(Sainte-Adèle) “There is no mining project that is carried out without social acceptance,” stressed Prime Minister François Legault on Thursday.
Updated August 18th
Lea Carrier The Press
He was responding to the La Presse report, which revealed that a graphite deposit partially located in the Laurentian Reservoir-Kiamika Regional Park was on sight of an Ontario miner.
Citizens and elected officials are concerned that this area will be defaced by a mine, which would also jeopardize a 2.5 million leisure tourism project.
But François Legault has no intention of leaving the way open to mining companies if their projects are not accepted by the population, he said.
“That goes for this project, that goes for all projects,” said the Prime Minister as he walked through Sainte-Adèle to introduce the CAQ candidate riding Bertrand, France, Élaine Duranceau.
In southern Quebec, the growing number of mining exploration titles related to graphite — an essential mineral for the manufacture of electric car batteries — is a cause for concern.
“But what’s important is to say: 1) There has to be social acceptance around the mine; 2) there is a BAPE, a Bureau of Public Hearings on the Environment. So the whole process is being followed,” said the Prime Minister.
Québec solidaire calls for “a new mining social contract”
“Québec Solidaire has been proposing to review the mining sector for 15 years. Amir Khadir [député de Mercier de 2008 à 2018] was on. I can’t believe we still have to ask that,” thundered training co-speaker Manon Massé.
The surge in claims calls for “a new mining social contract” to increase royalties paid to communities and the state and prevent mining companies from prioritizing land, the party argues.
Under applicable law, the claimant has the exclusive right, for a period of two years, to prospect for mineral substances on the soil of any domain of the state that is the subject of the claim.
“There is no mining boom in the Laurentians,” defends the Department of Energy and Natural Resources
“The number of claims in an area varies from year to year and is not representative of the extent of mining activity in a region,” writes spokesman Eric de Montigny.
Thus, “only 1% of the claims are the subject of impact exploration work at an advanced stage of exploration”.
In addition, “many everyday objects such as mobile phones, sporting goods, batteries for electric vehicles cannot be produced without mines,” emphasizes the ministry.
The CAQ presents its candidate to succeed Nadine Girault
It is the accountant France-Élaine Duranceau who will defend the colors of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) riding Bertrand in the provincial elections on October 3rd.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
France-Élaine Duranceau (left) will attempt to succeed Minister Nadine Girault in riding Bertrand.
She will try to succeed Caquiste Nadine Girault, who is retiring from political life.
“I liked what I’ve seen over the past four years. I liked the CAQ’s approach, an approach that focuses on concrete actions and results,” France-Élaine Duranceau told an enthusiastic crowd of friends and supporters.
The riding of Bertrand in the Laurentians is currently being held by the Minister for International Relations and La Francophonie, Nadine Girault. The latter announced in July that it would not seek a new mandate due to health problems.
Member of the Order of Chartered Professional Accountants, France-Élaine Duranceau worked for Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and Transcontinental Printing, we can read on her LinkedIn profile.
Before taking the plunge into politics, she had served on the Executive Committee of the Canada Revenue Agency since 2016.
François Legault was pleased to welcome another accountant to its ranks. “The CAQ is a pragmatic party,” he argued. And accountants know how to “emphasize efficiency,” Mr. Legault said.
With Pierre St-Arnaud, The Canadian Press