Despite market volatility and downward pressure on commodity prices the mining industry’s economic contribution to Canada remains strong according to a new report from the Mining Association of Canada.

The report revealed the industry directly employed more than 375 thousand people in 2014 and contributed 57 billion dollars to the national GDP.  The report noted several policy areas that are essential to securing the estimated 140 billion dollars in potential new mining investment that could come to fruition over the next decade.  They include ensuring the regulatory process is robust and efficient and includes meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities, addressing the cost of operating in remote and northern Canada where infrastructure is lacking, enhancing funding for Aboriginal skills training initiatives to enable Aboriginal people to access well paying and highly skilled jobs in mining and supporting the industry’s innovation priorities to facilitate continuous improvement in the sector’s environmental and health and safety performance.