RESOURCES: Canada supports mining sector with $98M geoscience investment

[caption id="attachment_1003740668" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Targeted Geoscience Initiative areas of interest Credit: Government of Canada[/caption] OTTAWA – With its sights set on economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, the government of Canada has announced a $98-million, five-year investment to renew two geoscience programs led by the Geological Survey of Canada: the Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals program and the Targeted Geoscience Initiative. The Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals program provides publicly available geoscience information on the mineral and energy resources in Canada's North. The Targeted Geoscience Initiative is a collaborative program aimed at providing industry participants with geological knowledge and innovative techniques to effectively target mineral deposits. Together, these programs provide junior exploration companies with the resources to help them identify potential future mines, while supporting northern, remote and Indigenous community engagement in land-use planning. “The Canadian mining sector has faced unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring the competiveness of this critical industry is more important than ever, as the sector looks to recover and move toward a prosperous future,” Seamus O'Regan, Canada's minister of natural resources, said in a release. “The government will continue to support Canada's mining and exploration companies — and the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan is the vehicle that will drive the sector forward." In 2019, the Canadian government released its Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP), to serve as a framework for success in the mining sector over the coming years. The initiative is led by the federal, provincial and territorial mines ministers, alongside engagement with Indigenous partners, and is informed by industry, as well as other stakeholders. This latest proposed investment is expected to anchor the Pan-Canadian Geoscience Strategy under the CMMP, to enable Canada to present world-leading geoscience to meet the growing global demand for responsibly sourced minerals and metals. For more information, visit www.NRCan.gc.ca.