Backgrounder
Highlights of the OBAC Minerals and Mining Strategy
The Context
The Omineca Beetle Action Coalition (OBAC) was formed in 2005 with a purpose, “To work to ensure
sustainable development and resiliency for the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition region”.
With financial
support from the provincial government OBAC is led by a Board of Directors of the region’s Mayors and
Regional District Chairs. OBAC is working with its member communities, First Nations, all levels of
government, industry and sector representatives, academic institutions, and allied partner organizations to
develop regional diversification plans that build resilient communities during and after the pine beetle
epidemic. OBAC is putting forward long-term strategies that are designed to mitigate the social and
economic impacts of the mountain pine beetle epidemic.
The OBAC region spans more than thirteen million hectares from Smithers to Valemount, and includes two
regional districts and their rural constituents, twelve municipalities, and more than twenty First Nations
communities. At least fifty percent of our region’s forests are pine and thirty-seven percent of the jobs in
the region depend directly on forestry. Eighty percent of the mature pine forest is expected to be dead
within six years as a result of the mountain pine beetle epidemic currently afflicting the forests of central
BC.
The purpose of this strategy is to identify what actions need to be taken by the provincial and federal
governments in order to support responsible and sustainable growth in the region’s mineral exploration and
mine development sector. This strategy also identifies what actions local governments, First Nations, and
industry leaders can take individually, collectively and in concert with senior governments to achieve this
goal. The region has a number of existing mines, and an overall high potential for future development of
mineral resources. There is currently a high level of demand worldwide for minerals, and this demand is
expected to continue to grow. The Minerals and Mining Strategy is the first of the twelve identified
strategies to be developed, in part because this sector has very strong potential to sustain and strengthen
the region’s economy.
The communities of the OBAC region look forward to working with the minerals and mining sector and
welcoming the growth of this robust and responsive sector in our region.
The Vision
The communities of the OBAC region envision an active, vibrant and diversified mineral exploration and
mining industry as part of their future, offering multiple education opportunities to develop the interest and
skills required for mining and exploration activities with innovative and sustainable mining practices being
accomplished through effective communication, strong relationships and multiple partnerships.
This vision focuses on economic diversification and development of a region where residents can live, work
and train, inclusive of an active mining industry.
The vision also sees a region that is an environmental leader through best practices for mineral exploration
and mining activities, has the infrastructure needed to further develop the sector, and offers multiple
mining education and training opportunities to educate and encourage an active and involved labour force.
The future of the region should also feature improved communications and strengthened relationships
between the regions, province, federal government and First Nations. This will help to ensure fair and
effective management of the resources and that regions and affected parties are directly involved in
decisions relevant to their communities.
In 10 years time, OBAC communities want to be the home to a robust mineral exploration and mining sector
that is characterized by:
Objective 1. Strong partnerships between First Nations, local communities and governments;
Objective 2. Regional infrastructure that supports mining;
Objective 3. Respect cultural and environmental values;
Objective 4. An improved and streamlined permitting and project approval process;
Objective 5. The ability to train and retain the required workforce;
Objective 6. Increased public awareness and understanding of mineral exploration and mining;
Objective 7. Recognition globally as an industry leader in safe and sustainable mining;
Objective 8. Industry knowledge of the commercially viable resources in our region.
In order to achieve this vision and these objectives, this strategy identifies seven recommendations and 24
actions that are proposed to mobilise on these recommendations which, if implemented, will enable the
OBAC region to achieve its vision objectives mentioned above.
The Opportunities
For decades, the “wealth” of this region has been in trees; but the region is also rich in underground
resources. In the face of challenges to the forestry sector and the global increase in demand for mineral
resources the time is ripe to expand and grow the minerals and mining sector in the OBAC region. New
geoscience information and the exploration based on that information points to our region’s significant
potential for further growth in minerals and mining. More work must be done and an investment made in the
fundamental building block to mine development – find the valuable mineralized rocks and use this
geoscience information to attract new private sector investments in development.
The OBAC region is also rich in human resources, with a well established work force that has many of the
skills, developed through forestry work, that can be transferred to the minerals and mining sector. Helping
people to adapt to a changing work environment using their existing skills as an asset that can be
transferred from forestry to the minerals and mining sector is an important immediate step that needs to be
taken to grow the sector. There is also strong potential for First Nations to gain benefits from this
development by training and retraining to meet the skilled labour needs in mineral exploration and mining;
in fact, the Mining Industry nationwide is actively courting First Nations members to fill the 100,000 mining
industry jobs that are expected to open in the near future.
The OBAC region has a real advantage in being able to capitalize on these opportunities by having postsecondary
programs geared specifically to the sector; in particular, the Northwest Community College
School of Exploration and Mining is one of a very few institutions in Canada offering this kind of education.
The School has been effective in attracting First Nations students into the field as well; over half the
graduates of the School are First Nations members.
In terms of safe and sustainable mining practice, the region is home to cutting edge knowledge in acid rock
drainage, and has the potential to develop into a centre of excellence in safe mining and reclamation
practice.
The Recommendations – Overcoming Barriers, Seizing Opportunities
While many assets position the OBAC region to welcome this sector to the region, there is work to be done
to make it happen. While there are no guarantees, we are confident that if we follow the recommendations
and actions in the strategy that mine development, jobs and sustainable wealth will follow. Implementing
these recommendations and actions will go a long way towards achieving the vision and increasing the
probability of opening one or more new mines sooner rather than later.
OBAC recommends that local and First Nations governments, the Provincial and Federal governments,
industry, the knowledge transfer and educational institutions and interest groups take action together to
implement the following seven recommendations to grow this sector in the OBAC region to the benefit of
all:
Recommendation 1:
OBAC Local governments and First Nations governments work together to identify regional and local
expectations and needs.
Recommendation 2:
Maintain and improve regional infrastructure to help mining activity and to strengthen the OBAC region
overall.
Recommendation 3:
Build upon existing expertise to become a centre of excellence for minerals and mining post-secondary
education.
Recommendation 4:
Increase public education and raise awareness about sector activities and benefits.
Recommendation 5:
Achieve excellence in safe and sustainable mining practice, knowledge and expertise.
Recommendation 6:
Improve and streamline provincial and federal permitting processes and procedures.
Recommendation 7:
Encourage and support geoscience activities to further identify viable resources in the region.
It is important to note that while all seven of these recommendations are important, Recommendations 1
and 2 are particularly important in creating a positive socio-political environment in which to attract and
grow this sector. It is also important to note that each OBAC community has different opportunities, assets
and challenges and as such, each community’s unique circumstances will need to be considered when acting
upon these recommendations.
Out of each recommendation flow several specific actions, some of which are short-term and can be
accomplished within a year, and other, more long-term actions, that may take five years or more to
accomplish. The detailed actions, rationales, and timelines are presented under each of these
recommendations in Section 6 of the full strategy.
Further engagement with and between leaders of OBAC communities and local First Nations to identify
regional and local level interests and opportunities is a very high priority for the initial implementation
phase.
Other important actions address the need for improved infrastructure, a diverse and skilled labour force and
removal of administrative barriers. These actions include: maintaining priority forestry roads, upgrading
airports, improving access to three phase electrical power, enhancing the Geoscience information base,
establishing a post-secondary mining program to provide a trained workforce with roots in the region,
streamlining the permitting process, and providing tax and other incentives to attract new mining interest
to the region.
There are 24 actions proposed across these recommendations that can be taken to build a welcoming
environment for responsible mineral exploration and mine development. Some selected actions where the
provincial government can lead or make an important contribution include:
- Convene a forum for First Nations, local community governments, and industry to discuss overall
development goals and options and develop a mechanism for continuing dialogue.
- Undertake a detailed evaluation of priorities for infrastructure improvements which will support the
development of minerals and mining in the region. These include: Assess the feasibility of smelter
options; Evaluate “green” infrastructure options; Upgrade the Mackenzie–Fort St. James connector road;
Electrify the Highway 37 corridor.
- Delay decommissioning of forestry roads and other infrastructure and determine priority roads to be
maintained.
- Review the Labour Market Task Force recommendations and provide support to the recommendations
that will: Address labour market needs, skill shortages, and improve recruitment and retention; Address
training and skill upgrades needs.
- Strengthen junior school programs to raise awareness of the industry and fund post secondary programs
to train for the industry in the north.
- Prepare and provide general public information that provides a fair, balanced and realistic picture of
mineral exploration and mining.
- Map out current best practice in the region and worldwide with respect to safe and sustainable mining
practice and site remediation and provide increased government and industry funding to regional
institutions engaged in safety and remediation research and development.
- Establish a streamlined joint (federal/provincial) permitting process.
These actions and overall implementation of this strategy will require key and timely decisions by the
Provincial and Federal Governments.
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