Recognizing that climate change is having has a significant negative impacts on Canadians, the government of Canada is continuing its investments in climate adaptation and climate resilience research.
On February 15, 2019 in Sudbury, Ontario Paul Lefebvre, Parliamentary Secretary to Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, announced $184,000 in support of a climate resilience project designed to lay the groundwork for rehabilitating Canada’s abandoned and orphaned mines.
“Our government is supporting projects that help us expand our understanding of the impacts of climate change. With this knowledge, we can help ensure today’s plans for abandoned and orphaned mine rehabilitation will reduce the climate-change risks of tomorrow,” said Lefebvre.
This project, led by the Mining Innovation Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO), will develop a comprehensive approach for evaluating rehabilitation plans for abandoned mines through a review of 15 to 20 sites in Ontario and the Northwest Territories, including an in-depth review of three.
The ultimate goal of this project is to ensure that rehabilitation plans for today’s abandoned mines will address the climate change risks of tomorrow, while protecting the health and safety of Canadians as we enhance our stewardship of the land around us.
This announcement supports the objectives of the Adaptation and Resilience pillar of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change by turning scientific information and traditional knowledge into action.
Funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program, the project supports the development of tools and knowledge needed to help Canadians, regions and economic sectors become more resilient to a changing climate.
Photo (courtesy of MINARCO) shows photovoltaic panels floating at an abandoned mine. The electricity power can be used to power water cleanup technologies.