Thanks very much.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. Sorry for the confusion about what we were all going to be doing.
I will try to keep it brief. I think Pierre has provided a very good and succinct overview of what's going on in the mining sector in Canada.
In British Columbia, we are seeing unprecedented growth in the opportunity for a healthy and thriving mining industry in B.C. We are adopting measures that I think are going to allow us to provide more information to the public about current and modern mining practices through the adoption of sustainable mining. This is a management system that will allow us to report publicly on how we're doing business in the communities where we are operating.
What I would like to focus on, and what I think would be of interest to your committee, is the potential for mining in British Columbia. I would like to echo Pierre's comments about the extreme urgency to have an effective and timely permitting process. We have a regulatory system that dictates that both governments have a say on how projects are developed and implemented, not only in Canada but in particular here in B.C.
So for us, the primary focus will be on seeking opportunities for collaboration on finding efficiencies. Continued funding for the major projects and management offices is something we're advocating for as well.
We are leaving you with a deck for your reference later. I think—and Paul alluded to this—we do have a commitment or a strategy from the B.C. government to grow the industry over the next four years. The timelines are not only very ambitious but also very aggressive. We like to hear that message, but that does require very strong collaboration with the federal government, and we're here to say that's our intent—to ensure that we do have those partnerships and that we do have those opportunities to work with you.
One of the things that I think is going to provide that opportunity to come to fruition is the ability to not only have a very effective permitting process with the appropriate funding going into those agencies, but also to have human resources. The federal government has been a very strong contributor to the creation of programs and services that address the capacity issues we have on the labour side of the industry. We're here to let you know that is a very critical factor, going forward.
We do understand that sector council funding and some of the initiatives have been discontinued, but I think there is an opportunity to look for the creation of partnerships between industry and government to ensure that those services and programs continue to be available. I'm speaking specifically of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council and also the funding that has been allocated for aboriginal and youth training.
So permitting and training are things we're looking forward to working with you on, to ensure that not only the B.C. government's agenda is met in terms of the growth of the industry, but also the federal government’s.
Thank you.