Thank you, Minister, for being here today.
I would like to discuss with you women employed in untraditional sectors, something you know much about. I appreciate the focus in your opening remarks on the importance of gender-based analysis for women, particularly in untraditional sectors.
I was interested to learn as I was researching your department and the work you've done about a program your department undertook several years ago called the mining and refining for women pilot project. It was a 30-month mentorship project, with the goal to retain and advance women's employment in non-traditional roles by Teck Resources' zinc and lead mining operation in Trail, B.C. As you know, women are not well represented in the trades, particularly in mining. This project, funded by your department, was looking to help women close that gender equality gap. It received resoundingly positive feedback from the women involved. I was very encouraged to see that your department takes women in untraditional sectors very seriously and that this is really in line with your mandate to improve gender equality in Canada. I appreciate, with this program, that your department wants women to succeed in mining.
Given all the success women had with this project, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the Teck Frontier mine. The project presented a mass of high-paying employment opportunities for women, for local first nations and women in the mining sector. Of course, it's well understood that the decision on the Teck Frontier mine was to be made by cabinet and by you this past Tuesday, February 25. Although we know the project did not go forward, and we were given notice two days' prior, your government had the proposal since July 2019.
Can you provide to the committee the gender-based analysis plus for the Teck Frontier mine project?