Mining Lands Section

Notices

March 30, 2011

On April 4, 2011, new staking and recording regulations come into effect. Please review the following documents:

• Staking and Recording Regulations
• Notice of Confirmation

March 29, 2011

Please read about the Change of Filing Times for Mining Act Documents.

Who We Are

Mining Lands is a section within the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines mandated to provide orderly and fair processes to ensure the availability of Crown land to prospect, explore and acquire Crown mineral rights for mining purposes.

Our staff have expertise in

• claim staking
• assessing exploration work
• inspecting the staking of mining claims and reported exploration work
• processing application for mining leases and other forms of title to mining rights
• collecting annual taxes on patented mining rights and annual rent on mining leases and licences of occupation
• registering transfers of mining claims and administering mining leases and licences of occupation
• administering surrenders and forfeiture of mining leases, licences of occupation and patented mining rights
• title searching

We are award-winning leaders in the development of computer applications to provide claim maps and mining claim information to the public.

What are mining lands?

Mining lands include

• the lands and mining rights patented or leased under or by authority of a statute, regulation or order in council, respecting mines, minerals or mining
• lands or mining rights located, staked out, used or intended to be used for mining purposes
• surface rights granted solely for mining purposes

Our Clients

• claim stakers
• the mineral exploration industry
• any person or company who has questions about whether or not they own the mineral rights along with their surface rights
• any person, company, association or First Nations community who wants to understand the process of obtaining Crown mining rights
• the Ministry of Natural Resources regarding interaction between the Mining Act, Public Lands Act and Aggregate Resources Act
• the Ontario government, which develops policies to best serve the public interest and which promotes Ontario’s mineral resources to investors

What We Provide

• up-to-date claim maps showing the availability of Crown mineral rights open for staking
• Prospector’s licences to people, which authorizes grass-roots prospecting, regional geotechnical surveys, and staking and recording of mining claims
• up-to-date registry of recorded mining claims
• expert advice about the Mining Act and its regulations
• review of exploration reports filed with the Ministry, to ensure that the report meets the requirements of the Assessment Work Regulation
• administration of mining lands, from mining claims to leases, to ensure that the mining rights are being utilized for exploration and mining purposes
• administration of rent and mining tax rolls to ensure payment, or return of the land to the Crown to once again make the mining rights available for exploration and development
• monitoring of the existing Mining Act and its regulations for possible amendments to meet the needs of the staking, exploration and mining industries while meeting the needs of surface rights owners and First Nations communities as they interact with explorationists
• the forms required under the Mining Act
• information on fees required under the Mining Act
• document filing, forwarding and fee payment services

Contacting Aboriginal Communities

• Letter on Contacting Aboriginal Communities (PDF)

Mining Claims

For any information about mining claims from obtaining a prospector’s licence, staking and recording a claim, requirements to keep the claim in good standing, transferring your claim or applying for a mining lease, contact the Provincial Recording Office.

Assessment Work

For information about the Assessment Work regulation and the review of exploration work that you file with the Ministry, contact the Geoscience Assessment Office.

Mining Leases, Licences of Occupation, Patented Mining Rights

For information about your existing lease, renewing your lease, selling your lease or licence of occupation, or paying your rent on a mining lease or licence of occupation or mining land tax on your patented mining rights, contact the Land Tenure / Dispositions Office.

Unusual or Special Circumstances

For information regarding an unusual or special circumstance pertaining to your mining claims or leases, licences of occupation or patents, contact the Technical Services Office.