10 www.resourceworld.com
A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7
M
ineral explorers love working in
Québec. Geologically speaking,
it is rather astounding just how
much gold has been produced there – and
there is more to discover. Besides continu-
ing to be highly prospective, the Québec
government is encouraging mineral explora-
tion and mining. No wonder that the Fraser
Institute's Survey of Mining Companies
stated that Québec holds the number two
spot in Canadian investment attractiveness
rankings, and falls in at number eight in
worldwide investment rankings.
Gold production in Québec has been
steadily rising since 2010 and is forecast to
reach almost $3 billion for 2017, according
to the Institut de la statistique du Québec,
Annual Survey of Mines (Government of
Québec).
But there's more. A huge enticement to
exploring in Québec is the provincial gov-
ernment's program to reimburse 38% of
exploration expenses to explorers who put
the funds to good use the following year.
Another inducement for mineral explor-
ers is the Québec government's Plan Nord.
According to Pierre Arcand, minister
responsible for Plan Nord, the objective of
the program is to promote mining, energy,
tourism, social and cultural development
in Québec north of the 49
th
parallel. It is
already creating jobs and wealth for north-
ern communities. For example, Plan Nord
completed the first 143 km of the road to
Stornoway's Renard diamond mine with
Stornoway completing the remaining 97
km using a credit facility with a favourable
3.35% interest rate.
Here are a number of active Québec
explorers and miners:
Abcourt Mines Inc. [ABI-TSXV;
ABMBF-OTC; FSE, Berlin] reported that
its 100%-owned Sleeping Giant mill has
been treating gold ore from the Elder Mine
Exploration
and Mining
in Québec
by Ellsworth Dickson
Well-endowed with
metals and minerals,
particularly gold,
the mining-friendly
La Belle Province
continues to attract
explorers and miners.
Three beautiful octahedral
rough diamonds recovered
from Stornoway's Renard
diamond mine in the James
Bay region of northern
Québec. Photo courtesy
Stornoway Diamond Corp.
