MiningWatch Canada would like to submit these comments on the potential licencing of Strateco’s proposed Matoush Uranium Advanced Exploration Project to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Canadian Human Rights Report on Colombia a ‘Sick Joke’
The Canadian government’s human rights report tabled in Parliament Tuesday regarding implementation of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement might as well have been a comic strip of three monkeys: “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
Environmental Defenders in Danger in Mesoamerica
In the last few years, environmental defenders have organized to confront the social and environmental impacts of the mining industry. For their work protecting natural resources and the environment, environmental defenders have been subjected to human rights violations, which include threats...
Local Votes and Mining in the Americas
Map: Since the first local vote in Tambogrande, Peru in 2002, the "consulta", or community referendum, has emerged as a powerful tool for communities affected by unwanted mining projects to voice their collective opinion on a project through engaging in popular democracy. By giving residents of...
Ontario Could Get Burned by Flawed Ring of Fire Process
Ottawa, May 9, 2012. In paired press releases the Ontario Government and U.S. mining company Cliffs Natural Resources today announced plans to proceed with the next step in the development of a chromite deposit in the area dubbed the “Ring of Fire”. The remote area of northern Ontario and the...
The Doctrine of Discovery: its enduring impact on indigenous peoples and the right to redress for past conquests
In this submission to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Global Caucus of Indigenous Peoples draws the links between the Doctrine of Discovery and the contemporary Doctrine of Development - both of which have had and continue to have disastrous effects on Indigenous Peoples...
Mining Injustice Conference: Resisting Extractivism, Lessons and Inspiration from Front-line Communities and Fellow Activists
A concern about the social and environmental destruction caused by Canadian mining companies brought me to the fourth annual Mining Injustice Conference organized by the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, held at the University of Toronto.
ACTION ALERT: Sherritt Must Be Accountable for All Human and Environmental Damage Caused by the Ambatovy Project
Before the Ambatovy project is allowed to continue and before the delivery of approval to start production, the rights and needs of peasants and people affected by the construction phase – in regard to impacts on land, water, fish and forests – must be respected; the costs for compensation as result...
Honduran Congress Consults with Canadian Government and Mining Companies -- But Not Its Own People
Honduran civil society organizations are once again denouncing Honduran authorities for refusing to consult with them over a new mining law.
Goldcorp Shareholders Ask Company to Ensure Full Independent Financing and Disclosure of Closure Plans for Marlin Mine
Shareholder Resolution: Three Goldcorp shareholders have filed a resolution with the company to be voted on at its 2012 Annual General Meeting. The resolution asks Goldcorp to fully fund the closure and post closure of the Marlin mine in Guatemala, consult with local communities regarding closure...
Canadian Media Misses Castro’s Message
On Monday, our national media seemed taken aback when Fidel Castro pointed a finger at Canada. Confusion arose from not wanting to hear what he had to say.
Another Mining Horror Story? Sherritt International Corporation’s Ambatovy Project in Madagascar
Civil society groups are demanding that the government of Madagascar force Sherritt International's Ambatovy project to deliver on its promises of environmental safeguards, local jobs, and social responsibility by revising Malagsy mining and investment laws and regulations.
Ontario Government Misses Opportunity to Increase Revenues from Mining
With an overwhelming emphasis on reducing expenditures, this week's Ontario Budget misses an important opportunity to increase provincial revenues from the mining sector. When compared with other Canadian jurisdictions, Ontario has the lowest corporate tax rate for mining and recoups the lowest...
Federal Government Hides Behind Budget with Changes to Environmental Assessment
The Harper Government™ has made no secret of its plan for environmental protection, planning, and assessment; it’s a necessary complement to its economic strategy, which essentially consists of extracting as much wealth from the ground as quickly as possible, unencumbered by niceties like public...
Where Do the NDP Leadership Candidates Stand on Corporate Accountability?
In the latest edition of Embassy Magazine, NDP leadership candidates were asked to articulate their top foreign policy priorities. The positions were pretty similar; most included elements of climate change, fairer trade, and a less militarized approach to diplomacy. None included corporate...
Statement Regarding Quebec Court of Appeal Decision in Canadian Association Against Impunity v. Anvil Mining Limited
Our concern centres on the apparent denial of the possibility that the victims of the violence in Kilwa could seek redress from a Canadian company in Canadian courts, with the ancillary concern that transnational corporations, mining companies in particular, and Anvil Mining in specific, may be able...