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 continues to pressure Manitoba to develop 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:

---

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. On November 9, 2023, Tanco submitted an Environment Act Proposal to MB environmental approvals for the construction of a new processing facility.

In advance of their submission to Manitoba, Tanco notified the MMF and requested to engage with Red River Métis Citizens regarding their Project. 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 Tanco's project. Over the summer of 2024, the MMF conducted a fulsome Red River Métis Knowledge, Land Use and Occupancy study. A final report will be produced and shared with Tanco in order to inform their project plans and ensure Red River Métis specific mitigation and accommodation are implemented.

---

Minago Nickel Project - Flying Nickel Mining Ltd.

Flying Nickel purchased the Minago Nickel Project near Thompson, MB. This project includes an open pit mine which would produce nickel concentrate. Manitoba invited the MMF to participate in the consultation process for the Minago Project Notice of Alteration on May 18, 2023.

Funding was provided by the province for the MMF to hold a community meeting on September 30, 2023, conduct a technical review of the Notice of Alteration, and to conduct a Métis Knowledge, Land Use and Occupancy study (MKLUOs), from September 30 - October 2, 2023. A final report which incorporated Red River Métis Citizens concerns and feedback identified through the community meeting and MKLUOs was submitted to Manitoba on January 25, 2023 (see PDF below).

The MMF continues to meet with representatives from Flying Nickel to explore the economic development opportunities associated with their project, and to ensure that Red River Métis specific mitigation and accommodation measures are incorporated into their proposed plans.

• FLYING NICKEL - MINAGO NICKEL NOA REPORT

  ---

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

  ---

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.

The MMF is participating in the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) for the Lynn Lake Gold Project and will continue to advocate for our Red River Métis Citizens throughout the process.

---

Hudbay Minerals Inc.

Hudbay Minerals Inc. recently 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 has been submitted to Hudbay for review. The MMF will continue to work with Hudbay and Manitoba to ensure impacts to Red River Métis rights are appropriately mitigated and/or accommodated moving forward.

• HUDBAY - SELENIUM IN FISH TISSUE REPORT
• MMF Hudbay Community Consultation - Citizen Engagement Survey

  ---

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.

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 mining projects in Manitoba, please contact Maddy Perry via email: madelynn.perry@mmf.mb.ca