Mining

Minister: Vincent Mark Parenteau
Associate Minister: Mildred Dorion

Mining and mineral development projects can have both positive and negative impacts on the lives of our Citizens. For many of our Northern Citizen's, mining has been the primary economic driver and source of employment for many years. The benefits of economic development have allowed for a sense of self-reliance and financial stability for many of our Red River Métis families. However, the mining industry has also led to many negative impacts on our environment, which have affected the health and well-being of our Citizens.

Manitoba is home to many of the world's critical minerals and to date, is still considered under-explored. With the recent demand for many of these critical minerals, caused by the push towards net-zero emissions, mineral exploration and development has been increasing rapidly in the province. Several new exploration and development projects are currently being considered. Unfortunately, the Red River Métis were left out of the Manitoba - First Nation Mineral Development Protocol and as a result, provincial officials and project proponents are not proactively notifying or reaching out to the MMF. Your Métis government has begun the development of a Red River Métis specific mineral development protocol to ensure meaningful and appropriate engagement and consultation through all phases of mineral development projects.

Some of the most recent mining files include:

Red River Métis Mineral Development Protocol

The MMF has developed a Draft Red River Métis Mineral Development Protocol to serve as a framework for engagement and consultation agreements between the MMF and the Manitoba or industry. The Protocol will help to inform the province and industry proponents on how to engage and consult with the MMF, on behalf of Red River Métis Citizens, on mineral development and exploration activities.

Stay tuned for updates on the Red River Métis Mineral Development Protocol. The MMF will be conducting Community Consultation Meetings to gather Citizen feedback and recommendations for implementation into the final Protocol.

Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada (Tanco)

Tanco is located on the Northwest shore of Bernic Lake, in Lac du Bonnet, MB. The operations currently include the mining of lithium, cesium, and tantalum.

Tanco contacted the MMF and requested to engage with Red River Métis Citizens regarding their current and future operations at the Tanco Mine. The MMF hosted a community engagement meeting in Lac du Bonnet on April 13, 2024, to gather Red River Métis comments, questions and concerns regarding the Tanco Mine, and to select participants for the Red River Métis Knowledge, Land Use and Occupancy study. Over the summer of 2024, the MMF conducted several interviews with Red River Métis Citizens. A final report was produced and shared with Tanco in February 2025.

RED RIVER MÉTIS KNOWLEDGE, ALND USE AND OCCUPANCY REPORT - TANCO MINE PROJECT

Sio Silica - Silica Sand Project

Sio Silica Corporation (formerly CanWhite Sands), a private company based in Calgary, proposed to construct a silica sand processing facility and extraction process to produce 1.36 million tonnes of processed silica sand per year.

The MMF held a community meeting in St. Malo on May 10, 2023. The MMF's Technical Review Report was submitted to Manitoba Environmental Approvals on June 8, 2023 (see PDF below). The CEC released their report on June 23,2023 and outlined many recommendations to be considered before the project could proceed.

On February 16, 2024, Manitoba's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Tracy Schmidt, made the decision to NOT issue an Environment Act License to Sio Silica for their project.

SIO SILICA REPORT

Since the Ministers decision to not Issue an Environmental Act License, Sio Silica has been planning to resubmit their project for approval. The MMF's EIRM Department continues to engage with Sio Silica to discuss the project and our continued concerns.

Lynn Lake Gold Mine - Alamos Gold Inc.

The federal environmental assessment of the Alamos Gold Inc. Lynn Lake Gold Mine was completed on March 6th, 2023, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada released a decision statement determining that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. Following the Decision by the Federal Minister, the Manitoba Environment Act Licenses for both the Gordon and MacLellan Mine Sites were issued.

Due to the lack of meaningful engagement from Alamos, and concerns about their activities, the MMF has withdrawn from the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC). The MMF will continue to engage with Alamos to discuss concerns and continue advocating for your Red River Métis rights.

Hudbay Minerals Inc.

Hudbay has begun to conduct early engagement with the MMF on their Mineral Exploration and Development activities in Manitoba. This positive step forward means that the MMF will be meeting with Hudbay regularly to receive updates on projects and future plans for exploration and development.

The MMF will continue to work with Hudbay to ensure impacts to Red River Métis rights are appropriately mitigated and/or accommodated moving forward, as it relates to all their current and planned activities.

In summer 2024, Hudbay announced the discovery of elevated levels of selenium in fish tissue in Schist Lake. As such, on July 10, 2024, the MMF hosted a Community Consultation Meeting in Flin Flon to discuss the issue, Manitoba's fish consumption guidelines, and to gather Red River Métis Citizen feedback, concerns, and perspectives. Following the meeting, the MMF summarized Citizen feedback and recommendations for next steps into a final report which was submitted to Hudbay for review.

HUDBAY - SELENIUM IN FISH TISSUE REPORT

The MMF conducted a crown consultation with Manitoba on Hudbay Minerals Inc. Work Permit Review for Surface Exploration Diamond Drilling and Borehole Geophysical Surveysin the Hargrave Area. The report summarized Citizen Feedback on the proposed activities and shared recommendations with Hudbay and Manitoba to consider prior to issuing the work permit. The report was submitted to Manitoba in November 2024.

WHAT WE HEARD: CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY REPORT FOR HUDBAY EXPLORATION IN HARGRAVE AREA

Canadian Premium Sands Inc.

Canadian Premium Sands Inc. (CPS) has received an Environment Act License (EAL) for both their Selkirk Processing Facility, as well as the Wanipigow Silica Sand Mine. The MMF will continue to advocate for Red River Métis Citizens to ensure you are able to benefit from the economic development opportunities that result from both projects.

Manitoba's Camp Lake Remediation Project - Sherridon, Manitoba

The old Sherritt-Gordon Mine in Sherridon is part of Manitoba's Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Program. Through this program, Manitoba initiated the Camp Lake Remediation Project which intended to eliminate the risk of wind-blown tailings, improve site safety, and improve water-quality in Camp Lake enough so that it would no longer have impacts on the receiving Kississing Lake.

Manitoba considers the Camp Lake Remediation Project to be complete and is now conducting long-term monitoring. Many Red River Métis Citizens continue to have concerns regarding the efficacy of Manitoba's remediation efforts.

In March 2024, Manitoba initiated the Sherridon Collaboration Table. The collaboration table is intended to ensure clear and timely information sharing regarding the Camp Lake Remediation Project and any other concerns raised by MB, the MMF, and other stakeholders. The MMF will continue to participate in this Collaboration Table to ensure we are able to keep our Citizens up to date regarding the on-going monitoring at Sherridon.

Crown Consultation with Manitoba

The government of Manitoba has begun notifying and consulting the MMF regarding mineral exploration activities in Manitoba. As such, stay tuned for more opportunities to provide feedback, concerns, and recommendations on mineral exploration activities occurring in the province. The MMF will continue to advocate for and protect your Red River Métis rights, claims and interests in the face of all mining activities.

We are always looking for input, comments, questions, and concerns from Métis Citizens who are directly or indirectly impacted by mining and exploration projects underway in the local community or within the areas that have traditionally been used for harvesting.

If you would like more information about the MMF's Mining Portfolio, please contact Becky Filopoulos via email: rebecca.filopoulos@mmf.mb.ca