May is Mining Month in British Columbia, an important time to recognize the contribution of the industry in communities across B.C., communities like North and West Vancouver, which have supported and benefited from British Columbia’s mining sector for decades.
Recently, the Mining Suppliers Association and the Mining Association of British Columbia partnered to survey the relationships between 13 major metal and mineral mines with communities throughout B.C. It may come as a surprise for you to learn that the North Shore is home to 50 companies that supplied more than $23 million worth of goods and services to thirteen major operating mines in 2017. Provincewide, B.C.’s mining industry relied on more than $1.35 billion worth of goods and services from 3,000 mining suppliers located in 125 municipalities and Indigenous communities.
Furthermore, 1,200 of those 3,000 mining suppliers are based in the Lower Mainland, and they benefitted from more than $460 million in total business in 2017. These 13 mines are responsible for supporting economic activity on the North Shore — economic activity that is critical to thousands of business owners, workers and their families in communities across B.C.
Over 30,000 British Columbians are employed directly or indirectly by the B.C. mining industry, many on the North Shore. Of note, the average annual pay for a worker in the mining industry exceeds $115,000 — higher than forestry, manufacturing, finance or construction. Jobs in the mining sector continue to be more diverse, higher skilled and better compensated, due in part to the increasing role that technology plays in the sector.
British Columbians have every reason to be proud of our province’s high-tech mining industry for the key role it plays in our economy, and its contribution in advancing our collective role in the global transition to a lower-carbon economy. As Canada’s largest producer of copper and steelmaking coal, our mines help provide the copper for electric cars, and the steelmaking coal required to build green infrastructure like wind turbines. Thanks to B.C.’s abundant clean energy, our copper and steelmaking coal are produced with some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in the world.
British Columbia’s miners have long been innovators and today’s mines are no exception. Technology is enabling our mines to use less, conserve more, and increase the safety and productivity of our operations. B.C. mining companies are using autonomous vehicles and sensors to keep workers out of hazardous environments, reduce carbon emissions and increase operational effectiveness by utilizing highly engineered technology, applications and artificial intelligence that ensure B.C.’s modern mines are digitally connected and optimized. Drone technology is being used to provide real-time aerial footage for mine site maintenance, monitoring and emergency response, while at the same time GPS technology is supporting precision drilling. Furthermore, consultation with communities and Indigenous nations is being enhanced with virtual reality by allowing the 3D visualization of mine sites.
While the story of B.C.’s growing high-tech sector is also a story about mining, it is important not to lose sight that mining industry needs a clear, consistent and coordinated regulatory framework that supports industry innovation and investment. MABC continues to work with government, local and Indigenous communities and labour to improve our province’s competitiveness and attractiveness as a world class mining jurisdiction. B.C. is built on mining and both the Mining Suppliers Association and Mining Associations of B.C. are dedicated to ensuring that communities like North Vancouver and West Vancouver continue to benefit from a sustainable and growing mining industry, as they have for decades.
Rodger McLean has been a resident of the North Shore for more than 20 years. He is a senior manager of innovative solutions at Metric Modular, and past chair of the Mining Suppliers Association of British Columbia.
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