Released on February 24, 2015
The Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies: 2014 was released today showing Saskatchewan is the most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment in Canada, and second most attractive worldwide behind Finland.The annual global survey of mining executives rates 122 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness and the extent to which government policies encourage exploration and investment.
“Saskatchewan is the best place to invest for mining, and we’ve been working hard to get that message out around the world,” Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. “Our government has been very focused on offering competitive resource royalty structures, reliable, transparent and stable government policies, and best of all—a province that has a wealth of resource possibilities for those that invest here.”
The province improved in 2014 compared to the 2013 report, where Saskatchewan ranked 2nd in Canada and 7th worldwide.
The provincial government’s continued commitment to acquiring high quality, easily accessible geo-science information and focus on improving mining policies are attributed to the improvement.
“In addition to our wealth of natural minerals, we have been striving for reduced red tape and enhanced customer service for the mining industry,” Boyd said. “Our MARS staking system that provides online claims staking is just one example of improvements we’ve made that save mining companies millions of dollars—dollars that can be spent on exploration and development, rather than administrative processes.”
Saskatchewan was followed by Manitoba and Quebec in the Canadian rankings, with Alberta placing 8th, Ontario 9th, and British Columbia 10th. Five Canadian jurisdictions finished in the top 10 worldwide: Saskatchewan (2), Manitoba (4), Quebec (6), Newfoundland and Labrador (8) and Yukon (9). Ontario and British Columbia placed 23rd and 28th, respectively.
The survey was conducted between August 26 and November 15, 2014, and includes the responses of 485 mineral exploration and development company executives from around the world. Exploration budgets reported by companies participating in the survey totalled $2.7 billion US in 2014 and $3.2 billion US in 2013.
The report can be viewed online at www.fraserinstitute.org.
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For more information, contact:
Joanne Johnson
Economy
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4765
Email: joanne.johnson@gov.sk.ca