What BC NDP says
In response to tariffs imposed by the United States of America, David Eby says his government will accelerate mining development as part of BC’s strategy to counter U.S. tariffs and strengthen economic resilience. Key announcements include:
- $20 billion in private-sector projects are being fast-tracked, focusing on critical minerals and rural job creation, with 6,000 jobs expected in remote communities[4][9]. Permitting times for major mines have already been reduced by 30%, with further streamlining planned[3][10].
- 10 major projects are prioritized for acceleration, including the KSM copper-gold mine, projected to generate 1,800 jobs and billions in investment[3][7].
- Eby announced redirection of critical minerals like copper and metallurgical coal away from U.S. markets, with companies shifting exports to Asia and other regions[5][6]. This responds to Trump’s 25% tariffs, which threaten $69B in BC economic losses and 124,000 jobs by 2028[2][4].
- The province pledged to simplify permitting processes through a “single approval pathway” for mines, addressing industry concerns about bureaucratic delays[3][10]. Staffing at the Ministry of Mines will increase to reduce backlogs[3].
- The premier highlighted critical minerals as central to BC’s future, with 17 new projects under development and a dedicated Critical Minerals Office to streamline approvals[15][20].
Citations:
[2] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-premier-david-eby-us-tariffs-1.7448307
[3] https://www.biv.com/news/resources-agriculture/david-eby-pledges-to-boost-resource-development-under-tariff-threat-10120647
[4] https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025PREM0014-000077
[5] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/david-eby-us-tariffs-1.7448823
[6] https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/bc-critical-minerals-being-diverted-away-from-united-states-david-eby/
[7] https://nationalpost.com/opinion/adam-pankratz-ebys-new-love-for-energy-mining-doesnt-excuse-past-abuse-of-the-sector
[8] https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025PREM0007-000033
[9] https://www.theprogress.com/news/breaking-bc-premier-eby-says-bc-will-not-roll-over-as-tariffs-loom-7794587
[10] https://www.mining.com/parties-mining-and-energy-policies-scrutinized-ahead-of-british-columbia-election/
FactCheck
Claim February 2025 – 17 new projects under development
The only source available listing 17 mines in British Columbia is the Mining Association of British Columbia, where a map of 17 mines can be found.
Of the mines listed on this map,
- 2 are in development. Possible mine start within 2 years.
- KSM, Kutcho
- 2 are in feasibility study phase. Possible mine start within 5 years
- Baptiste, Yellowhead
- 2 are in a prefeasibility study phase. Possible mine start more than 5 years away.
- Galore Creek, Turnagin
- 7 are in the exploration phase which means no feasibility study or permitting has been started. No development likely for 5 years of more, if at all.
- Berg, Kwanika Stardust, North Island, Ootsa, Schaft Creek, Wicheeda
- 1 is an operating mine 12 years old.
- Red Chris
- 1 is an abandoned mine with no current plans for reopening.
- Kitsault
- 2 are large copper mine expansions. Both mines are decades old.
- Highland Valley, New Ingerbelle
Additional mines not in the BCMA listing are:
- Cariboo – in development but court actions are pending
- Blackwater – first gold pour expected Feb 2025
- Eskay Creek – in development but environmental assessment is stalled
The NDP said in a Sept. 24 news release it is supporting growth in the mining sector and claimed investment, production and jobs have all grown under their watch.
The release claims there are 40,000 direct jobs in the mining sector and that since 2017, private sector investment has doubled and mineral production value has increased by 70 per cent.
Claim – Metallurgical coal is better than thermal coal when it comes to green house gas emissions, which justifies British Columbia’s continued mining and sale
FactCheck
Metallurgical coal contributes significantly to overall CO2 emissions in the steel industry through multiple pathways:
- Direct emissions: The coal-consuming blast furnace process, which uses metallurgical coal, produces about 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of crude steel[6]. Approximately 99% of the carbon in metallurgical coal ends up in the atmosphere as greenhouse gases during the steelmaking process[3].
- Methane emissions: Methane leaked during the extraction of metallurgical coal adds substantially to the climate impact. These emissions have an annual warming effect equivalent to nearly 990 million tonnes of CO2, adding 27% to the overall climate impact of the steel industry[1][2].
- Scale of usage: The steel industry is the largest industrial consumer of coal, with coal providing around 74% of its energy input[2]. Typically, 1 tonne of steel requires 770kg of metallurgical coal[4].
- Global impact: The steel sector accounts for approximately 7-9% of global greenhouse gas emissions[6]. In some cases, methane-intensive coal can double steel’s climate impact[1].
- Persistent use: Even in the most ambitious decarbonization scenarios, coking coal use in steel production is expected to continue, maintaining its contribution to emissions[2].
To put this in perspective, the climate impact of metallurgical coal use in the steel industry, including both CO2 and methane emissions, exceeds the CO2 emissions of entire countries like Germany or Canada[1][2].
Citations:
[1] https://ember-energy.org/latest-updates/coal-mine-methane-adds-27-to-steels-climate-footprint/
[2] https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/why-the-steel-industry-needs-to-tackle-coal-mine-methane/
[3] https://wildsight.ca/2020/06/01/do-we-really-need-steelmaking-coal/
[4] https://www.ieabioenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IEA-Bioenergy-Task-Lignin-as-a-met-coal-substitute-December-2019-Final-191218-1.pdf
[5] https://www.bhp.com/what-we-do/products/metallurgical-coal
[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629622000706
[7] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/when-will-steel-go-green-1.6244485
[8] https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/putting-coal-mine-emissions-under-the-microscope/
FactCheck
Claim – mineral production value increase by 70 percent during NDP mandate.
In 2017, the mining sector value was $9.9 billion.
In 2023, it was $15.9 billion, for a total increase of $6 billion, which is an increase of 60 per cent.
During that time, coal shipment per tonne actually decreased yearly, however the value of coal per tonne went up due to an increase in the value of coal. As a result, coal revenue sector rose by over $6 billion.
Conclusion: the increase in mining sector value between 2017 and 2023 was entirely due to the dramatic increase in metallurgical (coking) coal price.
Claim Analysis
Nearly 85 per cent of mining sector value in B.C. comes from the sale of coal and copper. Coal production sales represented approximately 67 per cent of mining sector value in 2022. Copper sales make up another 17.8 per cent.
Between 2017 and 2023, Coal production dropped from 31.5 million tonnes per year to 23.7 million tonnes per year.
During the same period copper production dropped slightly – 289,025 tonnes in 2017, 266,540 in 2023. Copper revenue did not change significantly.
What did change, dramatically, during that same period of time was the price of metallurgical coal, increasing from an estimated average of $189 per tonne in 2017 to $515 per tonne in 2022/23.
In 2017 the revenue from B.C. coal sales was $5.96 billion. In 2023 this increased to an estimated $12.2 billion, for a total increase of approximately $6.2 billion.
Coal prices dropped recently. Since coal production volumes have not increased, it can be expected that coal revenue will decrease substantially in 2024 and 2025.
Revenue from copper did increase between 2020 and 2022, reaching nearly $3.4 billion in 2021, but has returned to pre-pandemic levels of approximately $2.5 billion per year in 2023.
Background and analysis
Mining is the largest export industrial contributor to the provincial GDP at $18 billion in 2022. Forestry contributed $13.3 billion, oil and gas $9.5 billion and agriculture $2.1 billion. Other domestic sectors, such as construction and infrastructure are even larger, totalling $25 billion.
FactCheck
Claim: “Mining is a foundational part of British Columbia’s economy and the BC NDP is supporting it to grow,” states a Sept. 24 news release.
Is the BC NDP supporting growth in the sector?
BC NDP said there are 16 new or expanded proposed critical mineral mines and promised “we’ll fast-track priority projects to grow the economy and create jobs,” according to the release.
The key word there is ‘proposed.’
Proposed versus actual
The number of operating mines in B.C. has decreased under the BC NDP watch, from 16 in 2017 to 14 in 2024. The Brucejack Mine began operation in 2017.
No new mines have been permitted since then.
Although B.C. has a robust mining sector, this is primarily due to the continued viability and profitability of legacy coal and copper projects. Coal and copper dominate in both production and revenue, making up more than 85 per cent. These mines have been in production for many decades.
Side note: Since approximately 2017, mining sector information and data in B.C. has become difficult to obtain from government sources. The years prior have much more robust and accessible data available.
List of operating mines in BC 2024
Based on sources shown below, here is a list of operating mines in British Columbia in 2024:
Metal Mines (7 Total):
- Brucejack Mine
- Copper Mountain Mine
- Gibraltar Mine
- Highland Valley Copper Mine
- Mount Milligan Mine
- New Afton Mine
- Red Chris Mine
Coal Mines (7 total):
- Elkview Mine
- Fording River Mine
- Greenhills Mine
- Line Creek Mine
- Brule Mine
- Perry Creek (Wolverine) Mine
- Quintette Mine (recently reopened)
Sources:
[1] https://www.miningandenergy.ca/read/top-active-mines-in-british-columbia
[2] https://www.biv.com/news/resources-agriculture/three-new-bc-mines-aim-pour-first-gold-2024-8270315
[3] https://www.mining.com/eight-new-mines-or-expansions-in-british-columbia-worth-4-9-billion/
[4] https://mineralsed.ca/learning-resources/bc-mineral-resources-map/bc-operating-mine-profiles/
[5] https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/mineral-exploration-mining/documents/health-and-safety/ci-annual-reports/2017_ci_annual_rpt.pdf
[6] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/quintette-mine-conuma-resources-open-24-years-1.7317288
[7] https://www.mining.com/new-critical-mineral-mines-in-british-columbia-could-generate-nearly-600-billion-study-says/
[8] https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/mining-stocks/bc-golden-triangle-mining-stocks.html
List of operating mines in BC 2017
Based on the information provided in the 2017 Chief Inspector of Mines Annual Report, and other sources shown below, here is a list of operating mines in British Columbia in 2017:
Metal Mines (8 total):
- Brucejack Mine
- Copper Mountain Mine
- Gibraltar Mine
- Highland Valley Copper Mine
- Mount Milligan Mine
- New Afton Mine
- Red Chris Mine
- Silvertip Mine (restarted operations in November 2017)
Coal Mines (8 total):
- Brule Mine (restarted operations in January 2017)
- Coal Mountain Operations
- Elkview Operations
- Fording River Operations
- Greenhills Operations
- Line Creek Operations
- Wolverine Mine
- Willow Creek Mine
Sources:
[1] https://canagoldresources.com/investors/gold-mining-in-bc/
[2] https://www.miningandenergy.ca/read/top-active-mines-in-british-columbia
[3] https://www.biv.com/news/resources-agriculture/three-new-bc-mines-aim-pour-first-gold-2024-8270315
[4] https://mineralsed.ca/learning-resources/bc-mineral-resources-map/bc-operating-mine-profiles/
[5] https://www.mining.com/eight-new-mines-or-expansions-in-british-columbia-worth-4-9-billion/
[6] https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/brucejack-gold-mine-british-columbia/
[7] https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/mineral-exploration-mining/documents/health-and-safety/ci-annual-reports/2017_ci_annual_rpt.pdf
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