Each time we attend a mining conference, we leave more convinced of one thing: our industry is not doing enough to tell our story. There are so many incredible projects happening in the mining industry, and so many brilliant and engaged people. Yet we remain mediocre at communicating these stories, both within the sector and to the broader public. And it is costing us. University and college mining programs are closing. Projects are being delayed. We are struggling to attract the talent we need to drive the energy transition.
We all know the reasons, which include misinformation, mistrust and a societal disconnect from the materials that underpin modern life. Some information is available about mines and quarries on Canadian land. Canada has rigorous public reporting standards, most notably the NI 43-101 disclosure requirements that apply to companies listed on Canadian exchanges. For those companies’ mines, the NI 43-101 technical report contains the basic engineering details, such as mining methods, production quantities and infrastructure layouts.
However, in practice, many producing mines in Canada—particularly those run by private companies or those listed only on foreign stock exchanges—could be under no obligation to disclose detailed technical information to the public, as these operations fall outside the requirements of Canada’s NI 43-101 reporting system. While these sites may comply with environmental or permitting regulations, the broader technical context of how mining is done often remains behind closed doors. Occasionally, a technical report may be available through another global reporting framework, but this is not guaranteed.
As a result, when citizens, students or educators seek out information, they often hit a wall. There is no consistent, accessible way to trace the materials we rely on back to their source, making it more difficult to spark curiosity, build trust or foster informed public dialogue about the realities of modern mining. We can ask, “What have you done today that did not involve a mineral?”, but it will be difficult to find reliable information about where those minerals come from.
To prove how patchy the information is, we analyzed who owns the producing metal, non-metal, coal and oil sands mines listed in Canada’s Minerals and Mining Map, hosted online via Natural Resources Canada. In July 2025, only 35 per cent of those operating mines in Canada were listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), which requires NI 43-101 technical disclosures. The remainder are either privately owned or listed on other global exchanges. While 60 per cent of metal and 75 per cent of oil sands mines located in Canada are TSX-listed, only 14 per cent of non-metal and zero per cent of coal mines are listed. So while NI 43-101 is an effective tool within its scope, it doesn’t cover the full landscape of Canadian mining. And that matters because without a comprehensive disclosure mechanism, even those inside the industry struggle to access reliable technical information.
To help Canadians meaningfully, we need more publicly accessible information about the origins and processes behind the materials we use every day. This is about more than disclosure requirements. It is about trust, education and transparency. We must stop thinking of technical information as something for regulators and investors alone. It should also serve the public, especially if we want to maintain social licence and attract new generations to the field.
And let’s not forget the bigger picture. The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy document notes that “Canada already produces more than 60 minerals and metals.” However, while developing the Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub, we discovered that over 100 different minerals and rocks of economic value are tracked across the provinces and territories. Just for fun, we asked ChatGPT which minerals and rocks are essential to humans. It came back with a list of over 40, grouped into categories, such as those essential for human health, construction and infrastructure, energy and electronics, tools, jewellery and key industrial uses. Meanwhile, the International Mineralogical Association recognizes over 5,000 minerals on Earth. Somewhere between economic, decorative and essential lies the public’s need to understand why elements, rocks and minerals truly matter, and how they get from the Earth into our hands. Imagine if, just like food packaging lists ingredients, every product came with a label showing Earth’s contributions. Maybe then we could really, truly appreciate how the planet supports human life, and the incredible science and engineering that makes it all possible.
This is a call to action. What are you doing at your site, in your company, in the classroom or in the community to help make mining understandable? We cannot wait for public perception to shift on its own. We must take ownership of our story and share it clearly, honestly, and often. One way to contribute right now is by supporting a growing public resource: submit data to the Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub. The Hub database can be accessed via CIM.org/the-hub. If you have questions and/or would like information on this project, you can send them by email to: minesdatabase@cim.org
Donna Beneteau is an associate professor of civil, geological and environmental engineering at the University of Saskatchewan and the driving force behind the Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub. Bruce Downing is a geoscientist based in Langley, B.C.
