Editor:
Re: Permitting Process for Mining
I work at Gibraltar Mine in Williams Lake. I can’t believe a permit to reopen Gib East Pit has been delayed again.
Copper is at top dollar, and world supplies are low. There is no better time to access this material than right now.
Permits are being required for things that never were before. Over-regulation and extra delays are causing a drastic reduction for this mine.
To be sustainable, all resource industries rely on timely permits.
My fellow co-workers have now been laid off.
There are 31 real families who suddenly have no income.
They will have loans and mortgages they wont be able to pay. More than this, confidence in job security throughout the 700 employees is faltering.
Personal spending is on hold.
Mining is still one place left where people can be assured of high paying year-round employment, despite the COVID restrictions.
These jobs cannot be replaced with part-time, or low income jobs, as they simply wouldn’t service the debt load.
Something has to change with permitting to eliminate and prevent delays.
We need security to keep mines investing in B.C., before we loose them in the paperwork.
The revenue from resource industries is the backbone of B.C.
Please quickly help my co-workers get back to work.
Sharon Vinje
A Cariboo copper hard rock miner
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