TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canada’s Minister of Mining Greg Rickford on Monday celebrated the nineteenth National Mining Week that would run to Friday, touting the country’s international leadership and innovation in the sector and underscoring the importance of mining to communities across Canada.

"Quite simply, mining matters to Canadians. It is a cornerstone of our economy and provides benefits from coast to coast to coast,” he said in a statement.

The mining and mineral processing industry generated close to $60-billion for Canada's gross domestic product, employed more than 380 000 Canadians, including 10 000 Aboriginal people, and accounted for one-fifth of the country's merchandise exports.

Rickford emphasised the federal government’s support for this critical “engine of economic growth” by keeping taxes low, promoting free trade, eliminating red tape and modernising regulatory reviews for major projects.

Between 2008 and 2012, the mining and select manufacturing sectors — mining and quarrying, primary metal manufacturing and nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing — contributed on average $3.8-billion a year in corporate taxes and royalties.

“In Economic Action Plan 2015, we announced the extension of the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit for another year and expanded the definition of Canadian Exploration Expenses to include costs associated with environmental studies and community consultations. These measures will help companies raise much-needed financing, boost exploration and create jobs,” Rickford said.

This year, the theme of National Mining Week was ‘Innovation in Canada's Mineral Development Model.’

“Our government understands the importance of innovation in today's marketplace. Economic Action Plan 2015 proposes to invest C$23-million over five years for the technological innovation needed to separate and develop rare-earth elements and chromite, a key mineral and a focus of exploration in the Ring of Fire region.

“In addition, Economic Action Plan 2015 includes C$22-million over five years to renew the Targeted Geoscience Initiative, with a focus on developing new in-depth geoscience knowledge to inform the exploration of deeper mineral deposits,” the Minister added.

In Economic Action Plan 2013, the federal government had committed C$100-million over seven years to renew the Geomapping for Energy and Minerals programme to significantly advance and modernise geological knowledge in the north.

The government of Canada recently passed the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act, marking Canada's contribution to global efforts aimed at enhancing the transparency of the extractive sector and helping to brand Canada as a responsible resource developer.