Ontario government announces streamlined mining permit process

Ontario has launched a new 'One Project, One Process' framework to streamline mine approvals, aiming to cut review times in half.

The Ontario government has announced a new process aimed at speeding up mine exploration and development in the province.

Ontario Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce announced the One Project, One Process framework, at a news conference Friday morning.

Lecce said change was needed because the current system has taken up to 15 years to approve a single mine, creating delays that have been holding back access to critical minerals like nickel, lithium and cobalt.

“There are 10 mines right now actively working through the permit process,” Lecce said.

“Every Canadian knew months ago, post-President (Donald) Trump, that we had to move with speed to realize our economic potential and that economic self-reliance starts with our ability to move resource projects forward.”

Under the new process, mining projects will be managed by a mine authorization and permitting delivery team, with the Ministry of Energy and Mines acting as a single point of contact to coordinate approvals within two years.

“We will take that permit and then essentially shepherd it right across the enterprise of government, ministry by ministry, to get it approved within that baseline,” Lecce said.

The goal of the new system is to slash review times by 50 per cent. The Crown’s duty to consult with First Nations will continue.

“We agree that efficiency must never compromise responsibility,” said Priya Tandon, president of the Ontario Mining Association.

“A shared, consistent framework, including a unified list of communities to engage with, would provide clarity not only for industry but for Indigenous partners and government, as well.”

Jason Jessup, CEO of Sudbury-based Magna Mining, said the company has four projects in the pipeline.

Jessup said the new process is a “great step forward” for Ontario and puts the province on the path to becoming the premier jurisdiction for new mine development.

Providing more certainty

The new streamlined permitting process, he said, will help Magna when looking at greenfield projects and will “provide more certainty” on when deposits can be moved into production.

“We think that’ll open up a lot more opportunity here for us in the Sudbury basin,” Jessup said.

“With the mineral endowment we have in this province, having this certainty on the ability to get mines permitted and into construction will attract a lot more capital and, ultimately, will help us build a lot more mines in Ontario.”

The permitting process falls under the province’s Mining Act and under the controversial Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act.

The legislation gives the Doug Ford government power to suspend provincial and municipal laws for projects in areas it deems to have economic importance, citing the need to speed up mine development.

The bill sparked anger from First Nations and environmental groups.

The environmental group Ontario Nature said Friday it’s “not necessarily concerned” with the new process.

Devil in the details

However, officials wonder how experts from other provincial ministries that were previously part of the review process will be able to comment on new proposals and what standards will be required or met.

“What the government’s putting out in terms of the guidance and the process, there’s a lot of lack of clarity and transparency on how this will actually unfold,” Tony Morris, Ontario Nature Conservation policy and campaigns director, told CTV News Friday afternoon.

Environmental groups are demanding Bill 5 be scrapped because it streamlines mine approvals by repealing Ontario’s existing Endangered Species Act, which passed in 2007, and replacing it with a new version called the Species Conservation Act.

They argue it would be detrimental to protecting wildlife.

“There’s a big risk to our species at risk, and in fact, any permitting process won’t actually assess potential impacts to those species in their habitat,” Morris said.

There are 36 active mines in Ontario contributing $24 billion to the province’s gross domestic product.

Ontario’s mining sector supports an estimated 28,000 direct jobs and 46,000 indirect jobs through associated mineral processing and supply services.