News Release

Partners deliver mining kit for Aboriginal communities

Business Announcement

Natural Resources Canada



This press release is also available in French.

A new educational tool will help Aboriginal people make more informed decisions and take advantage of opportunities offered by the mining industry in Canada. Released today in Whitehorse, the Mining Information Kit for Aboriginal Communities describes the mining cycle and identifies the many opportunities that exploration and mining can bring to Aboriginal people.

The information kit is the product of a partnership among the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA) and the Government of Canada (Natural Resources and Indian and Northern Affairs).

"This is an excellent tool for Aboriginal people, industry and governments. It ensures that Aboriginal communities have the knowledge they need to participate fully in all aspects of mining," said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources.

"This valuable information kit demonstrates how partnerships between government, industry and Aboriginal organizations play a key role in responsible development of the North," said the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians.

"Canada's mining industry has become the largest private-sector employer of Aboriginal Canadians. This information kit is designed to help Aboriginal communities prepare for, and effectively engage in, new opportunities offered by our sector," stated Gordon Peeling, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MAC.

According to Patricia Dillon, President of the PDAC, "The mineral industry offers excellent employment and business-development opportunities for Aboriginal people, including youth, particularly those in the northern regions of Canada. The kit contains details about training and the wide range of jobs this industry offers."

Aboriginal communities are increasingly becoming recognized as key contributors to the minerals and metals sector for labour and supplies. This kit was developed to respond to the increasing needs of Aboriginal communities for information products on minerals and metals activities. Approximately 1,200 Aboriginal communities are located within 200 kilometres of 190 producing mines and 2,100 active exploration properties across Canada.

"A mining project can be a catalyst for positive economic development in an Aboriginal community," said Jerry Asp, Vice-President of CAMA. "This information kit will help us better understand mining activities, so that we can make more informed decisions about our participation in the mining industry."

This project reaffirms the commitment of the partners to work with Aboriginal communities to increase the contribution of the minerals and metals industry to the well-being of Aboriginal people.

The information kit will be available in both English and French, and will be distributed to interested Aboriginal communities across Canada. It is available on each of the partners' Web sites.

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FOR BROADCAST USE:

A new information kit will help Aboriginal people make more-informed decisions about mining and take advantage of the opportunities it offers for their communities. The kit was produced by the Government of Canada in partnership with industry and Aboriginal mining associations.

For more information, media may contact:

Emma Welford
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
613-996-2007

Media Relations
Indian and Northern
Affairs Canada
819-953 1160

Pierre Gratton
Mining Association of Canada
613-233 9392 ext. 319

Saley Lawton
Director, Communications and Membership
Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada
416-362-1969 ext. 225

Hans Matthews
President
Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association
705-858-4444
aboriginal.minerals@sympatico.ca
www.aboriginalminerals.com

The following media backgrounder is available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media:

Mining Information Kit for Aboriginal Communities


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