Letters to the Editor Western mining’s value warrants R&D centre

Canadians should also be outraged that the government has at the same time committed $1 million to contract for research services.

Our members have come up with a more sensible alternative. The scientists and engineers at the coal research laboratories would like to perform research on all types of mining and minerals. A single lab under Mining Research Laboratories (MRL) could serve the needs of the entire mining industry in western Canada, just as MRL in Ottawa, Sudbury and Elliot Lake serve mining in eastern Canada. Energy Minister Jake Epp should know there is a need to service a western industry that produces $9 billion in minerals annually.

The decision to close the laboratory at Devon does not serve the best interests of the Canadian mining industry. Instead, the federal government should change and expand its mandate to meet the needs of western Canadian mining. Iris Craig President, The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Ottawa, Ont.

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