QS spokeswoman for commodities, Alejandra Zaga Mendez, believes that this measure would allow the government to be better prepared in the face of the sharp increase in mineral rights. In Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the area of ​​territory under mining titles has increased by 46% in the last two years.

This is to give the Minister for Natural Resources, who intends to review the framework instruments, time to get things right. We want to enable him to listen to the concerns of citizens, RCMs and communities that are mobilizingmentioned the member for Verdun.

Last month, the Minister for Natural Resources, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, described the principle of imposing a moratorium on mining claims as dangerous.

According to Alejandra Zaga Mendez, who recalls that the purchase of these titles can be done by credit card through the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, obtaining mining claims would also be too easy.

Mining claims give a company or individual the exclusive right to explore the demarcated property.

Giving local authorities the tools they need

According to Ms. Zaga Mendez, the bill would also end the primacy of the Mining Code in the Planning Code, which would allow for better anticipation of the emergence of mining and exploration activities.

This proposal is supported in particular by the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) and the Federation of Québec Municipalities (FQM).

At the moment, municipalities have no power to decide where mining may take place. It always comes back to the department. What we propose is to give municipalities the tools to decide where we can and cannot exploreexplains Alejandra Zaga Mendez.

A total of 13 RCMs and 172 municipalities joined the UMQ and FQM to call for the repeal of Section 246 of the Spatial Planning and Development Act to end the primacy of mining activities over other forms of land management.