Abandoned Mines Rehabilitation Program

Some of Ontario's abandoned mines sites are more than a century old and, while companies may not have closed out the site in a manner which meets today's standards, some of these lands have already reverted to the Crown. Other privately held lands may become the Crown's responsibility in extreme circumstances such as a business failure or receivership. There are also combinations of circumstances that will prompt the government to address serious or immediate risks on a privately owned site—for example when a company is in receivership and there are emergency situations that may place public health or safety at risk.

To address these concerns, the Abandoned Mines Rehabilitation Program was introduced.

• Since the program's commencement in 1999, $118 million has been officially announced to rehabilitate abandoned mine sites on Crown lands until 2012.

During the first eight years of funding, $78 million has been expended as follows:

• rehabilitation work has been conducted on hazards at more than 75 abandoned mine sites located throughout the Province, including three sites in the Far North
• several engineering studies were undertaken in order to determine an appropriate planfor rehabilitation to occur later in the program
• site assessment reports were completed on the approximately 4,000 abandoned mine sites that had not previously been assessed
• the prioritization of all abandoned mine sites throughout the Province has been conducted
• more than 80% of the rehabilitation required for the Kam Kotia Mine site has been conducted, at a total expenditure to date of approximately $52 million

For inquiries concerning the Abandoned Mines Rehabilitation Program, please contact

Chris Hamblin
(705) 670-5806
chris.hamblin@ontario.ca