Alberta's Minerals Strategy - What Stakeholders Said
Official title: Minerals strategy stakeholder engagement
Why This Matters
Critical minerals power everything from phones to electric vehicles. Alberta wants a bigger piece of this growing market. More mining could mean more jobs in rural communities—but also raises questions about environmental protection and Indigenous rights.
What Could Change
The strategy led to Bill 82, the Minerals Resource Development Act, which was fully proclaimed in February 2024. It creates a single-window approach for mining permits. Companies now deal with one regulator instead of many.
Key Issues
- How should Alberta modernize regulations for metallic and industrial minerals?
- What changes are needed to mineral tenure arrangements?
- How can Alberta capitalize on growing global demand for critical minerals?
How to Participate
- This consultation is now closed. Review the Renewing Alberta's Mineral Future strategy and action plan to see the outcomes.
What Happened
The consultation ran from October 2020 to February 2021, gathering input through an online survey and roundtable discussions. Participants included Indigenous groups, government agencies, industries, environmental NGOs, research institutes, municipalities, and financial advisors. The feedback directly informed the Renewing Alberta's Mineral Future strategy and action plan, released November 4, 2021. This also led to Bill 82, the Minerals Resource Development Act, which was fully proclaimed on February 28, 2024.