Over the past five years, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador—particularly the island—has experienced a modern-day gold rush with over 150,000 mineral claims staked since 2020 and hundreds of mineral assessment reports submitted by prospectors and junior mineral exploration companies.

This influx of reports has resulted in a substantial backlog of assessment review files, leading to delays in updating licence attributes in MinLAP. We understand that some reports are more than three years old and still awaiting review by the Mineral Lands Division, Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET). This has resulted in numerous security deposits (Staking and C2) being held in abeyance, inaccurate licence due dates and credit calculations, and delayed approvals for securities and exploration plans—directly impacting the operations and cash flow of prospectors and junior mineral exploration companies.

In addition to administrative delays, recent internal changes—largely implemented without consultation—regarding eligible exploration expenditures, reporting methods, and focused expenditure scrutiny have created profound uncertainty. There is a lack of clarity about what constitutes valid expenses, leaving prospectors and companies without a reliable framework for their planning and reporting obligations. Moreover, these internal changes are being applied retroactively to reports submitted prior to their implementation, further compounding the uncertainty.

These systemic inefficiencies and procedural uncertainties have created an untenable situation for many participants in our industry, causing material hardship, and discouraging investment and grassroots exploration in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, petition the Mineral Lands Division to take immediate and decisive action through the following measures:

1. Staffing Commitment:

Hire additional geological and administrative staff dedicated to clearing the backlog of mineral assessment reports. Implement a firm review deadline—comparable to fixed timelines in other Canadian jurisdictions (e.g., 90 days)—after which reports would be deemed accepted as submitted without further review. This would enable prompt refunding of security deposits and accurate updating of claim statuses.

2. Transparency, Guidance and Early-Stage Review:

Provide a clear, up-to-date, and publicly accessible list of eligible expenditures that can be submitted for assessment credits, ensuring consistent application and interpretation across both regulatory and industry stakeholders. Maintain a “Triage” system to rapidly identify and communicate any deficiencies in assessment reports upon submission.

3. Process Certainty:

Follow the lead of other Canadian jurisdictions by instituting a maximum 90-day timeline for the review of submitted assessment reports. If not reviewed within that window, reports should be accepted as is.

Currently, while prospectors and exploration companies are subject to strictly applied legislated timelines—submitting reports within one year of a licence anniversary, with the option of a 60-day C3 extension, and a 30-day window to respond to deficiency notices—there are no legislated timelines imposed on the Mineral Lands Division for its review of submissions or deficiency responses. This regulatory asymmetry imposes disproportionate compliance burdens on industry participants, while permitting indefinite delays by the regulator. This one-sided framework undermines fairness, erodes confidence, and hinders effective planning for prospectors and companies operating in good faith.

4. Accountability and Timely Response:
We request a formal response within 30 days of receipt of this petition, including a public commitment to a remediation plan and timeline. In the absence of a timely and substantive response, the undersigned will advance coordinated next steps on behalf of industry stakeholders.

Our objective is not to be adversarial, but to ensure a timely, accountable, and transparent resolution to issues that have persisted—despite repeated attempts at engagement—for several years. The situation has reached a critical juncture, and the cost of inaction will be borne by the very individuals and entities driving mineral discovery and development in this province.

This survey may be executed as a counterpart and, if so, shall form part of a unified petition submitted by NLPA Members.

We, the undersigned, stand united in our ask for professional dialogue and urgent action. We are committed to a constructive path forward, with the clear expectation that the Mineral Lands Division will treat these matters with the seriousness they warrant.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned