Canada’s miners must seize political opening, Gratton says

Canada's mining industry has gained political backing to revive its fortunes, according to outgoing Mining Association of Canada (MAC) president Pierre Gratton. Gratton, who has led the MAC for over 15 years, emphasized the importance of converting this support into new mines during his final address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

He highlighted the need for faster project reviews and proposed tax breaks to encourage investment in the mining sector. Gratton noted that Canadian mining output has declined by 23% for copper and 44% for nickel over the past decade. However, recent policy changes in Ottawa present an opportunity for miners to rebuild supplies and reduce reliance on China-dominated supply chains.

To succeed, miners must build projects while maintaining the trust of local communities, which played a crucial role in winning government support. Gratton, who joined MAC in 1999, emphasized the importance of community engagement and building relationships with Indigenous peoples, which helped change public attitudes towards mining.

During his tenure, MAC developed the Towards Sustainable Mining program, which assesses mining operations through independent verification and oversight. This program has been adopted by mining associations in 13 other countries, including Brazil, Australia, and Mexico. Gratton also cited the success of McIlvenna Bay in Saskatchewan, Canada's first new copper-zinc mine in over a decade, as an example of the potential for new mines.

The MAC has been pushing for changes such as the Productivity Mega Deduction, which would allow companies to deduct the full cost of eligible capital investments when those assets enter service, and the expansion of investment tax credits to development expenses. Gratton stressed the importance of maintaining trust with local communities, warning that governments will not support developers who neglect Indigenous relationships.

He urged miners to take advantage of the faster assessment process and build more mines to support the industry's growth.