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1998/99 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 36th Parliament

FIRST READING

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

HONOURABLE DAN MILLER

MINISTER OF ENERGY AND MINES

AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR

NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT

BILL 12 – 1998

MINING RIGHTS AMENDMENT ACT, 1998

Preamble

WHEREAS the mining industry is important to the socio-economic interests of British

Columbia;

AND

WHEREAS it is in the best interests of British Columbia that the mining industry be

economically viable and globally competitive;

AND

WHEREAS British Columbia mining companies and their employees are recognized in

Canada and around the world for their mineral exploration, development and operational

expertise, mineral process engineering and environmental management, reclamation and

protection services;

AND

WHEREAS the government encourages responsible exploration for, and development and

operation of, mines in British Columbia;

AND

WHEREAS the government is committed to a timely and efficient approval process for

mining activities;

AND

WHEREAS the government recognizes the rights of persons to obtain access to their

mineral tenures and to carry out mining activities responsibly and in accordance with the

law outside legally designated protected areas, including the rights of persons to obtain

access to their mineral tenures and to carry out mining activities responsibly in

non-protected areas in which there are special management considerations developed under

land use planning processes;

AND

WHEREAS the government is committed to ensuring a productive and prosperous future

for the mining industry and British Columbians who rely on the mining industry for

employment, mineral products, public revenue and social and financial security;

THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly

of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

Mineral Tenure Act

1 The Mineral Tenure Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 292, is amended by adding the

following:

Certainty of access to mineral titles

11.1

(1) In this section, "mining exploration" does not include

the collection of a bulk sample of more than 1 000 tonnes of ore.

(2) A recorded holder of a mineral title or an owner of

a Crown granted 2 post claim must be issued a special use permit under the Forest

set by the issuing authority, for the construction of appropriate access to

the area of that mineral title or Crown granted 2 post claim for mining exploration,

if the recorded holder or owner

(

a) is the holder of a permit under the Mines Act for the mining exploration,

(

b) applies for and receives the written approval of the Chief Inspector of Mines to

the issuance under the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act of the special

use permit, and

(

c) applies under the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act for the

special use permit.

(3) For the purpose of this section, the Chief Inspector of Mines may grant or refuse

the written approval referred to in subsection (2).

Compensation

17.1

(1) If, after the coming into force of this section, the minister

responsible for the administration of the Park Act expropriates under

section 11 of

the Park Act the rights of a recorded holder of a lease or claim or of an

owner of a Crown granted 2 post claim, compensation is payable to the recorded holder or

owner, as the case may be, in an amount equal to the value of the rights expropriated, to

be determined under the regulations.

(2) If the minister responsible for the administration of this Act and the recorded

holder or owner, as the case may be, do not agree as to the amount of compensation that is

payable under subsection (1), the minister or the recorded holder or owner may require the

dispute to be settled by a single arbitrator who has the prescribed qualifications and is

to be appointed by the minister.

(3) The award of the single arbitrator appointed by the minister responsible for the

administration of this Act is binding on the parties to the arbitration.

Section 65 (2) is amended by adding the following:

(d.1) for the purposes of

section 17.1,

(

i) determining value and defining the components that comprise value,

(ii) methods of evaluation for use in determining value, that may differ according to

different components of value,

(iii) factors to be taken into account in an evaluation,

(iv) defining the role of evaluators in a determination of value and prescribing

qualifications for evaluators that are prerequisite to their participation in the

determination of value, and

(

v) prescribing the qualifications for a single arbitrator referred to in

section

17.1; .

Mines Act

Section 38 (2) of the Mines Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 293, is amended by adding

the following:

(a.1) respecting applications for, and the issuance of, permits and approvals,

including but not limited to prescribing time limits within which specified steps in the

application process must be taken; .

Consequential Amendments

Expropriation Act

Section 2 of the Expropriation Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 125, is amended by adding

the following:

(3.1) After the coming into force of this subsection, this Act does not apply to an

expropriation under

section 11 (2) of the Park Act of an interest in land in the

form of

(

a) rights under a lease, as defined in the Mineral

Tenure Act , of the recorded holder of the lease, or

(

b) rights under a Crown granted 2 post claim of its owner.

Park Act

Section 11 of the Park Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 344, is amended

(

a) in subsection (2) by repealing paragraphs (

a) and (

b) and substituting the

following paragraphs:

(

a) land,

(

b) rights under a lease, as defined in the Mineral

Tenure Act , of the recorded holder of the lease,

(

c) rights under a claim, as defined in the Mineral

Tenure Act , of the recorded holder of the claim, or

(

d) rights under a Crown granted 2 post claim of its owner,

as defined in the Mineral Tenure Act . , and

(

b) by repealing subsection (3) and substituting the following:

(3) In subsection (2), "Crown granted 2 post claim"

has the same meaning as in the Mineral Tenure Act .

Commencement

6 This Act comes into force by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Explanatory Notes

SECTION 1: [Mineral Tenure Act, enacts sections 11.1 and 17.1]

establishes certainty of access to mineral tenures for mining exploration;

requires payment of compensation to recorded holders of mineral titles and owners of

Crown granted 2 post claims if, after the coming into force of

section 17.1 of the Mineral

Tenure Act, the government, under

section 11 of the Park Act , expropriates the

titles or claims for the purpose of enlarging parks.

SECTION 2: [Mineral Tenure Act, adds

section 65 (2) (d.1)] enacts

regulation making powers respecting determination of the value of any mineral rights taken

for parks, for purposes of deciding compensation.

Mines Act

SECTION 3: [Mines Act, adds

section 38 (2) (a.1)] enables regulations

setting time limits for the application process under the Mines Act .

Consequential Amendments

Expropriation Act

SECTION 4: [Expropriation Act, adds

section 2 (3.1)] identifies the

mineral rights that are interests in land and provides that the Expropriation Act

does not apply in respect of those interests. Under the Mineral Tenure Act as

amended, the compensation for expropriated mineral rights, whether interests in land or

chattel interests, is to be agreed or, failing agreement, decided by binding arbitration.

Park Act

SECTION 5: [Park Act, amends

section 11] adds (to the provision of the Park

Act that empowers the Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks to acquire land and

other rights for parks and recreation areas) express references to the types of

expropriated mineral rights for which compensation will be payable under the Mineral

Tenure Act .

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