Orphaned and abandoned mines
The 2nd Annual OAM Workshop took place virtually on October 23-25, 2024. The What We Heard report and presentations from the public event can be accessed below.
On this page
- Overview
- Annual Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Workshop
- Management of orphaned and abandoned mines in Canadian jurisdictions
- Related links
Overview
Orphaned and abandoned mines are two types of legacy mines. Orphaned mines are defined as those for which the owner cannot be found and abandoned mines are defined as those for which the owner is financially unable or unwilling to carry out the clean-up. These mines exist within all mining jurisdictions in Canada and pose environmental, health, safety, and economic issues for communities, the mining industry, and governments.
Canada is a global leader in research and development to address environmental issues caused by legacy mine sites.
Orphaned and abandoned mine (OAM) sites are poorly documented in terms of their numbers and the physical, health, and environmental impacts and liabilities. Therefore, research, collaboration, and information sharing are crucial for informed decision-making, cost-effective planning, and sustainable reclamation. National, multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential to guarantee transparency in decision-making and access to information for governments, industry, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders.
Annual Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Workshop
Inaugurated in 2023, the Annual Orphaned and Abandoned Mines (OAM) Workshop is a multi-day, working-level workshop aimed at facilitating information sharing, diverse and inclusive engagement, and broad collaboration on challenges related to orphaned and abandoned mines. This workshop replaced the National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative after its dissolution in 2022. It is hosted by the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP) Secretariat and the Task Team on Environment under the Mines Intergovernmental Working Group (Mines IGWG).
2nd Annual Workshop
Ended October 2024
The 2nd Annual OAM Workshop took place virtually on October 23-25, 2024.
The theme of this virtual workshop was “Foundations for Success: Building Capacity and Developing Exemplary Practices.” It included sessions focused on exemplary practices for remediation planning and implementation; potential economic opportunities and partnerships, including creating value from mine tailings, and their associated considerations, risks, and challenges; considerations and approaches in clean-up, restoration, and remediation science and practices; addressing capacity constraints, developing supportive relationships, and providing opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and communities; and building strong, collaborative, and effective partnerships.
The workshop saw a high level of engagement from a wide variety of individuals and organizations, who highlighted the importance of continuing to advance OAM remediation, as well as the importance of events such as the Annual OAM Workshop for fostering connections and sharing information.
Workshop Resources
What We Heard Report
Presentations (English only)
- Day 1, Session 3 – Taking stock of Canadian OAM remediation – Dumaresq (PDF, 454 KB)
- Day 1, Session 4 – A showcase of exemplary remediation practices – Wong (PDF, 709 KB)
- Day 1, Session 4 – A showcase of exemplary remediation practices – Murray (PDF, 840 KB)
- Day 1, Session 4 – A showcase of exemplary remediation practices – Kong (PDF, 18 MB)
- Day 1, Session 4 – A showcase of exemplary remediation practices – Boucher-Telmosse and Dea (9 MB)
- Day 1, Session 4 – A showcase of exemplary remediation practices – Sparling (PDF, 3MB)
- Day 1, Session 5 – The potential and challenge of creating value from mine tailings – Deriaz (PDF, 679 KB)
- Day 1, Session 5 – The potential and challenge of creating value from mine tailings – Thompson (PDF, 3 MB)
- Day 1, Session 5 – The potential and challenge of creating value from mine tailings – Parsons (PDF, 3 MB)
- Day 1, Session 5 – The potential and challenge of creating value from mine tailings – Mykytczuk (PDF, 3 MB)
- Day 1, Session 6 – The economic potential of OAM remediation – Kondos (PDF, 2 MB)
- Day 1, Session 6 – The economic potential of OAM remediation – Dobner and Heroux Messier (PDF, 953 KB)
- Day 1, Session 6 – The economic potential of OAM remediation – Saffron (PDF, 2 MB)
- Day 1, Session 6 – The economic potential of OAM remediation – Pede and Pelletier (PDF, 4 MB)
- Day 2, Session 2 – Considerations and approaches in clean-up, restoration, and remediation science and practices – Gammon (PDF, 2 MB)
- Day 2, Session 2 – Considerations and approaches in clean-up, restoration, and remediation science and practices – Goulet (PDF, 531 KB)
Disclaimer
Some of the information above has been provided by external sources. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of the information supplied by external sources. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages requirements.
1st Annual Workshop
Ended October 2023
The 1st annual OAM workshop took place on October 11, 12, and 19, 2023.
The theme of this virtual workshop was “Targeted Land-use Planning through Collaboration and Innovation”. It included sessions focused on land-use planning and design, collaboration with communities (particularly the historical relationship with Indigenous Peoples), innovative approaches, and environmental considerations.
We saw the participation of a wide variety of public and private stakeholders interested in orphaned and abandoned mine sites and related issues.
Workshop resources
What We Heard Report
- 1st Annual OAM Workshop – What We Heard (PDF, 225 KB)
Presentations (English only)
- Day 1, Session 2 – Land Use Planning - Desrosiers (PDF, 725 KB)
- Day 1, Session 2 – Land Use Planning – Viridis Terra (PDF, 3.33 MB)
- Day 1, Session 2 – Land Use Planning – Hainey (PDF, 1.41 MB)
- Day 1, Session 3 – Landform Design – McKenna (PDF, 7.43 MB)
- Day 2, Session 2 – Potential of Innovation – Young&Shang (PDF, 165 KB)
- Day 2, Session 3 – Innovative Approaches – Forde (PDF, 1.79 MB)
- Day 2, Session 3 – Innovative Approaches – Shang (PDF, 1.26 MB)
- Day 2, Session 3 – Innovative Approaches – Tisch (PDF, 1.25 MB)
- Day 2, Session 3 – Innovative Approaches – Deriaz (PDF, 2.81 MB)
- Day 2, Session 4 – Environmental Considerations – Chevalier (PDF, 3.09 MB)
- Day 2, Session 4 – Environmental Considerations – Project CLEANS (PDF, 3.09 MB)
Disclaimer
Some of the information above has been provided by external sources. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of the information supplied by external sources. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages requirements.
Management of orphaned and abandoned mines in Canadian jurisdictions
For more information on closure and remediation of OAM sites, refer to the following jurisdictional webpages:
| Jurisdiction | Links |
|---|---|
|
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (CIRNAC) |
|
|
Yukon |
Department of Energy, Mines and Resources - Assessment and Abandoned Mines |
|
Northwest Territories |
Department of Environment and Climate Change - Contaminated Sites Program |
|
British Columbia |
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation – Abandoned Mines Branch Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy - Crown Contaminated Sites Program Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia |
|
Alberta |
|
|
Saskatchewan |
|
|
Manitoba |
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change – Orphaned and Abandoned Mines |
|
Ontario |
|
|
Québec |
Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts – Mining Reclamation |
|
New Brunswick |
Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development – Abandoned Mine Openings |
|
Nova Scotia |
Department of Natural Resources and Renewables – Abandoned Mines |
|
Newfoundland and Labrador |
Department of Industry, Energy and Technology – Mineral Development |
Related links
- Historical National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative
- National Inventory of Orphaned and Abandoned Mines on Open Science Data Platform
Contact us
Have questions? Interested in collaborating with us? Reach out to us by email at cmmp-pcmm@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.