Mining Threat in Gatineau Park
The Ottawa Citizen reports today that Stelmine Canada Ltd., a Montreal-area mineral exploration company has staked claims on land including around Meech Lake.
The company is said to be searching mainly for lithium, an element usually used in rechargeable batteries. The market for lithium is expected to heat up as automobile technology increases its dependence on electrical energy, now in hybrid vehicles and possibly in plug in cars in the future.
The rumor of lithium exploration was aired at last week’s CPAWS Gatineau Park evening but there were too few facts known at the time to generate discussion.
The NCC maintains that mining exploration is not allowed in Gatineau Park but a number of properties around Meech Lake are privately owned. From the Citizen article “The Quebec Mining Act allows geologists to go onto private property to analyze rocks near the surface with electronic instruments, take soil samples and drill for ore,” and “Jean-Paul Murray, a Gatineau Park activist, said there is nothing the National Capital Commission could do to stop mining in the park because the Quebec government does not recognize the agreement not to issue mining permits on park land.”
Michel Lemay, president of Stelmine is quoted as having said “we have claims where there have already been rare element results like Gatineau, Wakefield, Cantley, Lac Murray near Maniwaki, Templeton and around Meech Lake.”
The Citizen goes on to say “when Lemay is asked whether there will be a mine near Meech Lake in Gatineau Park, he chuckles and says there could be a mine if there is a significant find on private property.”