Forget the old boys club; the new voice of mining in B.C. belongs to a woman.
Karina Brińo joined the Mining Association of BC (MABC) as chief executive in August, leaving behind a top-notch job at the Ministry of Energy Mines as an assistant deputy minister in the Mines and Mineral Resources Division.
Brińo, a sure-handed veteran of one of the most challenging public-policy sectors in the province, sat down with Business in Vancouver earlier this month to talk about her new role.
The 47-year-old native of Santiago, Chile, said she’s big on communication, open dialogue and working with the various industry stakeholder groups to ensure the sector continues its so-called renaissance.
In the past, Brińo led the implementation of B.C.’s mining plan, the core public policy document that guides the ministry’s approach to the industry.
Now, she’s hopped to the other side of the fence where she’ll lobby on behalf of the province’s miners.
Why did you take this job?
I have been attached to the industry for the last six or seven years, but my interest has always been in getting the complete picture.
So from the policy side this is what it looks like, from the regulatory side this is what it looks like, but I had never really experienced the business side of the industry so this brings it full circle.
How would you describe your role?
[The role is] really to be the voice of mining, but in order to be an effective voice of mining we need to get out there and get to know people who are actually involved in mining.
You’ve said you always set ambitious goals for yourself and reach for the top. What’s the benefit of approaching a career that way?
If you don’t allow yourself to dream, you’ll never get anything done; you have to strive for the stars. At the end of the day, my goals are really small, and if you set realistic goals for yourself it’s a lot easier to feel confident about what you can and can’t do.
My goal right now is to be the best and most effective voice for the industry that I can be, but I’m not going to do that by promising that I’m going to build three mines or four mines or 10 mines, that’s ridiculous.
There are tremendous opportunities here, but there is a lot of hesitation and a lot of trust that needs to be built around some of the things we need to do.
B.C. is renowned for its mining history and geological roots, but every year the province’s mining industry suffers from ongoing land-use issues. Has government gone far enough in improving those issues?
I can’t speak to what government has or hasn’t done. I have an agreement with the province that I will not comment on provincial policies.
How long is that agreement in place?
Twelve months. But, having said that, where are we going to focus our attention? Obviously that’s an issue that needs to be addressed. I think there are always opportunities to improve our dialogue and make sure there is a clear understanding of what the rules of the game are.
British Columbia is very rich in mineral potential and there just might be areas where it’s more controversial or sensitive to allow certain activities, but what we should all expect is clarity around how land-use decisions are made.
What strengths do you bring to the industry side of mining from your time in government?
The fact that I’ve spent a number of years on the government side of the industry with a pretty strong knowledge of how the regulatory system works and even how to navigate the system, I think it’s going to allow ourselves on the industry side to focus our attention on things where we can achieve some collective success in providing predictability and clarity on how the process works.
Where do you stand on improving the provincial and federal environmental assessment processes for industry?
I think there is an opportunity to ensure there is less duplication in the process and more timely decisions.
One of the things the industry is accustomed to is that you don’t build a mine overnight. It’s a lengthy process, but if you have a regulatory process that is not aligned or not in synch, that doubles the time.
How does the decision to axe the HST impact the mining industry?
MABC has expressed its disappointment in the results of the referendum as it compromises its competitive advantage. Having said that, we look forward to working with the province to ensure the transition to the new tax regime is smooth and timely.
Are you at all concerned about the impact it could have on future investment in the B.C. mining sector?
What I’m concerned about is that we do stay on top of things. This is one of those things where our role is to figure out what’s going to happen next and provide that information to investors and potential companies coming into British Columbia. We continue to have the opportunities we had before we had the HST.
How are you going to work with government to avoid a repeat of decisions such as the ban on uranium exploration and mining in the Flathead Valley?
It’s going to come down to effective dialogue, timely conversations and our ability to provide prompt feedback and input into those discussions. Other than that, I don’t think this is a situation that is unique to British Columbia. It happens everywhere. Governments make decisions, governments change and governments come and go.
The nature of what we do doesn’t change. The mineral potential is here, how we mine, when we mine, when the opportunities come, that doesn’t change. So our role will be to work with those bodies, federal municipal and provincial, to ensure we are staying true to our role to advocate for the industry.
How are you going to work with first nations to bridge the gap between the industry and aboriginals?
I am quite excited about that opportunity. I have very, very strong commitment to open dialogue. I believe all of our relationships begin with trust. I’m open for conversations.
Again, going back to the role of the association as the “voice of mining,” that voice will only be as good as our ability to listen, to hear what people are saying to hear their concerns and to have some very open and frank discussions. •
