Mining

The Fraser Institute Survey of Mining Companies, 2015, rates 109 jurisdictions around the world based on a combination of their geologic attractiveness for minerals and metals and their policy attractiveness. For the second consecutive year, Saskatchewan ranks as the top jurisdiction in Canada and finishes second worldwide behind Western Australia.

Mining and Aboriginal Rights in Yukon: How Certainty Affects Investor Confidence finds that the legal certainty established by modern land claim agreements in Yukon — once seen as an advantage in attracting new investment — is now being undermined by Canadian courts. Specifically, the courts have forced unforeseen obligations upon governments and third-parties, beyond the requirements already spelled out in modern treaties, thus leading to a decline in investor confidence. The study warns that Yukon’s experience could be a harbinger of uncertainty right across the country and particularly British Columbia.