Responsible mining in Northern Ontario

November 13, 2025

UVic School of Public Administration researcher, Dr. Tamara Krawchenko and Darren Godwell, Chair of Indigenous Business Australia, bring together Canadian and Australian perspectives on Indigenous rights and mining in their co-authored article about responsible mining in northern Ontario published in The Conversation. The article argues that Indigenous consent is fundamental to sustainable resource development, reflecting both a legal requirement and a best practice recognized internationally.

Drawing on the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study on mining regions in northern Ontario, for which Dr.Krawchenko and Godwell were contributing authors,  the article explores how resource development must invest in foundational needs to support community wellbeing;  ensure free, prior and informed consent including on brownfield sites (existing mines) and patented lands; and strengthen access to affordable capital, equity ownership and royalty frameworks for interested First Nations. 

Godwell’s Australian experience strengthens the analysis, showing that partnership models—such as co-ownership and transparent benefit-sharing agreements—offer meaningful avenues for communities to actively shape development outcomes. When consent is integrated early and thoroughly, it creates better opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in economic development, environmental decision-making and oversight of legacy mining sites.

The article concludes that responsible mining and reconciliation are inseparable. The sector’s future depends on centering Indigenous-led solutions, ensuring fairness in benefit sharing, and building processes to reflect local knowledge and aspirations.