Government of Canada Policy

The Minerals and Metals Policy of the Government of Canada

VI. Science and Technology: Progress through Innovation

As articulated in Science and Technology for the New Century: A Federal Strategy, the Government of Canada recognizes the critical role played by science and technology (S&T) in three broad areas: the health and well-being of Canadians, our ability to protect the environment, and our success in creating jobs and fostering economic growth.

… Canada’s S&T activities
related to minerals and
metals will continue to
support sustainable
development objectives.

As a consequence, the Government, in acknowledging its responsibility as a major participant in Canada’s “innovation system,” established three related goals for its science and technology activities: job creation and economic growth, improved quality of life, and the advancement of knowledge. The Government recognizes the interdependence of these three goals and the need to pursue them in a mutually reinforcing manner. By focusing on these goals, Canada’s S&T activities related to minerals and metals will continue to support sustainable development objectives.

In addition to focusing on these three goals in an integrated manner, the Government will take the following approach:

minerals- and metals-related policies will be based on sound science; and
science activities should be informed by, and responsive to, public policy priorities.

For these reasons, the Government supports stronger links between scientific and policy organizations who work on common topics. Such linkages will better serve the needs of stakeholders, as well as society as a whole.

Federal Science and Technology in Minerals and Metals

In its approach to S&T activities in relation to minerals and metals, the Government will pursue the following goals:

promote enhanced productivity of the industry through collaborative efforts focused on technological innovation;
provide a window and access point for Canadian companies – particularly small- and mediumsized enterprises – to acquire international minerals- and metals-related S&T;
evaluate external technological developments to assess their usefulness and value to Canadian operations in the minerals and metals sector and the degree to which they complement and build upon Canada’s own S&T advances;
promote the transfer of technologies within Canada in order to transform research into exploitable know-how and to promote the sharing of expertise among all participants;
provide Canadians with the geoscience and geomatics knowledge and infrastructure to support public policy objectives and furnish Canadians with the information, expertise and technologies necessary to exploit domestic and foreign markets;
facilitate collaborative approaches to problems for which national effort and coordination are necessary;
share internationally Canada’s scientific and technological experience and expertise in implementing sustainable development in the area of minerals and metals and, in particular, with developing countries and international development assistance agencies;
promote the development of environmental protection and pollution prevention technologies – equipment and processes – in partnership with other federal stakeholders, industry, and the provinces and territories; and
work with industry to realize more benefits in terms of employment and revenues from mineral and metal resources through value-added manufacturing of mineral- and metal-based products.

The Importance of Partnerships

Federal S&T organizations working on minerals- and metals-related activities include the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET), Geomatics Canada, and the Geological Survey of The Minerals and Metals Policy … Canada’s S&T activities related to minerals and metals will continue to support sustainable development objectives. 19 Canada (GSC), as well as Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, Health Canada, and the National Research Council. In pursuing the above goals, these organizations, individually and cooperatively, will work towards the further development of partnerships with industry, provincial and territorial governments, international organizations, government agencies in other countries, academic research institutions, and other groups actively involved in S&T.

The Government will continue to promote partnerships among stakeholders to ensure that:

programs are delivered with maximum efficiency;
synergies across programs are exploited fully;
governments can develop long-term S&T research strategies and goals; and
activities – either by the federal government or others – are enhanced.

Mechanisms such as the Memorandum of Understanding between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Natural Resources Canada (“Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the Natural Resource Sectors”) and the Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord are considered important to the creation of further opportunities for collaboration and cooperation.

Strategic Directions in Science and Technology

The Government, in consultation with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders, is committed to the following broad strategic and long-term directions in the area of S&T and minerals and metals:

Providing a Comprehensive Geoscience Knowledge Base

Knowledge of the landmass is fundamental to sustainable development, including efforts to ensure resource adequacy and sound environmental stewardship. In particular, geoscience maps, data and concepts provided by governments play an important role in attracting investment and in enhancing the cost-effectiveness of mineral exploration. To this end, the Government will:

Knowledge of the landmass
is fundamental to sustainable
development…

give stakeholders a greater role in determining the Government’s geoscience priorities through the advisory structure established under the federal-provincial geoscience accords;
use geoscience mapping programs to achieve a balance between areas of high development potential, where enhanced knowledge will increase the probability of discovery of new reserves, and frontier areas, particularly in the North, where new maps will attract investment and increase exploration efficiency. Collaborative projects with the provincial and territorial geological surveys under the National Geoscience Mapping Program (NATMAP) will be an important mechanism for the delivery of this work;
promote the development of innovative exploration methods that will help industry discover the deeply buried orebodies needed to sustain production in existing mining districts. The multi-disciplinary approach exemplified by the GSC’s Exploration Science and Technology (EXTECH) Program will be a key element of this initiative;
improve the understanding of the relative contributions from natural and anthropogenic sources to metal loadings in the environment and the significance of the long-range atmospheric transport of metals in the atmosphere, and establish the natural background concentrations of metals as a basis for environmental impact assessments; and
further enhance the timely dissemination of geoscientific maps and data through the application of state-of-the-art information technologies.

Supporting a Sustainable Minerals and Metals Industry

An effective response to many of the sustainable development challenges facing the minerals and metals industry largely depends on the development and use of S&T to promote technological innovation and to improve the knowledge base for decisionmakers. In recognition of this, the Government will give the following areas priority attention in federal S&T activities in minerals and metals:

Sustainable Mining Operations

Work will address acidic drainage and effluents, aquatic effects monitoring, and mine decommissioning and rehabilitation, including:
- negotiating with the provinces and territories for the development of a national repository of physical, chemical and biological data on mine sites, building on the federal government’s current cooperative activities with Ontario and Nova Scotia;
- conducting research into improved highstrength, high-density fill systems;
- continuing laboratory and field studies on underwater and other methods for the disposal of reactive wastes, and research into the restoration of affected land and waters to environmentally acceptable standards; and
- transferring to the private sector, through the Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND) program, technology that enhances our ability to predict, prevent, control and treat acidic drainage.
Safe and Efficient Processing and Use of Minerals and Metals

Attention will focus on:
- developing more efficient and environmentally friendly production and conversion processes;
- extending the effective life of metal products;
- reducing energy consumption entailed in product use, as well as employing other strategies to reduce adverse environmental impacts that may arise in the use of mineraland metal-based products;
- maximizing the acceptance of recycled materials in the production of metal parts and developing technologies to facilitate recycling; and
- providing a sound scientific base and technology for the development of policies and regulations in relation to metals and the environment.

Enhancing the Health and Safety of Canadians

The Government recognizes that S&T related to minerals and metals can play a vital role in enhancing the health and safety of workers and other Canadians. In support of this objective, the Government will give the following areas priority attention:

the underground mine environment;
ground stability and control;
testing of equipment for underground use;
technical support for the development of standards and regulations addressing worker safety and health in mining operations; and
extension of the service reliability of Canadian infrastructure (i.e., oil and gas pipelines, transportation, and offshore structures).

Consistent with its theme of partnerships, the Government supports the continued development of its linkages with the industry, the provinces and territories, and others. This will include exploring, with provincial and territorial mine inspectorates, possible increased collaboration in S&T.

Promoting the Competitiveness of the Canadian Industry

S&T are essential tools
in support of the
competitiveness of the
Canadian minerals and
metals industry.

S&T are essential tools in support of the competitiveness of the Canadian minerals and metals industry. S&T can assist in spurring innovation that leads to reduced costs, increased productivity, and achievement of environmental standards. The Government will focus on the following areas in seeking to utilize S&T to improve the competitive position of the Canadian minerals and metals industry:

understanding the genesis of mineral deposits;
exploration technology;
mine mechanization and automation;
metallurgical processing;
increased energy and materials efficiencies in manufacturing; and
the re-use and recycling of mineral and metal products.

The Government recognizes the importance of ensuring that its S&T activities assist Canadian enterprises in their development of export opportunities. As a consequence, the Government will:

support efforts to develop international technical standards for product specifications to facilitate trade in mineral commodities; and
promote international sales of Canadian expertise and technologies in areas such as mineral exploration and development, environmental monitoring, pollution prevention and control, and site rehabilitation.

Developing Value-Added Mineral and Metal Products

The production of value-added mineral and metal products is an important source of jobs for Canadians, especially as the primary production of mineral and metal commodities becomes increasingly globalized. Through its science and technology programs, the Government provides assistance to this sector in its efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, for example, in the areas of environmental quality, safety, and the efficient use of energy and materials.

The Government will continue to provide assistance to the value-added sector, including the following activities:

implementing the Technology Partnerships Canada program, a collaborative initiative by the Government with Canadian business to enhance technological innovation, competitiveness, and productivity;
identifying Natural Resources Canada as a hub for cooperative metals and materials research in Canada through active negotiation of collaborative research agreements with organizations that have common interests and complementary programs; and
developing, in partnership with industry, technologies to improve the manufacturing processes for, and the performance of, mineral- and metalbased products.