Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for allowing me to share with you the realities of a mining community, my town of Malartic, in Abitibi‑Témiscamingue.
Natural resources form part of our country's great wealth. Here in Malartic, we have a number of different natural resources. We may be known for our gold mines in Abitibi‑Témiscamingue, but that is not all we have. We also have multi-metal mines, and mines for rare earths and lithium. Recently, the Australian company Sayona Mining Limited acquired a second lithium deposit.
In Abitibi‑Témiscamingue, what concerns the community greatly is not just that foreign companies are buying our companies, it's also that they are buying innovating companies in what we call la filière minière, the mining industry. These innovating companies have developed expertise in various areas, such as the treatment of mine effluents, mining waste that has to be treated and cleaned, and the development and processing of certain products. They have developed expertise and knowledge that is well-known around the world in a number of respects, and we are fortunate to have them at home. These are critical companies that allow the mining industry to develop at top speed and to acquire new processes in terms of developing smart mines.
Technology is also making its way into the mines. It's no longer about men and women working with picks and shovels. Not at all; technology is everywhere and it was created here in our regions, either in Abitibi‑Témiscamingue, in our case, or in the Nord‑du‑Québec. Those companies merit specific attention in terms of developing strategic metals and the mining industry that will be created around them.
It is also important to recognize the vitality of communities as this sector is developed. Those who occupy and live in the territory must be considered. The industry must not be centralized in major centres; it must also develop around these companies and these mines. They will bring the wealth and they will also allow economic diversification through secondary and tertiary processing of the products. This has become an indispensable tool in the development and the vitality of the so-called remote regions, which may be far from the major centres but which are so important. It is essential in preventing those regions from losing their vitality.
Today, it is also critical to include the First Nations in issues such as strategic metals and opening mines. They live all over Canada and certainly here in Abitibi‑Témiscamingue and the Nord‑du‑Québec. They have to be included even before that, at the consultation stage. In the past, unfortunately, First Nations were often overlooked. Today, they are highly aware, and rightfully so. They are also asking to be partners and to be consulted. They also want the opportunity for development because of the natural riches. Those riches certainly make the companies a lot of money but they can also provide the First Nations with opportunities for development, for employment and for training. Mining companies have already come to a number of excellent agreements with the Algonquin First Nations here and the Cree in the Nord‑du‑Québec. Communication between First Nations and the mining companies that want to look for natural resources on their ancestral lands is an indispensable tool in their development.
The same goes for the host communities, such as we are in Malartic. A cohabitation agreement has been established with one of the biggest mining operations in Canada, located just on the border of the municipality. It allows dialogue with the municipality on principles of sustainable development and social acceptability. That should be done in advance, not after a mine opens, as was the case with us. We had the experience of living with a mine downtown.
Ways have to be found of acknowledging the community and helping it to develop. That will create wealth all around. The community that is going to be built around the battery industry in the coming years, must be helped, including all the expertise that will flow from it. For example, the Université du Québec en Abitibi‑Témiscamingue has research chairs that specialize in mining. They are specifically focusing on treating waste, which is a major environmental issue. Mines can be extremely polluting, as we have seen in the past. Today, modern strategies and techniques have been designed to reduce their impact on the environment to a great extent or to make up for them. There is always innovation along those lines.
The country and its regions develop because of new technologies, not just by occupying and developing the land. Companies that wish to come and set up here should first take steps to work with the host communities, the First Nations, and the mining industry that is already established here. It has extraordinary expertise that will help them to develop in the future.