Opposition to uranium mining and exploration is increasing in Canada as more efforts are going on to find uranium in large enough quantities to replace diminishing deposits at present mine sites. The market for uranium will expand with the anticipated nuclear power plant renaissance.

British Columbia has already enacted a legislated ban on the mining and milling of uranium. The province has no nuclear power plants. In spite of growing opposition, Alberta and Saskatchewan are looking at having them. Although New Brunswick activists were unable to stop the refurbishment of the aged Lepreau station going forward, they have not given up and have been successful in achieving a temporary ban on mining exploration in the province. The announcement was made in Feb. 2009 in the New Brunswick (NB) legislature to pause mining exploration based on health concerns raised by citizens. A lot of this citizen awareness was due to the Conservation Council and work by Willi Nolan, our NB (volunteer) program manager. However, the battle is far from over as there are forces at work to promote expansion of energy resources across the Atlantic region.

Ontario protests are increasing. The Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium (CCAMU) has been joined by two other citizens organizations, Fight Uranium Mining and Exploration (FUME) in the Haliburton Highlands and Cottagers against Uranium Mining and Exploration (CUME) in the Muskoka area.

As a result of citizen agitation, the Ontario Government is holding hearings on a proposed new Mining Act to be revealed some time this spring. Facilitated public and stakeholder hearings will be held in Timmins Aug.11, Sudbury, Aug. 13, Thunder Bay, Aug. 18, (all mining towns) and then in Kingston, Aug. 26 and Toronto, Sept. 8.