admin, auteur/autrice sur Association Minière du Québec

Québec City, October 20, 2020 – A new study of the economic benefits generated by the mining industry in Québec has been published by the Québec Mining Association (QMA). It confirms previous trends and shows that total annual spending by mining companies has continued to increase, reaching almost $10 billion in 2018, an increase of $4 billion since 2014. Although the data relates to activities in 2018, it is the most recent available and provides a representative view of the contribution made by the mining industry to Québec’s socio-economic development.

The Abitibi-Témiscamingue region still ranks first in terms of the total amount spent on mining activities, with $3.44 billion spent in the region. Montréal ranks third at almost $1.2 billion.

The results released once again show the full extent of the contribution mining makes in the so-called mining regions but also, significantly, in the major urban centres. In the view of the QMA, it is clear that regions like Montréal and Montérégie are more involved in mining that appears at first glance.

In addition to spending, the study shows that the mining industry in Québec is responsible for more than 48,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs. Of this total, almost 15,000 jobs are held by residents of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, over 7,100 by residents of the Côte-Nord region, and almost 11,000 by residents of Montréal and the Montérégie region. It is also important to mention that the average annual salary in the industry is close to $104,000, well above the average annual salary in Québec of $64,000.

A network of over 3,800 suppliers helps support the development of Québec’s mineral resources, with 1,210 based in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, 686 in Montréal and 435 in the Montérégie region. Last, the mining industry contributes almost $9 billion to the province’s GDP.

The study also addresses a frequently-asked question: how much do governments receive from mineral resource development? The answer: over $1 billion each year. More specifically, $1.3 billion was paid to the Québec government alone in 2018, without including corporate income tax, while the Government of Canada received a further $500 million.

The full report can be viewed here.

« It is always striking to see the contribution made by the mining industry to Québec’s economy. Although it is easy to think that only the mining regions benefit, in fact the regions of Montréal and Montérégie also receive a major share. It is vital, for Québec as a whole, for the mining industry to remain strong and prosperous. »
« Thanks to the resilience of the workers in Québec’s mining industry and their ability to innovate, mining companies have returned to the levels of activity seen before the COVID-19 pandemic relatively quickly. However, it will be interesting to see, in the next study of economic benefits covering the results for 2020, whether the pandemic has had an impact on employment and expenditure. Québec is in a strong position to recover from the current situation and to continue to enjoy the benefits generated by the mining industry. »
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO of the Québec Mining Association

About the Québec Mining Association

The Québec Mining Association (QMA) was founded in 1936 and speaks proactively for mining companies involved in exploration, extraction and processing, mining contractors and junior mining companies, along with suppliers, institutions, non-profit organizations and other mining sector partners. It is proud of the 48,006 jobs and total expenditure of $9.9 billion generated by Québec’s mining industry in 2018. The QMA’s mission is to promote, support and proactively develop a responsible, committed and innovative mining industry in Québec.

Québec City, October 14, 2020 – The Québec Mining Association (QMA) has recognized the achievements of 159 mining industry foremen and supervisors, 131 working for companies in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions. They all received workplace health and safety trophies to commend their efforts and the effort made by their teams to maintain a safe working environment for periods of between 50,000 and 600,000 hours.

The trophy winners for 2020 in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions work for the following companies:

• Canadian Malartic G.P. – Canadian Malartic Mine
• Canadian Royalties – Nunavik Nickel Project
• Eldorado Gold Québec – Lamaque Mine
• Horne Smelter, a Glencore Company
• CMAC-Thyssen Mining Group
• Hecla Québec – Casa Berardi Mine
• IAMGOLD Corporation – Westwood Mine
• Matagami Mine, a Glencore Company
• Raglan Mine, a Glencore Company
• Agnico Eagle Mines – LaRonde Complex
• Agnico Eagle Mines – Goldex Mine
• Newmont – Éléonore Mine
• Stornoway Diamond Corporation – Renard Mine

Once again this year, Israël Gauthier, a supervisor at the Horne Smelter’s acid and oxygen plant, and his team broke a new record by completing 600,000 hours of work without a compensable accident.

« Each year, the QMA rewards achievements in the field of workplace health and safety (WHS) by presenting trophies to supervisors whose teams have recorded an outstanding result, with the goal of raising awareness and encouraging workers to value the attainment of a strong WHS performance. The objective is to see WHS measures go beyond the technical stage and for all workers to take ownership of them in order to create ever-safer work environments in mines. »
« During the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety are a shared concern. The mining industry has been able to maintain its precautions to limit the spread of the virus. There can be no doubt that the actions, measures and reflexes developed over the years allowed the mining industry to adapt quickly. We are proud of the mining industry’s focus on WHS, which is reflected in the actions of each worker. »
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO of the Québec Mining Association

About the Québec Mining Association

Québec City, October 14, 2020 – The Québec Mining Association (QMA) has recognized the achievements of two supervisors at the Seleine Mines. They received workplace health and safety (WHS) trophies to commend their efforts and the effort made by their teams to maintain a safe working environment for a period of between 50,000 and 150,000 hours.

The winners for 2020 are:

Daniel Vigneault, supervisor, production
François Cyr, supervisor, maintenance

The workers are part of a group of 159 foremen and supervisors working in Québec’s mines who received QMA trophies in 2020.

« Each year, the QMA rewards achievements in the field of workplace health and safety (WHS) by presenting trophies to supervisors whose teams have recorded an outstanding result, with the goal of raising awareness and encouraging workers to value the attainment of a strong WHS performance. The objective is to see WHS measures go beyond the technical stage and for all workers to take ownership of them in order to create ever-safer work environments in mines.»
« During the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety are a shared concern. The mining industry has been able to maintain its precautions to limit the spread of the virus. There can be no doubt that the actions, measures and reflexes developed over the years allowed the mining industry to adapt quickly. We are proud of the mining industry’s focus on WHS, which is reflected in the actions of each worker. »
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO of the Québec Mining Association

About the Québec Mining Association

Québec City, October 14, 2020 – The Québec Mining Association (QMA) has recognized the achievements of 22 mining industry foremen and supervisors in the Côte-Nord region. They all received workplace health and safety trophies to commend their efforts and the effort made by their teams to maintain a safe working environment for periods of between 50,000 and 200,000 hours.

The trophy winners for 2020 in the Côte-Nord region work for ArcelorMittal Mining Canada and Rio Tinto Fer et Titane.

They are part of a larger group of 159 foremen and supervisors working in Québec mines who were honoured by the QMA in 2020.

« Each year, the QMA rewards achievements in the field of workplace health and safety (WHS) by presenting trophies to supervisors whose teams have recorded an outstanding result, with the goal of raising awareness and encouraging workers to value the attainment of a strong WHS performance. The objective is to see WHS measures go beyond the technical stage and for all workers to take ownership of them in order to create ever-safer work environments in mines. »
« During the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety are a shared concern. The mining industry has been able to maintain its precautions to limit the spread of the virus. There can be no doubt that the actions, measures and reflexes developed over the years allowed the mining industry to adapt quickly. We are proud of the mining industry’s focus on WHS, which is reflected in the actions of each worker. »
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO of the Québec Mining Association

About the Québec Mining Association

Québec City, October 14, 2020 – The Québec Mining Association (QMA) has recognized the achievements of four foremen at the Niobec Mine. They received workplace health and safety (WHS) trophies to commend their efforts and the effort made by their teams to maintain a safe working environment for a period of 50,000 hours.

The winners for 2020 are:

• Sylvain Bouchard, foreman, underground mining;
• Patrice Poirier, foreman, underground mining;
• Martin Labrie, foreman, tailings site;
• Marc-André Simard, foreman, mining machinery.

The workers are part of a group of 159 foremen and supervisors working in Québec mines who received QMA trophies in 2020.

« Each year, the QMA rewards achievements in the field of workplace health and safety (WHS) by presenting trophies to supervisors whose teams have recorded an outstanding result, with the goal of raising awareness and encouraging workers to value the attainment of a strong WHS performance. The objective is to see WHS measures go beyond the technical stage and for all workers to take ownership of them in order to create ever-safer work environments in mines. »
« During the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety are a shared concern. The mining industry has been able to maintain its precautions to limit the spread of the virus. There can be no doubt that the actions, measures and reflexes developed over the years allowed the mining industry to adapt quickly. We are proud of the mining industry’s focus on WHS, which is reflected in the actions of each worker. »
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO of the Québec Mining Association

About the Québec Mining Association

Québec City, September 29, 2020 – Once again this year, the Québec Mining Association (QMA) is proud to see that the achievements of the mining industry have been recognized. Two of its members won a Mercuriades award presented by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ), while four other members were among the finalists.

Two companies, both QMA members, were presented with awards that recognized their leadership and achievements:

Agnico Eagle Mines – “Contribution to Economic and Regional Development” inthe large business category;
Raglan Mine, a Glencore company – “Workplace Health and Safety” in the largebusiness category.

Four other QMA members were also finalists in this high-profile competition:

Québec Iron Ore – “Manuvie Employer of the Year” category;
Canadian Malartic Mine – “Desjardins Sustainable Development” category;
Englobe – “Workplace Health and Safety” category;
Quebec Metallurgy Center – “Contribution to Economic and RegionalDevelopment” category.

« The role played by the mining industry in Québec’s socio-economic development, and its contribution to wealth creation, are self-evident. However, there are other little-known aspects of our sector of activity that are highlighted by competitions such as the Mercuriades Awards – from mining companies’ constant focus on the sustainable and responsible development of their operations to their obsession with worker health and safety. Our members are determined to make a difference and this recognition of their efforts by the FCCQ motivates them even more strongly to strive for excellence. »
– Josée Méthot, the QMA’s President and CEO

About the Québec Mining Association
The Québec Mining Association (QMA) was founded in 1936 and speaks proactively for mining companies involved in exploration, extraction and processing, mining contractors and junior mining companies, along with suppliers, institutions, non-profit organizations and other mining sector partners. It is proud of the 40,540 jobs and total expenditure of $8.5 billion generated by Québec’s mining industry over the last year. The QMA’s mission is to promote, support and proactively develop a responsible, committed and innovative mining industry in Québec.

Québec City, September 18, 2020 – Agnico Eagle Mines’ Goldex Mine and Canadian Malartic G.P.’s Malartic Mine were two of the three mines that received a prestigious F.J. O’Connell trophy at the 54th annual award ceremony organized by the Québec Mining Association (QMA). The trophies recognize a company’s achievements in the area of workplace health and safety (WHS).

Goldex Mine won the trophy in the “Underground mining – over 400,000 hours worked” category, while Canadian Malartic Mine received its award in the “Surface, transportation and primary metals processing” category. The winner of the third F.J. O’Connell trophy was K+S Windsor Salt Ltd.’s Seleine Mines from Îles-de-la-Madeleine, in the “Underground mining – under 400,000 hours worked” category.

The trophies have been presented annually since 1966 to raise awareness among workers and supervisors about the importance of teamwork in preventing accidents during mining operations. The criteria for the awards also take improved performance, performance compared to the industry average, and the combined accident rate into account using pre-determined target values.

« The QMA, which was founded in 1936 in order to improve the health and safety record in mines, believes in the importance of recognizing the commitment and exemplary efforts made by mining companies and their employees with respect to workplace health and safety. For this reason, for the last 54 years the QMA has presented F.J. O’Connell trophies to highlight the efforts made to create a safe working environment for all. Mining companies have focused on prevention, and this is reflected in the results achieved. »
« During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and safety of employees and their families has become a primary concern. Québec’s mines have been able to combine the implementation of public health measures with an ongoing precautionary focus on accident prevention. We can be proud of the effort made by Québec’s mining companies, which show once again that WHS is taken very seriously by the mining community. »
– Josée Méthot, présidente-directrice générale de l’AMQ

About the Québec Mining Association

The Québec Mining Association (QMA) was founded in 1936 and speaks proactively for mining companies involved in exploration, extraction and processing, mining contractors and junior mining companies, along with suppliers, institutions, non-profit organizations and other mining sector partners. It is proud of the 40,540 jobs and total expenditure of $8.5 billion generated by Québec’s mining industry over the last year. The QMA’s mission is to promote, support and proactively develop a responsible, committed and innovative mining industry in Québec.

Québec City, September 18, 2020 – K+S Windsor Salt Ltd.’s Seleine Mines was one of three mines that received a prestigious F.J. O’Connell trophy at the 54th annual award ceremony organized by the Québec Mining Association (QMA). The trophies recognize a company’s achievements in the area of workplace health and safety (WHS).

K+S Windsor Salt Ltd.’s Seleine Mines won the trophy in the “Underground mining -under 400,000 hours worked” category. The two other mines honoured recognized are both located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region: Agnico Eagle Mines’ Goldex Mine, winner in the “Underground mining – over 400,000 hours worked” category, and Canadian Malartic G.P.’s Malartic Mine, winner in the “Surface, transportation and primary metals processing” category.

« The QMA, which was founded in 1936 in order to improve the health and safety record in mines, believes in the importance of recognizing the commitment and exemplary efforts made by mining companies and their employees with respect to workplace health and safety. For this reason, for the last 54 years the QMA has presented F.J. O’Connell trophies to highlight the efforts made to create a safe working environment for all. Mining companies have focused on prevention, and this is reflected in the results achieved. »
« During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and safety of employees and their families has become a primary concern. Québec’s mines have been able to combine the implementation of public health measures with an ongoing precautionary focus on accident prevention. We can be proud of the effort made by Québec’s mining companies, which show once again that WHS is taken very seriously by the mining community. »
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO of the Québec Mining Association

About the Québec Mining Association

The Québec Mining Association (QMA) was founded in 1936 and speaks proactively for mining companies involved in exploration, extraction and processing, mining contractors and junior mining companies, along with suppliers, institutions, non-profit organizations and other mining sector partners. It is proud of the 40,540 jobs and total expenditure of $8.5 billion generated by Québec’s mining industry over the last year. The QMA’s mission is to promote, support and proactively develop a responsible, committed and innovative mining industry in Québec.

Québec City, September 2, 2020 – The Québec Mining Association welcomes the publication of the new Regulation respecting the regulatory scheme applying to activities on the basis of their environmental impact (known in French as the “REAFIE”) which marks the end of a months-long wait to see if Québec will adopt a clear framework for the environmental authorization process. However, an in-depth analysis will be needed to determine the actual impact of the regulation on the mining sector.

In the view of the QMA, it is by no means clear that the changes made will reduce the time needed to obtain authorization for mining projects, a key element in Québec’s attractiveness for investors. The mining industry will have to wait again since any benefits will only become apparent over the medium and long term.

« The mining industry has, for many years, called for a reduction in barriers to the development of mining projects, without demanding deregulation. The current government has addressed the problem in a serious fashion, working with the various sectors concerned. We are happy with this approach, which we support. However, the actual impact of the changes on the mining sector cannot be measured immediately, and only time will tell if the objectives have been attained. »
« The regulatory amendment process, which began under the previous government, has taken a lot of time and has unfortunately reduced Québec’s attractiveness. The province has dropped from 4th place to 18th place on the list of the best jurisdictions for investment worldwide. More specifically concerning the perception of its environmental regulations, Québec has dropped from 10th to 41st position. This shows clearly that investors dislike uncertainty. It is now time to assimilate the new regulations and to continue to develop mining projects in a way that ensures respect for people and the environment. »
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO of the Québec Mining Association

About the Québec Mining Association

The Québec Mining Association (QMA) was founded in 1936 and speaks proactively for mining companies involved in exploration, extraction and processing, mining contractors and junior mining companies, along with suppliers, institutions, non-profit organizations and other mining sector partners. It is proud of the 40,540 jobs and total expenditure of $8.5 billion generated by Québec’s mining industry over the last year. The QMA’s mission is to promote, support and proactively develop a responsible, committed and innovative mining industry in Québec.