Retired mining machines are set up as a tourist stop along Highway 63 north of Fort McMurray, Alta., on April 25.John Turner, Krisztian Toth and Paul Blyschak are lawyers at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. The views expressed herein are those of the authors.
In the decade after the millennium, before critical minerals were “critical minerals,” the authors were busy representing Asian interests pursuing every copper and gold project available, whether in Canada or elsewhere . Most project owners were eager sellers, believing the buyers were overpaying. Our clients were undeterred, inviting doubters to circle back in 20 years.
The task now shifts to seeing these long-overdue measures through. But the task also remains promoting Canadian mining through a fully co-ordinated, consistent and committed approach. So, too, must the federal government commit to transparency, predictability and streamlining in its regulatory reviews, including relating to national security.have seen deeply conflicting signals being sent regarding which types of investment by which types of investors will face enhanced scrutiny. Regulatory opacity and uncertainty to this degree threatens investment in Canadian mining across the board and not just from jurisdictions Ottawa deems to raise national-security concerns.