Ontario is the only jurisdiction in Canada that does not apply environmental assessment (EA) legislation to mine development. Several jurisdictions also apply their EA process to mineral exploration. Clearly Ontario is out of step with the rest of Canada and Ontarians' expectations regarding...
Crossroads on the Tundra: Baker Lake struggles under pressure to allow uranium mining
Baker Lake, Nunavut, is the geographic centre of Canada, but it’s rarely the centre of attention for most Canadians. And yet what’s going on here is nothing less than a test of democracy in Canada’s newest territory. A huge complex of uranium mines is being proposed for the tundra west of Baker Lake...
Courting Justice: Victims of mining abuses sue in Canada
(Updated on February 11th, 2012)
Over the past couple of years, Private Member’s Bill C-300 had MiningWatch focused on efforts to bring about legislative change through the Canadian parliament in order to hold our extractive industry to greater account for its operations abroad. But while our...
Having the Ruggie Pulled Out From Under Us: From “Sanction and Remedy” to non-judicial grievance mechanisms
Unfortunately, in moving from naming and framing problems in 2008, to providing guidelines through which to address these problems in 2011, Ruggie has retreated from making strong recommendations that he himself had identified as feasible in key areas.
Outdated Mining Act Leads to Multiple Conflicts Over Exploration and Mine Development in Quebec
Quebec is one of Canada’s top three mineral producers and a prime destination for speculative exploration spending. It has a reputation as a relatively easy place to explore and develop a mineral property, due to strong government support, established mining regions such as Val d’Or, and an...
Quebec Mining Conflicts from East to West, North to South
The Algonquin Nation’s traditional territory straddles the Quebec-Ontario border extending along Quebec’s western border up the Gatineau and Ottawa River watersheds. The Algonquins have never signed a treaty and are not party to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, so there are no...
MiningWatch and Papua New Guinea Partners File Complaint on Porgera Mine
On March 1, 2011, MiningWatch Canada and our Papua New Guinea partners from Akali Tange Association and the Porgera Landowners Association filed a “Request for Review” with the Canadian National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. The complaint alleges that Canadian...
Mining Mongolia: Ivanhoe, T-shirts, NGOs, and Wikileaks
In 2005, Robert Friedland, chairman of the Vancouver-based Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., famously regaled potential investors in Florida with his Mongolian mega-project, the “cash machine we really intend to build,” – a massive copper-gold and coal project in the southern Gobi desert called Oyu Tolgoi or...
Wixárika people deliver letter to Mexican President Calderón and shareholders of First Majestic Silver
Open letter - The Wixárika indigenous people delivered the following letter to President of Mexico Felipe Calderón in Mexico City on May 9, 2011. A delegation from the Wixárika people then presented the same letter to First Majestic Silver shareholders on May 19, 2011, during the company's annual...
FPIC: The 'C' stands for 'Consent'
Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is clearly established as an international human rights norm. The right of Indigenous peoples to grant or withhold approval for actions affecting their rights is an integral element of the right of self-determination. Article 3 of the United Nations...
What You May Not Know About Goldcorp's Marlin Mine in Guatemala
Document - The Coalition Against Unjust Mining in Guatemala (CAMIGUA) responds to Goldcorp's arguments against an activist shareholder resolution, which will be voted upon at the company's upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 18th, 2011. The shareholder resolution asks Goldcorp to voluntarily...
Newfoundland and Labrador Mineral Strategy
In February 2011 the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) began a process to develop a mineral strategy for the province. This is a welcome initiative as the last comprehensive policy review for the mineral sector was in the 1970s. As a starting point the government released a discusion...
Páramos free of large-scale mining: an obligation of the Colombian authorities
Declaration - A statement from the Colombian Network Against Large Scale Transnational Mining, RECLAME, following Greystar Resources's decision to withdraw its request for an environmental permit for its Angostura project in the Colombian páramos of Santurbán. The decision comes on the heels of...
Corporate Accountability in Canada - A MiningWatch Archive
An archive of key moments in advocating for corporate accountability in Canada between 2005 and 2010. Included: key documents and responses from MiningWatch released between 2005 and 2010, presentations made before parliamentary committees with regards to SCFAIT's Mining in Developing Countries...
Goldcorp shareholder resolution asks for suspension of Marlin mine in Guatemala
Document: Two individual shareholders have filed a resolution for consideration at the Goldcorp annual general meeting. The resolution asks the company to voluntarily comply with recommendations from international bodies including the International Labour Organization and the Inter-American...
Action Alert: No Means No! Put an End to the Prosperity Mine Proposal
On World Water Day, March 22, allies and supporters of the Tsilhqot’in National Government would like you to take action to protect Teztan Biny-Fish Lake. Let the federal and provincial governments know that you still stand with the Tsilhqot’in communities in opposition to the proposed Prosperity...