Mines

Notices 2004

Report of Assessment Work for the Claim

Documents required

This directive has been in effect since January 12, 2004. It renders any previous directive on the same topic null and void. The directive has been adopted under Section 72 of the Mining Act (R.S.Q., c. M-13.1), and includes the stipulation that:

The claim holder shall perform work required on the claim before the sixtieth day preceding the claim expiry date. The holder shall submit a report to the Minister before the claim expiry date. The report shall be in the form prescribed by regulation and be accompanied by the required documents.

Reports of assessment work:

  • must be accompanied by the Work Declaration Form. Reports that are not accompanied by this form will be refused at the claim expiry date;
  • will also be refused if they are received at the Bureau du registraire after the claim expiry date.

Mining Mineral Substances in Lakes and Watercourses

This directive has been in effect since July 15, 2004. It renders all previous directives on the same subject null and void. The directive is adopted under the provision of section 100 of the Mining Act (R.S.Q., c. M-13.1), which stipulates, among other things that:

Any person who plans to mine mineral substances (with the exception of surface mineral substances) for commercial or industrial purposes must first obtain a mining lease from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife.

This requirement also applies for any exploitation in a wartercourse or a lake or its shore. Dredging using a hydraulic concentrator and panning for gold within the scope of a tourist operation are considered as mining mineral substances for commercial purposes.

Any part of a watercourse where the natural power is equal to or greater than 225 kilowatts, as well as a strip of land 20 metres wide on either side of this watercourse are excluded from the lease. However, the Minister may authorize, under certain conditions, the mining of mineral substances on such lands.

Any person who plans to impact or carry out work in a lake, watercourse, pond, marsh, swamp or bog must obtain a certificate of authorization from the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks before said work begins, in accordance with section 22 of the Environment Quality Act (R.S.Q., c. Q-2). This also applies in the case of panning for gold and dredging using a hydraulic concentrator. Furthermore, measures must be taken, during the work, to avoid releasing fine particles into the watercourse.