English

Abstract

Mining has been central to the Canadian economy for over 100 years and Canada is a supplier of mineral commodities worldwide. The long history of mining in Canada has resulted in more than 10,000 orphaned and abandoned mine (OAMs) sites requiring varying degrees of rehabilitation. The legacy of OAMs, with the associated environmental liability, human health concerns and the financial costs of clean up, is a serious issue facing Canada. OAMs exist within all mining jurisdictions in Canada. The National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative (NOAMI) was established in 2002 and is a co-operative Canadian program that is guided by an Advisory Committee consisting of the mining industry, federal/provincial/territorial governments, environmental non-government organizations (NGOs) and Aboriginal Canadians. The advisory committee's role is to assess key issues and put forward recommendations concerning collaborative approaches and partnerships in the implementation of remediation programs across Canada. Five task groups were established to examine key issues. These consist of information gathering (towards an inventory and national definition), funding approaches, and legislative barriers to collaboration, community involvement, and guidelines to legislative and jurisdictional review. Canada is well known for establishing multistakeholder initiatives to address issues of national importance. This model of cooperation among industry, various levels of government, NGOs and/or Aboriginal Canadians is now being used internationally. NOAMI is a good example of diverse stakeholders coming together to address the legacy of past mining practices and to advance the objectives of sustainable development. Several provinces in Canada have already taken significant steps to address abandoned mines in their respective jurisdictions, and the information garnered from these activities will be invaluable in addressing these issues on a national scale. This paper presents an overview of the issues surrounding abandoned mines in Canada, and national and provincial programs that have been initiated.