New Quebec Mining Act to take effect in 1988

A new Mining Act for Quebec passed in June of this year, to help simplify administration of the mining law in the province, is scheduled to come into effect April 1, 1988.

The Mining Act currently in force in the province was passed in 1965. Among the changes contained in the new legislation are the following:

* A prospector’s licence will be good for five years (and renewable) instead of one year (and non- renewable). The government is also separating claim tags from licences. A 5-year licence will cost $25 and 2-year tags will cost four for $1. Previously, a 1-year licence and 20 1-year tags cost a total of $25.

* Claims may be registered under the name of an individual or company. Currently they are registered to an individual. The period of validity has been doubled to two years, with the possibility of renewal for a period of two years.

* Samples of less than 50 tonnes may now be removed for analysis without authorization; to remove samples greater than 50 tonnes will require ministerial approval.

* Work done on the property prior to staking may be applied (50% of the expenditure) to costs during the first year (previously 100% for six months), while work performed before the term of licence may be applied (50% of the value) during the first two years (previously 100% for one year).

* Under the heading Mining lease and mining concession, for conditions for issuance of a lease, the term “economically workable deposit” has been replaced by “workable deposit.” Ministerial power

* Powers of inquiry, previously granted to a judge, have been granted to the minister.

* Previously, for claims up to 16 hectares in size, $240 had to be spent in each of the first two years, and $320 per year thereafter. Now, for claims up to 25 ha in size, $500 must be spent in each of the first six years, $750 in each of the next six years and $1,000 for each year thereafter. Value of work to be performed for claims 25-100 ha in size and for claims more than 100 ha are set out in the new legislation.

George Cockburn, director of mining titles with the mining division of Quebec’s ministry of energy and resources, said the ministry is in the process of writing a series of documents dealing with various themes, as they apply to the Mining Act, to help explain the law in everyday terms.

Also planned by the government, in March of next year, is a series of public information sessions in each mining region of the province.