Evidence of meeting #27 for Natural Resources in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Wes Hanson  President and Chief Executive Officer, Noront Resources Ltd.
Kirk McKinnon  President and Chief Executive Officer, MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.
Ian Brodie-Brown  President and Chief Executive Officer, AurCrest Gold Inc.
Elijah Moonias  Marten Falls First Nation
David Kilgour  Councillor, City of Greater Sudbury

10:40 a.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.

Kirk McKinnon

Well, they come around and they check it on a regular basis.

10:40 a.m.

Councillor, City of Greater Sudbury

David Kilgour

I just want to add something. I know there's a very deep concern by everybody about the environment and I want to point out a program that's happening in Sudbury now.

Vale has just announced that they're going to be putting somewhere around $2 billion into their structures in Sudbury over the next two years for an AER program, an atmospheric emission reduction program.

I mentioned that 90% of the sulphuric acid that used to be in the air is now gone; this AER program will take out another 70% of the remainder. The technologies they're talking about now are not the technologies that were there when we were complaining back in the sixties and seventies, and I think we have to be very aware of that fact. It's a different world, and anything built now is going to be at a much higher standard than was ever there before.

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Thank you.

You can give a very short addition, Mr. McKinnon.

10:40 a.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.

Kirk McKinnon

Mr. Chairman, are we allowed to ask any questions?

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Go ahead. I don't know who will answer them, but go ahead and ask the questions, certainly.

10:40 a.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.

Kirk McKinnon

I just have one. I will address it to Mr. Allen and Mr. McGuinty.

I proposed today that you look at the Ring of Fire on a special case basis and look at ramped-up flowthrough funding, say for a period of three years to five years. I think it would stimulate significant interest and I think I've spoken to the benefits.

Is that something you could support?

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

Mike Allen Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB

Did you say a flowthrough?

10:40 a.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.

Kirk McKinnon

No, I mean an increased flowthrough. It could be doubled specifically, say, for the Ring of Fire, for a specific period of time.

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Mr. McKinnon, I think your point is made and I appreciate your comment.

10:40 a.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd.

Kirk McKinnon

I just wonder whether it's possible to support this idea.

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

The committee will be looking at all the issues that we've heard about. We've heard about this now, so we'll see what comes from it.

10:40 a.m.

NDP

Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON

May I answer that, Mr. Chair, just for a brief second?

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Actually, we have to go. Our time is up.

Thank you for the question. It is interesting.

Mr. Anderson, you want to comment.

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Vivian Krause had said she'd provide some more information the other day. I wonder if you can get that from her, particularly the grid that links the funding. I think she may have mentioned this aspect in her testimony. If not, it's a document she has that I think she's willing to provide to the committee.

10:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

She did say that. Let's make sure we get it.

Thank you very much to all of the witnesses for your presentations and for your answers, and to all members of the committee for really stimulating and helpful questions and comments.

The meeting is adjourned.