Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, has released the following statement in celebration of the restart of operations at Quintette Mine in Tumbler Ridge: 

“The mining and mineral exploration sector is a foundational part of British Columbia’s economy, providing more than 40,000 good, family-supporting jobs – and we’re supporting it to grow.

“Steel-making coal is critical for building public transit, hospitals, wind turbines, and more. I am glad to see operations restart at the Quintette Mine this week after it closed its doors in 2000 when prices dropped. This restart is exceptional news for the community of Tumbler Ridge and the 400 workers the mine will employ.

“Government continues to take action to streamline the mine-permitting process while maintaining our world-leading standards for worker safety and environmental protection. Permitting wait times have been a long-standing issue for the sector, and I am pleased that the hard work of ministry staff has resulted in average review timelines for major project permits being reduced by more than one-third in the past five years. The approval process to restart Quintette’s Little Windy Pit was completed in just over four months.

“B.C.’s mining sector is poised for significant growth. Since 2017, total employment has increased by 10%, private-sector investment has doubled, and mineral export value has increased to around $17 billion in 2023.

“We have the minerals and resources that B.C. and the world need for a growing economy.”