Download our Mineral Development Cycle (PDF, 1.29 MB) to learn about opportunities to build public confidence in mineral development, including the roles of key groups.
Pre-Exploration
Activities prior to the start of the individual project development cycle, including policy development, land use planning and resource mapping.
Risks & Opportunities
- Integrated and adaptive approaches to resource policy and regional planning
- Visioning, community readiness and resiliency
Exploration
On the ground mineral prospecting, exploration drilling and other methods to determine and appraise the mineral potential of a given exploration lease.
Risks & Opportunities
- Community understanding of mining development and lifecycles
- Legacy issues
- Environmental and social performance
Development
Project feasibility and design work, environmental and social baseline and impact assessment studies, regulatory approvals and permitting, and mine and processing facility construction.
Risks & Opportunities
- Fair treatment of risks and benefits
- The nature and responsiveness to affected parties and public participation in decision making
- Duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous Peoples
Operation
The extraction and processing of mineral ore at a mine.
Risks & Opportunities
- Realization of community benefits
- Government resource revenue sharing
- Environmental impacts on water quality, habitat and wildlife
- Tailings failures and emergency response
Closure
Site reclamation to specified land uses, facility decommissioning, environmental monitoring and relinquishment of approved reclaimed lands to the government.
Risks & Opportunities
- Socio-economic impacts of mine closure
- Reclamation