Mineral Exploration

16 Mineral Exploration | amebc.ca PHOTO: NEIL LEONARDœAME At the same time, we know that we need to diversify our economy. It's something the local municipalities talk about a lot. The Sparwood regional economy is one of the least diversified in the province, which has made us very vulnerable to a cycle of boom and bust. The region has lots more to o¤er than just coal deposits, and we're trying to leverage our mountains and natural beauty to build a thriving tourist industry. Kamloops-North Thompson and Kamloops-South Thompson RYAN SCORGIE President of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and its 850 members take a great deal of interest in all kinds of resource development, including mineral development in Kamloops- North Thompson and Kamloops-South Thompson. The main mineral projects in the area are the Ajax Project (KGHM International Ltd.), the New Afton Mine (New Gold Inc.) and Highland Valley Copper (Teck Resources Limited). Opinions about resource development are mixed in Kamloops. Most of the working people here are for it, but many of the academics at Thompson Rivers University are against, so the Chamber of Commerce hears both sides of the argument. Our position is that if a project goes through the appropriate review process and passes it, then we support it. In fact, the Chamber thinks process is so important that our Policy Development Committee developed a policy regarding resource development in 2016 called Supporting Canada's Responsible Resource Development. The policy statement is more important than its brevity might indicate, because it was adopted provincially just a few months after it was written. The committee writes, in part, "The Chamber believes that it is critical that B.C. maintains its reputation as a jurisdiction open to investment. Achieving the investments needed to ensure Canada's competitiveness will require an e¤icient regulatory review process that ensures continued health and environmental protection of Canadians while generating jobs, economic growth and prosperity. "A streamlined process will encourage investment by providing businesses with a clear and predictable process to protect the environment while making the best use of limited government resources. "Ine¤icient and unpredictable processes may turn away potential investors and prevent businesses from being able to make informed location and logistic decisions. For example, the World Economic Forum has cited ine¤icient government bureaucracy as one of the biggest impediments to improving Canada's economic competitiveness. "We need to make sure that the regulatory review process is e¤icient, has a clear scope, reasonable timelines, and the flexibility to address unforeseen circumstances." The Kamloops area: home to mineral explorers and miners alike for generations. We see an additional 100,000 ounces of gold Accurate structural geology interpretation can mean the difference between a money pit and a gold mine. When our team of the world's best structural geology specialists analyse complex data you get insights that let you make condent, informed decisions. Before you undertake your next mining project, let us give you a clear picture of the risks and rewards. For a snapshot of 17 distinct services to the global mining industry, download our new mining brochure, available at: srk.com >1,400 professionals • > 45 ofces • > 20 countries • 6 continents

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