LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — Manitoba’s Bill 41 threat to

For many years, on a personal basis and through the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), I tried, without success, to bring out the facts about the low state of minable ore reserves in the Flin Flon and Snow Lake areas of Manitoba.

This message was largely ignored because of the complacency of most of the citizens and local city and provincial government representatives. However, this is now water under the bridge.

Here in Manitoba, we must do what others have done in places such as Kirkland Lake, Timmins and so on, where the same frustration occurs. They have formed the “Save Our North” organization. These are private citizens, business people and local elected representatives. And it’s working. We in northern Manitoba can do the same.

The present provincial government’s minister, the Hon. James Downey, and his mining advisers know our desperate state, and I can say without being in favor of any one party (I once ran as a Liberal in the Churchill area) that they are all for northern mining and are the most sincere provincial government with whom I have had contact in my 20 years as a PDAC regional vice-president.

But still, action by our northern communities is urgently required to stop Bill 41, a bill “regarding the Provincial Parks and Consequential Amendments Act.” This bill, if passed, will be a disaster for Flin Flon and Snow Lake, as well as Manitoba mining in general.

Let me explain: The Reed Lake (provincial) Park was set up, over the objections of local prospecting groups, about 30 years ago. Mining was allowed in the park. However, as with most things today, regulations and bureaucracy enlarged. You know the result — no mines in the park. Yet the Reed Lake Park covers the most highly mineralized volcanic belt in Canada. And we’re not allowed in to explore, even though the government says it is committed to “sustainable development.”

Let’s face it. We have a lot of interest groups against us. They work on the emotions of people, they’re well-funded and all have one aim — no development whatsoever.

The end result will be no jobs in the mining industry in Manitoba. Has everyone gone mad?

W.B. Dunlop

Winnipeg, Man.