Wetin dey happen for Whitefish Falls? Na meeting wey dey hold between Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy and McFarlane Lake Mining Inc. over one mining claim wey dem stake for Heaven’s Gate Trail. Beth Gilhespy, wey be executive director for EBC, talk say dem don meet with company representatives. She yarn say dem go get more information for coming days and weeks.
n
EBC, wey own the land, don dey try protect am since 2001. Na public and government donations wey reach nearly half a million dollars dem use buy the 1,900 acres wey dey inside La Cloche range. The place dey connect Killarney Provincial Park and La Cloche Provincial Reserve. E get animals like Blanding’s turtles and Algonquin wolf wey dey there. Even Group of Seven artists don use the scenery inspire their work before.
n
McFarlane Lake Mining stake claim for the land around late May or early June 2025 through public mineral claim system. Staking claim no mean say mining go start immediately, but e allow the company do exploratory work like sampling, trenching, and drilling to check if minerals wey fit bring money dey there. EBC don file objection to the claim since June.
n
Ms. Gilhespy talk say the company don show understanding about EBC concerns. She mention say EBC don contact their funders, including Ontario Land Trust Alliance and federal representatives, to know wetin protections fit apply since public money help buy the land. “We buy the land for one specific purpose, to preserve am,” she yarn.
n
But under Ontario law, lands wey private conservation organizations like EBC hold no get the same protection from mining activity like Crown lands for parks or conservation reserves. EBC no get automatic protection from mining claim for the property. Land trusts dey aim to protect biodiversity forever, but the current system leave privately conserved lands open to subsurface claims unless mineral rights join the surface property when dem buy am—something wey no happen for Heaven’s Gate.
n
No legislation for Ontario wey automatically cancel mineral rights on land wey conservation organizations buy, even when government funds support the purchase. McFarlane Lake Mining na Canadian company wey get six gold properties from Timmins reach Manitoba border. Three of their properties don produce mine before. Their main targets na MacMillan and Mongowin Properties, about 13 kilometres south of Espanola inside historic Huronian Gold Belt.
n
Company no announce specific plans for the staked claim inside the preserve, but historical data suggest say the region get fault-altered geological structures wey link to gold mineralization. Exploratory activities go likely depend on wetin dem find first and if e go bring money. The area dey on Canadian Shield, one of the few places for La Cloche Mountains wey geology overlap with known mineral potential.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
