This consultation was open from:
April 9, 2025
to May 9, 2025
Decision summary
New Permit to Take Water No. 4350-DRFMYW was issued to Explor Resources Inc. on February 27, 2026, for dewatering for advanced exploration purposes. Water will be taken from the underground workings to support the planned bulk sample and underground exploration drilling programs, near the City of Timmins, District of Cochrane, Ontario for 2 years.
Location details
Site address
South side of highway 101 approximately 15 kilometres southwest of the City of Timmins
Timmins,
ON
Canada
Site location map
The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.
View this location on a map opens link in a new windowProponent(s)
Explor Resources Inc.
161 Bay Street
Toronto,
ON
M5J 2S1
Canada
Decision details
New Permit to Take Water No. 4350-DRFMYW was issued to Explor Resources Inc. on February 27, 2026, for dewatering for advanced exploration purposes. Water will be taken from the underground workings to support the planned bulk sample and underground exploration drilling programs, near the City of Timmins, District of Cochrane, Ontario for 2 years.
Details of Water Taking are as follows:
Permit type - New
Source name: Underground Workings
- purpose: dewatering
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,787
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume of taking per day (litres): 4,013,000
- maximum number of days of taking in a year: 365
- earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): January 1
- latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): December 31
- period of taking: 2 years
Permits to Take Water include conditions that require the permit holder to:
- collect and record the daily amount of water taken
- comply with the terms and conditions in the permit
- immediately report complaints or interference to the ministry
- report water takings each year to the ministry
Issued Permits to Take Water can be viewed and downloaded at Access Ontario, by searching the approval number, 4350-DRFMYW, in the search field located at the top of the map, see "I want to...Search by Approval Number", here: Access Environment
Access Environment displays the following information:
- business name
- facility address and location on an interactive map
- type of approval or registration from the ministry (view a PDF copy)
- date of issue
- status of the approval (approved, amended, revoked and/or replaced)
- status of the registration (registered, suspended, removed)
Effects of consultation
Comments relevant to the water taking proposal were considered as part of the review of the application. The main concerns raised were regarding the following:
- Indigenous consultation
- potential impacts to tributaries to the Mattagami River, particularly for trout spawning
- potential impacts to the Mattagami, including to traditional canoe routes, and sturgeon and trout populations, and
- potential impacts to surrounding wildlife
The Ministry notified and consulted with Indigenous communities regarding this proposed water taking activity and worked to address their concerns through a comprehensive technical review and permit conditions.
The Ministry is satisfied that information provided by the applicant, along with monitoring, mitigation and contingency measures enforced through PTTW conditions address Indigenous community concerns and ensure protection of the environment and other water users.
- the Permit Holder is required to implement a thorough monitoring, mitigation, and contingency program in tributaries to the Mattagami River and area groundwater. The Permit Holder is required to maintain a trigger and mitigation plan informed by monitoring data to ensure appropriate actions are taken before adverse environmental impacts are realized in the receiving environment and that aquatic ecosystems, including cold water species are not adversely affected
- access to the Mattagami River will not be restricted by the water taking. Impacts to river water levels and flows are not anticipated but will be continually evaluated through monitoring activities and updates to a hydrogeologic flow model.
- all discharge water associated with the dewatering system will be treated in accordance with an approved Environmental Compliance Approval prior to discharge to ensure discharge water quality meets strict standards for the protection of human and environmental health
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
How to Appeal
This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from March 6, 2026 to begin the appeal process.
Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.
How to appealClick to Expand Accordion
Start the process to appeal
If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.
First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.
If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.
Seek leave to appeal
To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:
- prepare your application
- provide notice to the minister
- mail your application to three parties
1. Prepare your application
You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:
- A document that includes:
- your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
- the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
- a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
- your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
- the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
- whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
- the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
- the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
- the outcome you’d like to see
- A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
- Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered
The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:
- is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
- could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?
2. Provide your notice
You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.
In your notice, please include a brief description of the:
- decision that you wish to appeal
- grounds for granting leave to appeal
You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:
College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3
3. Mail your application
You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:
- appellate body
- issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
- proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)
Explor Resources Inc.
161 Bay Street
Toronto,
ON
M5J 2S1
Canada
Registrar, Ontario Land Tribunal
655 Bay Street, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca
Include the following:
This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Original proposal
Proposal details
This proposal is for a Permit to Take Water for dewatering purposes. Water will be taken from one well for advanced exploration. Details of the water taking are as follows:
Permit type – new
Source Name: Underground Workings
- purpose: dewatering
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,787
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 4,013,000
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): January 1
- latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): December 31
- period of taking: two year
There are 3 categories of a Permit to Take Water:
- Category 1: water takings are anticipated to have a lower risk of causing an unacceptable environmental impact/interference
- Category 2: water takings are anticipated to having a higher potential of causing unacceptable environmental impact or interference
- Category 3: water takings are anticipated to have the highest potential of causing unacceptable environmental impactor interference
The proposed water taking qualifies as a Category 3 permit.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from April 9, 2025
to May 9, 2025
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Comments received
Through the registry
1By email
1By mail
0