Opinion: Can political leaders break the bottleneck in B.C.'s permitting process?

During the provincial election, both of B.C.’s main political parties emphasized the importance of mining and critical minerals to our economy and climate action. Both parties made solid commitments to expedite B.C.’s mine permitting process.  

Governments globally are actively securing critical mineral supplies to support the clean energy transition and meet national security, defence and technology imperatives. Canada, B.C. and other provinces have critical mineral strategies with firm commitments to improve major mine permitting processes.  

Mine permitting in B.C.—and the permitting of other major projects—takes much too long and lacks predictability. Critical minerals offer British Columbians a generational opportunity, but permitting bottlenecks and delays mean deferred or unrealized benefits, economic reconciliation and broader societal gains. They also send a negative message to capital markets and needlessly drive investment away, costing our province jobs, tax revenue and long-term shared prosperity.

Some question whether we need more mining, while others question if long permitting timelines are real. In a recent opinion piece, Mike McPhie argued that permitting timeframes aren’t that long.

But this is an incomplete portrayal of major mine permitting in B.C. The piece argued that major resource projects can be granted an approval to proceed within three to four years in B.C. The mining projects cited are good projects developed by good companies. But the reality is, other worthy mining projects continue to experience long, drawn-out permitting processes and timelines.

For example, it took 11 years for a major mine in central B.C. to receive the necessary permits before it commenced construction in 2023. In Northwest B.C., it took eight years for another major mine to receive its permits to proceed in 2015. In Southeast B.C., yet another major mine extension began the permitting process in 2020 and won’t receive final permits and go-ahead until at least 2028.

That’s why the mining industry has been calling on the provincial and federal governments to streamline permitting processes, while maintaining B.C.’s world-leading environmental protections.

Fortunately, both the BC Conservatives and BC NDP recognized the urgent need for permitting reform during the recent election. These commitments to reform permitting for mining and critical mineral projects are welcome and crucial. Every permit granted will improve the quality of life for people and communities across our province.

The stakes are high. B.C. has 17 critical minerals projects on the horizon, not to mention several precious metal and steelmaking coal projects in the works. 

If approved and developed, these projects can make a meaningful contribution to the energy transition and deliver substantial, long-term economic benefits—jobs for workers, stability for resource communities and shared prosperity throughout British Columbia.

Their development will deliver a staggering $36 billion in near-term investment, 302,000 person-years of employment, $23 billion in labour income for workers and almost $11 billion in tax revenues to support vital public services like health care.

The long-term economic impact of operating these mines over several decades could be enormous, reaching nearly $800 billion. Importantly, this will advance critical First Nations partnerships and economic reconciliation, while tangibly addressing stagnant private sector job growth.

British Columbians support responsible mining and critical minerals development. According to a survey undertaken by Spark*Insights and Abacus Data in 2023, three-quarters of British Columbians would like the province to become a world leader in supplying critical minerals. This support is in every region of our province, all generations and across the political spectrum.

To unlock this opportunity, we must act now to modernize and expedite the permitting and approval processes for mining and critical mineral projects. If we don’t, capital will flow elsewhere.

This will require improved inter- and intra-governmental co-ordination and project management, greater accountability and transparency, more focussed First Nations permitting referrals, and ensuring First Nations have the governance, administrative and technical capacity to participate in major mine reviews on an equitable footing.

Developing our generational mining opportunity will require visionary thinking, strong leadership and concerted action by government in close partnership with First Nations, labour, communities and industry.

As we wait for the next provincial government to be sworn in, we stand at a pivotal moment. Will the new government fulfill their commitment to expedite mine permitting for the benefit of all British Columbians?

The opportunity is now. Let’s seize it—together.

Michael Goehring is the president and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia.