What is the role of the Association in Quebec's mining sector?
Ever since our 1975 inception, our mission has been to promote mining exploration and support the overall development of the sector. Our 200 corporate members include junior and major mining exploration and drilling companies, as well as equipment suppliers, consulting geology firms, and many more. Across all these years, we strived to represent their best interest and offer valuable insights that could help them in their day-to-day-processes. Sustainable and responsible mining is at the core of our organization, and considering that Quebec uses almost exclusively hydroelectricity, our mining industry is as green as it gets. In addition, we are home to a wide variety of raw materials that are vital for the ensuing energy transition, making us an excellent geography for mining.
The mining industry seems to be overcoming its former bad reputation as the public becomes increasingly understanding. How are you perceiving this change in perception?
Always operating within the law, and with utmost respect to the environment and the communities that inhabit it, we have been trying to bring into the limelight exactly this positive impact that mining has in people's lives.
Whether it was acknowledged or not, mining has always played a central role in the development of human civilization, and the fact that, now, society is starting to see the intrinsic value of this industry is just a confirmation of this postulate.
What is the current investment climate when it comes to mining projects?
Mining exploration is a cycle, and, now, with the growing demand for minerals, and the need to increase the production capacity, we must do everything in our power to attract robust investment. In order to fund the best and most promising projects, we have to put in a collective effort, and this is why we aim to coagulate as many players as possible around QMEA. Quebec is a clearly regulated, entirely supportive, jurisdiction, and foreign investors are usually interested in placing their money into the projects with the least risk possible. In light of these, we hope to see our mining industry become an irresistible investment destination in the following years.
What are the main challenges that you are trying to solve for your member companies?
Running a capital-intensive business with special attention to the ESG framework is no easy feat, especially when you count in the sometimes long permitting times. Additionally, attracting the right capital and bringing a mine into production in this competitive market can pose problems to companies. However, the challenge that trumps all of these nuisances is the thinning talent pool. Importing skilled people who are interested in coming to Quebec and staying to the very end of the mining project is a tricky process, and we could really benefit from more fresh graduates in this industry. However, we need to ensure that the students acquire updated information to be able to keep pace with all the technologies that have been evolving in the last 25 years.
What are the main objectives that you hope to achieve at QMEA in the coming five years?
In the future, we aim to continue to nurture the financial capacity to fund research, and, most importantly, exploration. Attracting attention towards the mining industry and its importance is absolutely vital if we plan to make this sector thrive. To be able to sustain the green transition, we need to fund and develop new mining projects at a steady pace, and we will continue to support and promote this necessity as long as it is needed. Last but not least, specialists are the centerpiece of the puzzle, so attracting talent must turn into a hot topic on the public agenda.
