On November 4, The Guidelines for Early Mineral Exploration in Manitoba website was presented at the annual Central Canada Mineral Exploration Convention. The Guidelines were developed by The Mining Association of Manitoba Inc.

(MAMI), the association representing the mining industry in Manitoba, in partnership with the Province of Manitoba (the Province). The purpose of the Guidelines is to provide searchable, user-friendly, and practical guidance, as well as best management practices for early exploration in the province.

MAMI and the Province took a holistic approach when developing the guidelines. An interdisciplinary working group lead by MAMI was established to review, revise, and modernize the Guidelines. The group was comprised of subject matter experts within several government departments as well as industry members. Members provided input on the practicality of the information to be used in the Guidelines. 

“Input was done by a lot of subject matter experts within the government” says Neil Richardson, Director of Exploration at Hudbay Minerals Inc. and Co-Chair of MAMI’s Exploration Committee. “It shows the collaboration happening now between government and MAMI. It is very positive news for the companies and individuals that are wanting to come do [exploration] work in Manitoba.”

Companies conduct exploration projects in hope of finding mineral deposits. If a mineral deposit is located, a company must prove that the deposit can be extracted from the earth at a profit. However, if the grade of the mineral deposit is too low or the deposit is too narrow, then it is not economic to pursue the project any further. If it is economic, mine development and the mining process may begin. 

Simply put: Exploration is the first step in finding an economically suitable place for a mine to be developed. 

“One in a thousand [exploration projects] might have the opportunity to make a mine,” says Richardson. “It's like rolling the dice. If you're going to roll it once, the odds are not in your favour. But if you roll it many times, the odds are in your favour.”

This means that the more exploration that is done in Manitoba, the more potential for a mine to come to fruition in the province. 

Having clear guidelines on how to appropriately conduct an exploration project will encourage exploration from companies located both in and out of the province. 

The Province supported the collaborative project by making sure that the Guidelines were specifically made to reflect Manitoba’s unique set-up. Users of the Guidelines will find information is provided in a manner to support and educate companies on the most current information available. By following the Guidelines, proponents will find that they are able to initiate and carry out early mineral exploration activities and design their workplans to the latest industry standard.

The Guidelines provide background information on the entire process for early mineral exploration including early mineral exploration stages, work permits, activities requiring work permits as well as best management practices for various activities and additional information under each section including lists of helpful contacts and other resources. 

The Guidelines for Early Mineral Exploration in Manitoba were updated from a 2015 document on exploration and development in Manitoba. The new Guidelines now have a sharper focus on exploration. This distinction will help clear up confusion about differences between exploration and mine development which often become interchangeable in the mind of the general public. Because of this, the Guidelines may also serve as an educational tool to clearly describe activities related to early mineral exploration and demonstrate that the impact of these activities are often low impact and naturally re-vegetating as is the case in prospecting, soil sampling, trenching, geophysics, line-cutting and drilling.

Additionally, the Guidelines will help those in the industry conduct exploration in a more sustainable way. 

“We have to be better environmental stewards, how we have to engage with the Indigenous communities, and how we have to do work that's safe, so everybody can go home at the end of the day,” says Richardson. “The best management practices will assist companies in understanding which way and how to conduct exploration. They're going to provide people with the right processes, the right steps, to make sure we're doing exploration sustainably and environmentally.” 

The Guidelines for Early Mineral Exploration in Manitoba will be a live online document, hosted by MAMI and updated on an annual basis and as needed. 

In order for Manitoba to maintain its reputation as a desirable region for mineral exploration and investment, continuous review is needed to improve industry standards. MAMI is confident that these Guidelines will be a dynamic tool to reflect the industry’s input and Manitoba’s high standards in mineral exploration best practices. 

Explore the Guidelines by visiting
https://earlyexploration.miningmanitoba.org.