall understanding of the multiple impacts of mining exploration, which are widely underestimated. We would like to acknowledge the dedicated work of our partners Eau Secours, the Society to Defeat Pollution (SVP) and the Coalition des Opposants à un projet minier en Haute-Matawinie (COPH) in carrying out this campaign and drafting the report. We join them in calling on the provincial government to thoroughly review the regulatory framework for mining exploration in Quebec. All communities affected by mining exploration should read this report.
Petite-Nation Referendum: For a democratic and participatory decision on the “La Loutre” mining project
The Alliance of municipalities of Petite-Nation Nord announced earlier this week that it will be holding a referendum to assess the social acceptability of Lomiko Metals “La Loutre” project, and that an advisory committee of experts will be formed to advise the municipalities. This announcement comes after the Alliance’s major participatory initiative last year, in which nearly 1,000 citizens participated in three large public meetings to discuss the mining project’s details, advantages and disadvantages.
Each of the Alliance’s member municipalities—Lac-des-Plages, St-Émile-de-Suffolk, Chénéville, Lac-Simon, and Duhamel—will be holding a consultative referendum on the same date: Sunday, August 31, 2025. We look forward to the results!
Making Glencore pay, one of Canada’s biggest polluters
We are closely following the efforts of citizens in Rouyn-Noranda to launch a class action lawsuit against Glencore and the Quebec government for damages caused by the release of toxic and carcinogenic contaminants into the atmosphere by the Horne Foundry. Our partners attended the arguments on the motion for authorization to proceed with the class action in May, and we published a short blog post to report on the key takeaways.
Glencore's Horne Foundry is authorized by the Quebec government to emit levels of arsenic and other heavy metals that exceed the province's environmental standards. MiningWatch condemns the company's recent announcement that it will not meet the 2027 targets and urges the Minister of the Environment to remain firm with the multinational.
However, this comes as no surprise given Glencore's ongoing efforts to influence government decisions—Attac Québec awarded it the “Lobbyist of the Year” award last week.
Follow-up on the Horne 5 project: Pressure exerted by Falco Resources
Earlier this year, the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) released its report on Falco Resources' Horne 5 gold mine project in Rouyn-Noranda, deeming it “unacceptable” in its current state and concluding that it “does not meet minimum requirements for safety, public health, environmental protection, and internalization of costs.” The report echoed concerns expressed by citizens throughout the public hearing process. In particular, the BAPE argued that the residents of Rouyn-Noranda were already facing serious social and environmental crises due to air pollution caused by Glencore's Horne smelter, and that this context was not conducive to the establishment of a new mine in the city.
However, in a recent media statement, Falco harshly criticized the government for its slowness in deciding on the future of the mining project. In our view, this industrial pressure is misguided and unacceptable. That is why we have sent a letter to Quebec's Minister of the Environment with our partners to encourage him not to give in to this attempt to influence his decision.
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge: Major victory against Canada Carbon, and appeal
In March, we celebrated alongside our friends in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, who won an important victory against junior mining exploration company Canada Carbon when the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ) issued a decision rejecting the graphite mining project. This hard-won victory was supposed to mark the culmination of eight years of mobilization by the town's residents to protect their agricultural land.
This victory is now in jeopardy. Canada Carbon announced in May that it was appealing the decision to the Quebec Administrative Tribunal. We are disappointed but not surprised by the company's persistence in pushing ahead with its project against the will of a community that has never consented to it, and despite such a strong decision by the CPTAQ.
Iron ore and steel: The need to reduce impacts and emissions
MiningWatch welcomes the Canadian government's decision to bring 200 charges against mining company ArcelorMittal for alleged violations related to the illegal discharge of harmful substances into waterways in the Fermont region.
In the face of such serious environmental damage, a transformation of the steel sector is essential. Last month, we shared this report from our partners at SteelWatch, which proposes a worker-centered path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In January, we also presented our summary report on Quebec's iron mines as they operate today, in which we address the fundamental issues of our time related to the exploitation of Quebec's non-renewable mineral resources. We will continue to work in this area and strive for justice for communities that have been permanently affected by the mining industry.