The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) welcomes the Government of British Columbia’s announcement of fixed permitting timelines and $3 million in new spending for mineral exploration on the first day of AME Roundup 2026.

AME President and CEO Todd Stone said: “AME has been calling on the government to allocate more capacity funding for permitting and the MCCF implementation. To that end, we thank the government for their provision of $3 million in additional funding. This is a key initiative to assist prospectors and junior miners. AME will continue to work with government to make sure that these dollars are put to use immediately and efficiently to help deliver on the government’s promise of fixed permitting timelines for all explorers.”

The initiative will see a budget lift of $1 million to provide extra staff to support fixed permitting timelines and a further $2 million to support the Mineral Claims Consultation Framework (MCCF). The MCCF, which began operating March 25, 2025, has struggled to meet its service timeline of 90-120 days, currently averaging 127. Information released by the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals earlier in January indicated a decline in mineral claims staking of 29% and a 60% decline in the area of claims staked against the seven-year average. Properly resourcing the MCCF is key to getting early-stage mineral exploration and prospecting back on track.

Premier David Eby also announced record $750.9 million in mineral exploration expenditures. This is positive news and adjusted for inflation this is the fourth highest since 1990; however, the combined share of grassroots and early-stage spending decreased from 32.1% to 26.8%. Metres drilled – another helpful metric – was 933,600 metres. This is still far below the peak year for drilling at 1,442,000 metres in 2021. Initial data indicates that increased spending is not going directly to drilling activity and early-stage mineral exploration.

Earlier today, AME launched the Minerals for Tomorrow campaign to highlight the need for a strong mineral exploration sector to supply the future materials the world needs for everything from our devices to clean technology and defence.

“Canada is at a crossroads,” said Todd Stone. “The technologies and infrastructure we rely on every day — from clean energy and healthcare to housing and national defence — all begin with mineral exploration. Without exploration, there are no future mines. And without future mines, Canada becomes more dependent, more expensive, and more vulnerable.”

About AME
AME champions mineral exploration as the foundation of Canada’s economic independence. We connect exploration to mineral development, clean technology, and national security. Through member advocacy, we ensure exploration remains central to Canada’s sovereignty and economic future.

#MineralsforTomorrow

AME Contact:
Richard Truman
Senior Director, External Affairs
Association for Mineral Exploration
604-404-1031
rtruman@amebc.ca