Ep. 603: More Permits, Less Talk
Guest: Todd Stone (Association for Mineral Exploration BC)
It’s taken two years of fast-talking about fast-tracking mining permits in British Columbia to get started. On April 1, 2026, the BC government promised to approve exploration permits within 40 to 140 days, depending on project complexity. If the permit isn’t processed on time, it will be escalated to the chief permitting officer, who must make a decision within 14 days.
It’s a part of Premier Eby’s response to economic uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump. Eby stated, “It is time to build again and we don’t have a moment to waste.” He continued, “We cannot allow slow permitting processes and bureaucratic processes to delay what we know has to happen.”
It’s a good start, says Todd Stone, the President of the Association for Mineral Exploration BC. However, Stone says, “Only 14.8% of mining exploration claims were processed within 120 days over the past year.” According to the AME, “BC’s new Mineral Claim Staking System has created a growing backlog.” As of March 25, 2026, the AME says only 1,400 applications had been approved, while another four thousand and four hundred applications are pending.
We invited Todd Stone, the President and CEO of the Association of Mineral Exploration BC, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our ability to seize the moment in mining.
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