THUNDER BAY — New leaders in the prospecting world are highlighting the importance of building good relationships with local stakeholders, including First Nations.
As his first year as president of the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association, Percy Clark plans to open consultation processes early in order to build relationships with local communities, including First Nations.
Clark said that it’s important to meet with members of communities, identify the work that is being planned and invite them out to see what’s being done, even during the first assessments of a project. “And when we move towards activities that are more of a disturbance, things like diamond drilling, line cutting, stripping, that’s when the company needs a permit. So, there is an extended conversation at that point from the communities and surface rights holders to provide feedback” he said.
Clark spoke with Newswatch on Wednesday at NOPA’s 30th annual Exploration Showcase at the Valhalla Inn, which saw about 700 attendees, 56 booths and 16 presentations from the mining industry.
Also in attendance was the new CEO of the Ontario Prospectors Association, Steve Virtue, who said building sustainable and durable relationships with First Nations on projects that are collaborative and innovative is a key priority for the OPA.
Virtue said that the organization has undergone a transformation. “We’ve had to sort of rethink how we engage our members, rethink how we work with different stakeholders in the communities, and part of that is certainly making sure that the prospectors and the early-stage explorers have the information they need to be able to build strong and productive relationships with stakeholders and with members of First Nations and Indigenous communities across the province” he said.
According to Virtue, many aspects of the industry, including the needs of the members have evolved. “The global ecosystem has changed, the markets have changed, and as an association we have to make sure that we’re keeping up with that, delivering the products and services, and advocacy, which is a big part of what we do, making sure that we’ve got relationships at the provincial, federal, and even at the local level” he said.
The Exploration Showcase opened on Wednesday to major mining companies, junior mining companies and service providers, and on Thursday will run a free event for students and other members of the public who are looking to learn about the industry. The presentation agenda for Thursday features 15 speakers on topics including current and upcoming projects.
