Wherever in the world Canadian mining companies go in in the hunt for minerals and their recovery, they take with them a keen sense of corporate social responsibility. That is a relatively new term for what we used to call a company’s “social licence to operate.” Today, the need for CSR is becoming more apparent than ever before, and the rules for meeting that responsibility are becoming increasingly complex
Canadian miners continue to lead the world in providing innovative CSR solutions that benefit not only corporate investors but also the communities in which they work. Here are three examples:
Lydian International of Toronto has signed a partnership agreement with Oxfam Armenia to implement a health care program aimed at improving the services available in three villages that surround the company’s Amulsar gold project. The model calls for households to invest modest amounts annually, and those amounts are supplemented by Lydian and Oxfam to provide free medication, health screening, health consultations, diagnosis and treatment. Health awareness campaigns focused on lifestyle related issues will also be mounted. The health initiative is aimed at socially vulnerable people including children, women and the elderly.
The bankable feasibility study for Lydian’s Amulsar project is due Q2 2012. Learn more at LydianInternational.co.uk
The Tl’azt’en Nation, First Point Minerals of Vancouver, and Cliffs Natural Resources of Cleveland, OH, have signed a memorandum of understanding that covers the Decar nickel-iron alloy project in British Columbia. I provides oversight for managing the cultural and environmental interests of the Tl’azt’en communities, community consultations, and socio-economic benefits for the Tl’azt’en.
The Decar project, 90 km northwest of Fort St. James, includes multiple drill targets and may eventually be mined by bulk tonnage open pit methods. More information is posted at FirstPointMinerals.com.
Vancouver’s Encanto Potash has received the official results of the mineral rights subsurface designation vote by the Ochapowace First Nation. It passed with 88% of those voting approved the designation. The Ochapowace/Chacachas prospect is the second most advanced of Encanto’s potash prospects in Saskatchewan.
More information is available at EncantoPotash.com.
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