In New Brunswick, opponents of a mining project that made Prime Minister Mark Carney’s list of nation-building projects say the proposal could do more harm than good.
The Sisson Mine project was added to Ottawa’s list of nation-building projects on Thursday. The designation means the mine will be streamlined through normal regulatory processes.
The proposed site is on Crown lands near Stanley, N.B., and the project is poised to mine for tungsten and molybdenum — two materials that can be used for defence and battery performance.
In May, Northcliff Resources Ltd. received $20 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate development of the Sisson Project.
“What the world wants is Canada to be the reliable supplier of critical minerals,” Carney said Thursday.
But for environmental groups, the major projects designation is a disappointment.
“The mine itself is going to be taking up, basically destroying, a large amount of land in the area,” said Beverly Gingras, the executive director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.
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Conservationists are particularly concerned considering British Columbia’s tailings pond disaster in 2014 at the Mount Polley Mine. The tailings pond collapse spilled more than 20 million cubic metres of wastewater and sludge into nearby waterways, creating a major environmental hazard.
“There are plenty of examples in Canada and around the world where these types of projects fail, fail big and the local communities are the ones that are really left dealing with the repercussions,” she said.
Among the possible repercussions is what will happen to the region’s wildlife and fish if something were to happen.
“This mine comes with one of the world’s largest tailings ponds, that will be located in the headwaters of the Nashwaak River system, and will need to be maintained for eternity,” said Atlantic Salmon Federation’s president, Nathan Wilbur.
“Corners were being cut on environmental standards because the company suffered financially, so we’re really disappointed to see this project fast-tracked under the guise of a nation-building project.”
The New Brunswick government recently gave Northcliff Resources five more years to meet outstanding environmental conditions from an assessment completed a decade ago.
“Those conditions are critical. They do have to be met. They need to be met in order to advance to the next stage. So we have been working with the Northcliffe team on those pieces,” said Premier Susan Holt.
Holt adds her government has consulted with community members prior to the announcement, and that interest is actually high for anticipated jobs at the site.
“I’ve been getting requests from folks in Stanley and Juniper, wanting to know what jobs are available and when they might see those postings come up.”
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