Each year, the Minerals and Metals Sector (MMS) of Natural Resources Canada collects and publishes statistics on mineral exploration, development, and production.
Find information relating to Free Miners Certificate by visiting Mineral Titles FAQ section of the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines website:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/mineral-exploration-mining/mi...
For further information contact the Mineral Titles Branch:
Telephone: 1-866-616-4999
Email: [email protected]
The products of the mining industry help build the highways,electrical and communications networks,housing, automobiles, consumer electronics and other products and infrastructure essential to modern life.
Some samples of consumer application that rely on mining products:
Information courtesy of Mining Association of Canada, Facts + Figures 2011
The Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC), founded in 1901, speaks on behalf of mineral and coal producers and advanced development companies involved in the exploration, development and smelting of minerals in British Columbia, Canada.
The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME), founded in 1912, promotes a healthy environment and business climate for the mineral exploration industry. It is regarded as the predominant voice of mineral exploration and related issues in British Columbia.
If you are looking for historical photos of mining in BC we recommend you try the following sources:
Vancouver Public Library, Special Collections
350 West Georgia St., Vancouver B.C. V6B 6B1
Telephone: (604) 331-3603
Historical Photographs Telephone: (604) 331-3776
FAX: (604) 331-3777
To find coal production statistics for BC visit BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resourceswebsite.
To view annual BC metal production and value statistics visit: BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources website. Information covers Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc and Molybdenum.
Annual mineral production statistics in Canada by province and territory can be found under the Minerals and Metals Sector area of the Natural Resources Canada website. Monthly statistics are located here.
To locate contact information for federal Ministers of Parliament, Deputy Ministers, Senators and MP offices visit Government of Canada Electronic Directory Services online.
To find information on ministries or departments responsible for natural resources and mining in each province and territory in Canada visit Natural Resources Canada Directory web page.
To find contact information for a BC government official or BC government organizations, visit the online BC Government Directory.
The Major Projects Management Office (MPMO) is a Government of Canada organization whose role is to provide overarching project management and accountability for major resource projects in the federal regulatory review process, and to facilitate improvements to the regulatory system for major resource projects.
The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) is a neutral agency that manages the review of proposed major projects in British Columbia, as required by the Environmental Assessment Act.
Find information relating to Free Miners Certificate by visiting Mineral Titles FAQ section of the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources website:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/mineral-exploration-mining/mi...
For further information contact the Mineral Titles Branch:
Telephone: 1-866-616-4999
Email: [email protected]
The BC Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources has created a number of recreational panning reserves around the Province that are open to the general public to use for recreational gold panning.
To obtain a list of maps for gold panning areas in the province visit: Recreational Panning Reservespage on the Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources website.
To understand the basics of prospecting read, Introduction to Prospecting by E.L. Faulkner, Paper 1986-4.
This resource can be accessed in pdf format on the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources website.
To find information related to mineral titles in BC visit Mineral Titles Online. Mineral Titles Online (MTO) is an Internet-based mineral titles administration system that allows mineral exploration industry to acquire and maintain a mineral titles by selecting the area on a seamless digital GIS map of British Columbia and pay the associated fees electronically.
The Mineral Titles office administers the laws and manages the recording system pertaining to the acquisition and maintenance of mineral, placer and coal rights in the province. The Ministry maintains records and maps which indicate areas available for location and acquisition of title as well as the location and status of mineral and coal titles acquired under the Mineral Tenure Act and Coal Act.
Tailings storage facilities are similar to conventional dams and they are subject to similar technical guidelines but serve different purposes. They are also regulated by different government agencies and under separate pieces of legislation.
TSFs are regulated in BC by the Ministry of Energy & Mines under the Mines Act[1] and the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia (HSRC). The HRSC includes the requirement to use the Canadian Dam Association Dam Safety Guidelines[3].
The CDA guidelines are comprehensive design guidelines that include a Consequence of Failure classification. Dams are rated according to the potential effect of failure and dams are assigned risk ratings of low, medium, high, very high or extreme. Design guidelines vary by the risk rating.
Many mining companies in BC also use the Towards Sustainable Mining Tailings Management Protocol and Guides[4] in managing their operations.
[1] http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96293_01
[4] http://mining.ca/towards-sustainable-mining/protocols-frameworks/tailings-management
The provincial government through the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia (HSRC), requires:
[1] https://www.apeg.bc.ca/getmedia/a373a764-1869-41b5-b07d-81d36a0698c3/APEGBC-Legislative-Dam-Safety-Reviews.pdf.aspx
There are 98 tailings dams at 60 mine sites in BC.[1]
By comparison, there are over 1500 water dams[2] and 79 hydroelectric dams[3] in BC.
[1] http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/downloads/Permitted_Metal_and_Coal_TSF.pdf
[2] http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/dam_safety/
[3] http://www.bchydro.com/energy-in-bc/our_system/generation/dam-safety/dam-safety-faq.html
A tailings storage facility (TSF) is a structure made up of (one or more dams) built for the purposes of storing the uneconomical ore (ground up rock, sand and silt) and water from the milling process.
Tailings, ground up rock (uneconomical ore after processing) plus water, are contained in the TSF. The composition of the tailings will vary depending on the composition of the rock in the surrounding environment and the process of mineral extraction used at each mine.
What is the water quality in a tailings management facility?
Water to be discharged from the TSF is regulated by the provincial Environmental Management Act and federal Fisheries Act.[1] [2]
[1] http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/03053_00