Surveys reveal attitudes toward mining

National polls are the only practical means available for determining Canadians’ perceptions and opinions on certain issues and why they feel and think the way they do.

On the other hand, all such survey results should be digested with a certain amount of healthy criticism, for as we all know, responses can be strongly influenced by the manner in which questions are phrased, and people’s priorities and opinions vary significantly with changing times and external factors.

In my mind, the only real factor that can outweigh these potential weaknesses in surveys is consistency of results over time, particularly if such results arise from completely independent polls.

It is in this context that I believe we have good reason to be more optimistic about our public image than we have generally allowed ourselves to be. Consider the following:

During the past five years, four independent national surveys have been conducted which, when considered together, provide valuable information on Canadians’ perceptions and opinions of mining:

Date Pollster Commissioned By

1. 1989 Angus Reid Mining Industry

2. 1991 Environics Federal Department

of the Environment

3. 1993 Corporate Research Federal Department

Associates of

Natural Resources

4. 1993 Decima Research Mining Industry

Some intriguing consistencies can be traced throughout the results of these surveys and I have attempted to summarize them below by abstracting and quoting some of the critical, concluding statements from each one. Special attention has been given to some particularly interesting revelations concerning Canadians’ attitudes on land use.

Support for the mining industry

* There are three distinctly different groups of perceptions of the industry within the Canadian population: 35% are supportive of mining, 45% are concerned (i.e., neutral-to-qualified support) and 20% are antagonistic (Angus Reid, 1989).

* A slight majority of the public has a favorable overall opinion of the industry (52%) and another 29% are neutral in their views (Decima, 1993). * Resource industries generally have a high profile and, collectively, are considered the most important part of the national economy (mining is ranked third, behind forestry and agriculture). About 70% of Canadians say this sector is very important to Canada’s economy, while 24% consider it somewhat important (Corporate Research, 1993).

* About 77% of Canadians believe mining contributes significantly to the Canadian economy (Angus Reid, 1989).

* About 86% agree that exploration should be encouraged so that Canada can maintain its own domestic supply of metals and minerals (Angus Reid, 1989). * About 93% of respondents believe Canadian mining companies should explore for minerals in Canada, rather than in other countries, and two-thirds believe it is important to find ways to ensure mining companies stay in Canada so that domestic mining communities can remain strong (Decima, 1993). Land-use issues

* Fully 70% of Canadians believe prospectors should be allowed to explore for minerals in parks and wilderness areas, provided steps are taken not to disrupt the natural environment (Angus Reid, 1989).

* Most Canadians (64%) would support mining in parks and wilderness areas, again provided steps are taken to limit the environmental impact (Angus Reid, 1989).

* When asked to choose from among three options for protecting wilderness areas, Canadians assign the least priority to the option of creating more provincial and national parks (Environics, 1991).

* When asked what can be done to conserve wildlife populations, Canadians assign low priority to the option of creating more protected areas and parks and protecting wetlands (Environics, 1991).

* About 82% say that when government looks at setting aside land for parks, it should determine whether there are large mineral deposits that could be mined before the land is set aside. If “large, valuable” deposits are discovered, 63% of respondents say mining and other land uses should co-exist (Decima, 1993).

(I think it is important to emphasize here that the Environics poll was commissioned by the Federal Department of the Environment and was designed to explore Canadians’ views on environmental conservation exclusively. In spite of this thrust, the vast majority of respondents gave low priority to the creation of parks and protected areas.)

Public concerns and misunderstandings

* When asked to list “top-of-the-mind” strengths and weaknesses of the industry, about half of the respondents are unable to form any impression whatsoever (Angus Reid, 1989).

* While Canadians give the mining industry high marks in terms of its economic importance, they have serious concerns about the impact of mining on the environment, with 67% saying they believe the industry is a major source of pollution. However, 54% believe the environmental record of the industry has improved substantially in recent years (Angus Reid, 1989). * Many Canadians still hold the view that the industry is “low-tech.” Specifically, 41% consider mining to be low-tech while 44% regard it as “high-tech.” This compares with 30% and 59%, respectively, with regard to the manufacturing industry (Corporate Research, 1993).

* Given the economic impact of mining, about half of the population believes the environmental impacts are acceptable, while 47% regard them as unacceptable. This may be compared with 42% and 56%, respectively, with regard to forestry (Corporate Research, 1993).

* About 58% and 48%, respectively, say the industry is doing too little with regard to environmental protection and safety, while 33% and 45% say it is taking the appropriate measure of responsibility. The public is split as to whether mining has a good (38%), fair (31%) or poor (27%) record in safety (Decima, 1993).

In my view, the consistency of results provided by these four independent surveys, over five years, lends significant credibility to the information provided. To me, the surveys communicate three fundamental messages: * There is a sympathetic public out there, most of whom are willing to give our industry a lot more support than we thought.

* The public interest does not lie in the proliferation of more parks, and most Canadians support the long-term position of the mining industry on multiple land use.

* Finally, while we have a reasonably solid base of public support, there is work to be done with regard to clearing up areas of deep-rooted beliefs and misunderstandings about mining, particularly in the areas of environmental performance, safety and technological accomplishments.

(Author’s Note: In this article I have attempted to summarize what I feel is the essence of these opinion surveys. However, the actual reports contain a wealth of detail not included here and should be read in their entirety so that readers may garner the full message. I would be happy to respond to requests for copies.)

— Anthony Andrews is managing director of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada.