The Haliburton and Bancroft areas are actively being staked and claimed for potential uranium mining and exploration. Currently, roughly 17% of Monmouth township has been staked (appox. 8500 acres). This includes both private property and crown land. We have identified 4 exploration companies active in this area. El Nino Ventures/CanAm Uranium Corp, one of the two larger stakeholders in Monmouth, has claimed a total of 9,765 acres in Faraday, Cardiff and Monmouth townships and already explored on two properties. Another company, Bancroft Uranium Inc, has just completed drilling on their 2,700 acre claim in Tory Hill and are looking to expand their holdings. A third company, Abitibi Mining, has optioned two properties (pending regulatory approval), one in Tory Hill and the other near Wilberforce. Exploration has not yet taken place on these properties.

Click here to find out about 'open pit' uranium mining and what that could mean to you.

Your land could be staked! In Ontario, most property owners hold only the surface rights and not the mineral rights to their land. This means a prospector (anyone who applies and pays the $25 license fee) could come on to your land without being required to notify you and claim the mineral rights. The mineral rights holder can then start exploring (this could include drilling, digging, stripping, building roads, etc. ) on your land. They need only to provide 24 hours advance notice to the landowner before commencing exploration activities. Have a look at our photos to see what an exploration site looks like.

Under the Ontario Mining Act, there is nothing the surface rights owner can do to stop this. But we can try! For more information on mining and mineral rights in Ontario, follow this link to the Government of Ontario website.

How This Affects You

Health: Uranium causes cancer! A recently released report by the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) on the health of indigenous people near uranium mines in Jadugoda, India showed an increase in congenital deformities, cancer, sterility and reduced life expectancy in villages near uranium mines. This report on the health risks associated with uranium mining from the BC Medical Association triggered a seven year moratorium on uranium mining in BC. Uranium mining produces radon gas which has been called the second highest cause of cancer next to smoking by the US Surgeon General. Radon gas released by open pit mining travels great distances on the wind and deposits highly radioactive fallout on the ground in its wake. Uranium in drinking water is a known to have a detrimental effect on the kidneys and increase the risk of cancer. The effects of radiation are still being studied and unknown in the long term. Do we really want to head blindly down that road before we have all the facts?

Environment: Exploratory drilling and mining uranium could potentially contaminate our water. The Irondale River, which connects to the Burnt River and ultimately the Kawarthas and the Trent-Severn waterway, runs right through one of the largest claims. An open pit uranium mine will likely contaminate the river. Any accident would cause widespread environmental catastrophe. The radioactive dust generated by mining activity will travel on the wind and contaminate the land and water for many miles around. TOTAL SAFETY CAN NEVER BE GUARANTEED!

Nuclear energy is dirty energy. Don't be hoodwinked by those who tell you it's "clean". The Bicroft and Dyno Mines in Cardiff and the Faraday/Madawaska Mine in Bancroft, which were producing uranium mines in the late 1950's and early 60's, are now under a CNSC waste facility licence. The mine tailings from these mines sat for 40 years before the site was decommissioned. The lakes and streams around these sites are contaminated. The tailings from these sites will need to be managed for thousands of years to come. Since there is no ideal way of storing radioactive waste, the waste dumps will need to be managed by future generations in perpetuity to avoid environmental disaster. If we mine uranium now, we leave a colossal mess for future generations.

Property: Uranium mining and exploration will decrease the value of your property! Would you buy land that was claimed for potential uranium mining? Would you want to live near a uranium mine? Would you want to live down river from one?

What You Can Do

Write to the Premier, the Minister of Northern Mines and Development, your local MPP and the opposition leaders. If you are a cottager, let your lake association know. Spread the word. Contact us at fighturanium@gmail.com for more information, to get on our email list or to get involved.