Mining-incompatible territories

Regional county municipalities (RCMs) may request the withdrawal of a territory that is incompatible with mining activities where harmonious coexistence with other uses of public land is not possible.

The objectives of establishing mining-incompatible territories (MIT) are to:

• promote citizen participation and transparency;
• ensure sustainable land use planning;
• support dynamism in communities;
• reconcile uses with a view to the social acceptability of public land development projects.

Refer to the RCM documents per typology (in French only) for more information on government land-use planning guidelines.

A regional county municipality (RCM) must submit its MIT project to the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH). After a consultation with the relevant departments, the MAMH provides the government notice on the project compliance within 45 days of receipt of the request.

If the notice is favourable, the RCM can then adopt the by-law. If the notice is unfavourable, the RCM can make corrections and then resubmit its project to obtain a favourable opinion on it.

Temporary suspension

During the development of their MIT projects, RCMs may request to the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts (MRNF) the temporary suspension of the right to designate on a map an exclusive mining right on lands they intend to submit to the government as MITs.

This suspension is valid for a period of six months. It is renewable for subsequent six-month periods with the demonstration that the RCM is still developing its MIT delimitation project. As a result, no new mining title can be registered in this territory during the MIT delineation process.

However, an active or applied-for mining title at the time of the suspension continues to be in effect. As a result, the holder may continue to carry out mining exploration work and even apply for a mining operation title.

When the by-law amending the MIT delimitation scheme is recognized in accordance with government land-use planning guidelines, the MAMH issues a notice of compliance to the RCM. The latter will then have to send certain documents to the MRNF in order to ensure the coming into force of the MIT.

The MIT's withdrawal from mining activities takes effect from the day it is published on the mining title map of GESTIM, the management system for mining titles.

The withdrawal precludes any new mining exploration rights for mineral substances within the domain of the State. In addition, holders of an exclusive exploration right located under a MIT will be required to carry out exploration work on each of the exclusive rights located under the MIT if they wish to renew them.

Territorial proportions of current MITs

As of April 2, 2026, 19 RCMs have MITs in effect on their territory (see table below). On the same date, there are also 29 RCMs in Québec that have temporary suspensions in effect in their territory in anticipation of delimiting a MIT.