Mining leases and concessions

The Mining Act deals with the management of mineral resources and the granting of exploration rights for mineral substances during the exploration phase. It also deals with the granting of rights pertaining to the use of these substances during the mining phase. Finally, the act establishes the rights and obligations of the holders of mining rights to ensure maximum development of Québec’s mineral resources.

The Ministère des Ressources naturelles has made it a priority to publicize the content of this new legislation along with the procedures that must be followed for compliance. With this objective in mind, four documents are available:

• Claims;
• Mining leases and concessions;
• The exploration and mining of surface mineral substances;
• Conversion, replacement and amalgamation.

These documents provide mining stakeholders with the necessary information regarding their rights and obligations.

This document deals with mining leases and concessions. It describes:

• the conditions for issuing or renewing a mining lease, which is the only valid title granted for the mining of mineral substances other than surface mineral substances;
• the rights and obligations of the holder of a mining lease or concession;
• the required authorizations for setting up a mill or for choosing the location of mine tailings;
• the obligations related to filing a mine site rehabilitation plan;
• the terms and conditions for subdividing the land surface.