Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown isn't thrilled with the provincial government's attempt to fast-track public consultations before making changes to the Mining Act.
In a letter to Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, Brown chastises the government for its "unreasonable time frame and minimal consultation" in meeting with northwestern Ontario communities.
The McGuinty government staged public meetings in Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Kingston and Toronto in early August and September. In some cities, affected people and companies had only one week's notice to travel and respond. The government wants to introduce new Mining Act legislation this fall when the Legislature resumes.
"The government's process regarding this issue has been hastily rolled out, without adequate notice and limited to one community in northwestern Ontario, " says Brown. "The meetings have been designed to minimize open discussion."
The surge in mineral exploration activity in northwestern Ontario and the related regional business spinoffs have reduced some of the pain from the decline in forestry.
Brown suggests two more consultation meetings in Atikokan and Marathon. Atikokan's letter has been released to other northwestern Ontario communities for endorsement.
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