On November 2, 2018, the Provincial Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador (the "Government") released
Mining the Future 2030 – A Plan for Growth in
the Newfoundland and Labrador Mining Industry
("Mining the Future"). The industry
development plan was created in collaboration with Mining Industry
NL, a not-for-profit industry association that represents all
sectors of the province's mineral industry. Mining the Future
is part of The Way Forward, a policy initiative launched in 2016 to
guide the Government's actions in strengthening the
province's economic sustainability and growth.
Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador has eleven operating mines
which produce, among others, iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, and
gold. The province ranks fifth in Canada for value of mineral
production and contributes 46 per cent of iron ore and 26 per cent
of nickel mined nationally. In 2017, the Fraser Institute ranked
Newfoundland and Labrador 4th nationally and
11th globally in its