Policy Updates
Stay informed with our latest news, updates and financial releases.
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- Policy Updates
AME Letter to Minister of Forests: Forest Service Road Closures
April 30, 2025Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) members have been raising concerns about the closure of forest service roads used for mineral exploration, as well as many other activities. In response to this, on April 28, 2025, AME sent a letter to Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar requesting a meeting to discuss this. If you have related […]
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Policy Update: MTA Modernization
March 11, 2024For the latest Mineral Tenure Act updates, visit our news section. March 12, 2024 Further to our Policy Update and News Release on Thursday, March 7, 2024, regarding the agreement reached between the BC government and Gitxaala Nation and the Ehattesaht First Nation, AME has received detailed information about the Orders in Council issued that […]
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AME Statement on Mineral Tenure Act Modernization
March 7, 2024For the latest Mineral Tenure Act updates, visit our news section. AME continues to seek transparency, certainty and clarity on the Mineral Tenure Act (MTA) modernization process. Industry must play a more significant role in this process as a tenuring system that protects the intellectual property of our members and ensures their ability to explore […]
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AME Responds to Statement by Minister Nathan Cullen on Proposed Land Act Amendments
February 21, 2024Please see below a statement from Keerit Jutla, President and CEO of AME: Early this afternoon, AME was made aware that the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship will not be proceeding with the proposed amendments to the Land Act. Since the beginning, AME has expressed concerns about the way the B.C. government was […]
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AME Responds to BC’s Consultation on Land Act Amendments
January 31, 2024Earlier this month, the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) commenced virtual public consultations on amending the Land Act, one of the primary pieces of legislation used to convey land to the public for community, industrial and business use. This ongoing engagement process is linked to potential legislative amendments that will give […]
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Mineral Tenure Act Challenge Summary
June 14, 2023As of May 30, 2023 Prepared by Nathan Surkan, Associate at Fasken After 14 days of hearing (an additional 6 days to the originally scheduled 8 days of hearing), the Gitxaala and Ehattesaht judicial review challenge to the grant of mineral claims without consultation in British Columbia concluded on May 19, 2023. The discrete legal […]
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Notice of Work Intake Schedule
August 10, 2022Working closely with AME, the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI) is piloting a Notice of Work intake batching process for new applications. The batching process will bring more certainty regarding when applications will be reviewed and feedback provided, as well as when applications will be sent out for referral to other […]
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PHO Update: Industrial Camps and Communicable Diseases Guidelines
July 12, 2022On July 12, 2022, the BC Ministry of Health made updates to the Industrial Camps and Communicable Diseases Guidelines. The updates have been made less prescriptive and more enabling to allow health officials and industry to tailor their approaches to communicable disease prevention and response to their particular situation. In summary, the main changes to […]
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BC Releases Budget 2022
February 23, 2022The Government of BC released its 2022/2023 budget on Tuesday, February 22. As expected, there is a strong focus on housing, healthcare, childcare, reconciliation and climate change (including disaster relief and clean transportation, energy and infrastructure. Mineral exploration received a specific call out in Budget 2022 as a “growing sector” as the Hon. Selina Robinson, […]
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Permit to Practice Requirements
September 14, 2021The Professional Governance Act came into force on February 5, 2021, and requires Engineers and Geoscientists BC to regulate firms, including sole practitioners, that engage in the practice of professional geoscience or engineering. This means all companies who employ professional geoscientists and engineers must apply for a Permit to Practice with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. The deadline […]
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PGA and EGBC Update
April 21, 2021Professional Governance ACT and Engineers and Geoscientists BC The new Professional Governance Act (PGA) legislates Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) to regulate all firms that engage in the practice of engineering or geoscience for external or internal consumption. This means all companies who employ professional geologists and engineers (including sole proprietors) will need to […]
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Permitting | Reclamation Bond Calculator Guidance Update
March 16, 2021Please see the following direction from the Chief Permitting Officer: There has been a recent update made to the Regional Mine Reclamation Bond Calculator Guidance Document (the Guidance). The change surrounds the requisite level of reclamation effort required on existing roads that are used by proponents to access exploration sites and it provides additional clarity on the […]
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- Policy Updates
Permitting | Notice of Work Intake Continuous Improvement Project
March 15, 2021Timelines for review and approval of the Notice of Work (NoW) applications are a concern for both industry and government. As part of a larger review of the NoW application process, the Province is completing an in-depth review and redesign of the process of receiving and accepting applications. This process, known as the Notice of Work […]
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Caribou Herd Planning
January 7, 2021Meeting on Tuesday, January 12 The Government of British Columbia is resuming caribou herd planning this January and would like to engage mineral tenure holders in order to build recovery scenarios that consider mineral exploration and development activities. Through the review and analysis of the scenarios, participants will develop recommendations to the government. AME members […]
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Finance Canada Publishes Legislative Proposal to Extend Flow-Through Timelines
January 6, 2021On December 23, 2020, the mineral exploration industry received clarity from CRA on December 23 that taxpayers may file their tax returns based on proposed legislation extending the timelines for junior mineral exploration companies in spending the capital they raise via flow-through shares. The federal government had originally proposed the extension in a July 10 […]
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BC Election 2020 | Questions for Candidates
October 2, 2020As British Columbians prepare to go to the polls on Saturday, October 24, AME is providing the following questions for our members to pose to their local candidates in an effort to help you gauge how supportive your candidates are of mineral exploration. Please note that your local Chamber of Commerce or Board of Trade […]
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BC Mine Audits and Effectiveness Unit is seeking your feedback
April 22, 2020The Mine Audits and Effectiveness Unit (the Audit Unit) is an independent team in the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources (the Ministry). The Audit Unit conducts audits to ensure mining regulation in B.C. is effective and aligned with global best practice. The Audit Unit is currently conducting an audit to assess whether Ministry […]
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President and CEO’s Message Spring 2020
March 1, 2020To all of you who attended and made our 37th annual AME Roundup conference a great success, thank you. The hard work and dedication of our volunteers is humbling to witness, we truly can not execute the conference to the calibre that we do, without our volunteers and members. This year, we welcomed 6,190 attendees […]
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President and CEO’s Message Winter 2019
January 30, 2020AME Roundup 2020 is around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited! This will be my first Roundup as president and CEO, a much different role for me, when compared to my time as Roundup Organizing Committee chair in 2015, ’16 and ’17. Roundup truly is one of my favourite times of the year, […]
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The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
December 11, 2019UN Declaration Becomes Law in BC The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Bill 41) became law in BC on November 28, 2019. The legislation received unanimous support in the legislature, five weeks after being introduced on October 24, 2019. Although Bill 41 was debated extensively, the Act passed unanimously with no amendments. […]
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Environmental Assessment (EA) Reviewable Projects Regulation
October 8, 2019Overview The BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) released an intentions paper for a Proposed Reviewable Projects Regulation (RPR) that will support the new Environmental Assessment (EA) Act. The Act was passed in November 2018 and is expected to come into force with the new RPR in late 2019. The aim of the RPR is to […]
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Proposed Changes to Tax Treatment of Employee Stock Options
October 8, 2019Overview As part of the federal budget process, the federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled a Notice of Ways and Means Motion in the House of Commons on stock options on June 17, 2019 in conjunction with the implementation of the federal 2019 budget that include a proposed $200,000 annual limit on employee stock option […]
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An AME Study: The Impacts of Mineral Exploration to British Columbia
September 24, 2019AME commissioned a study of the economic impacts of mineral exploration to British Columbia, including communities and Indigenous groups across the province. The results show that a typical exploration project has a small and temporary footprint with broad-ranging benefits to the economy.
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President and CEO’s Message Fall 2019
September 17, 2019President & CEO’s Message Kendra Johnston, President & CEO, AME It is an honour to address the AME membership through this, my first message as President and CEO. Many of you will know me as long-time volunteer and supporter of the work that AME does and so it is a great pleasure to join the team […]
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- Policy Updates
Potential Changes to the Mineral Tenure Act
September 13, 2019Overview The BC government has been undertaking early engagement with a number of groups including AME around possible changes to the Mineral Tenure Act. This engagement is to understand various perspectives and concerns with the Act and to support the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources’ mandate letter to forward the calls to action […]
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Fall 2019 Update: The South Okanagan-Similkameen Proposed National Park Reserve
September 11, 2019Parks Canada, the BC Government and Okanagan Nation signed a high-level memorandum of understanding regarding collaborating on the South Okanagan-Similkameen proposed national park reserve on July 2, 2019. The MOU follows 17 years of discussions regarding a national park, which in turn followed the establishment of protected areas under the Okanagan-Shuswap Land and Resource Management […]
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Environmental Assessment Reviewable Projects Regulation – Intentions Paper
September 9, 2019Opportunity for Members to Comment by October 7, 2019 The BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has released an intentions paper for a Reviewable Projects Regulation (RPR) that will support the new Environmental Assessment (EA) Act. The Act was passed in November 2018 and is expected to come into force along with the new RPR in […]
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AME Attends 76th Annual Energy and Mines Ministers Conference
July 17, 2019AME President and CEO Kendra Johnston and Vice President, Regulatory and Technical Policy, Rob Stevens attended the 76th annual Energy and Mines Ministers Conference to liaise with senior government officials and mineral industry associations from across Canada. The Canadian Mineral Industry Federation, of which AME is a member, released a brief that included recommendations for […]
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AME Comments on Forest and Range Practices Act Engagement
July 13, 2019(Updated October 9, 2019) Overview This spring, the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development invited Indigenous Nations, communities, industry stakeholders and the public to offer their perspectives on the sustainable management of BC’s forest and range resources including the planning, use, maintenance and deactivation of resource roads. Current Situation Mineral […]
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President and CEO’s Message Summer 2019
July 8, 2019President & CEO’s Message Edie Thome, President & CEO, AME It has been two years since I penned my first message to you via this magazine. It’s with mixed emotions that I share that this will be the last from me as president and CEO of AME. As some of you know, my partner has accepted the […]
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- Policy Updates
S11 Conservation and Partnership Agreements for the Southern Mountain Caribou
March 21, 2019British Columbia is home to a population of Woodland Caribou, referred to as the Southern Mountain Caribou. Local populations extend from northern BC through east-central BC and down to into the Kootenays. A number of the local populations, particularly in central and southern BC, have been decreasing over many years to the point where their […]
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The Mining Jobs Task Force: Implementation Begins with Budget 2019
March 14, 2019BC Budget 2019 was announced on February 19, 2019 and included provisions that AME has been advocating for and believes will significantly and directly benefit mineral explorers active in B.C. The provisions included in Budget 2019 are just the start as we begin the implementation of the Mining Jobs Task Force report which was accepted and […]
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President and CEO’s Message Spring 2019
March 1, 2019President & CEO’s Message Edie Thome, President & CEO, AME Thanks to those of you who attended and helped make our 36th annual AME Roundup 2019 conference a great success! The hard work and dedication of our volunteers and staff paid off as we welcomed over 6,500 attendees at the Vancouver Convention Centre on the unceded Coast […]
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President and CEO’s Message Winter 2018
November 1, 2018President & CEO’s Message Edie Thome, President & CEO, AME With “your association, your voice” in mind, we began collecting input to update AME’s guiding document, the Strategic Plan, at Roundup 2018. We collected your views on issues that affect your work and what AME can do to continue supporting you, our members. Following that broad survey, […]
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