Industry committee  I wouldn't want to speak to the very specifics of a cost comparison, but I would say there is a huge amount of hard rock potential in Canada. We have a huge amount of experience with respect to hard rock mining. The majority of mining that's conducted in Canada is hard rock, whether that's open pit or underground, and we are seeing new technologies brought to bear.

Industry committee  We understand quite clearly that resources are predominantly within the purview of the provincial governments. It's really up to the provinces to find what they think is appropriate within those regions, whether it's an economic development related to mineral exploration or otherwise.

Industry committee  I would say, definitively, that we were focused on a social licence to operate as an industry and as an association, as well as on how we could assist our members in being able to get to that point with their projects in asset development. When we consider where we are today, in 2022, with respect to generating that social licence to operate, it often means that companies and proponents will have to consider additional steps, and rightfully so, in order to ensure that the ideas and concepts they're hoping to bring to their projects are well understood.

Industry committee  I wouldn't speak to any one single deposit in terms of what its capacity and capability is, but there is most certainly hard rock potential across virtually every province and territory in Canada. I think there are known showings or prospects for lithium of various species all across those regions as well, whether we're looking at northern Quebec, Newfoundland, Ontario or all the way through the territories.

Industry committee  In thinking about who our membership predominantly represents, we typically have junior mineral exploration somewhat up to development companies as the primary cohort at PDAC. The impacts of what has happened over the last number of years, from the development and implementation of the Environmental Assessment Act, are still not fully understood.

Industry committee  It's a great question. I'll come back to our recommendations, and for good reason. Knowledge is key, and what we've seen in recent mandate letters around reliance on science and evidence-based decision-making is the right way to go. With that in mind, there is information we still need to have in hand to be able to make quality decisions that are thinking 10 and 20 years down the road, as has been indicated by some of the other panellists here today.

Industry committee  I would start by suggesting that the Canadian mining and mineral exploration industry is almost unparalleled in terms of its quality, its capabilities and the best practices that this industry brings to its operations, both in Canada and abroad. When we think about Canada's capability to discover more minerals and metals within our own borders and bring those metals to market, it's almost unequalled compared to any other country.

Industry committee  I will actually be addressing the committee today.

Industry committee  Thank you very much. Good afternoon, Chair and committee members. I want to first acknowledge that I come to you from the traditional lands of the Huron, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, Wendat and Oneida peoples, the Anishinabe and the Mississaugas of the Credit, and all the indigenous first nations who lived on these lands over the centuries.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you very much, Lisa. Thank you for that question, Mr. Chair and Mr. Cannings. I think it's a very valid one. To put a point on it, you're right, in that many of these types of deposits we're talking about, when we get into critical minerals, can be more challenging to discover, and they can be of smaller scale.