CANADA-ENVIRONMENT-MINING-PROPERTIES

Julie Hamelin shows the location of her property on a map on February 20, 2024, in Ste-Elie-de-Caxton, Quebec, Canada. Living on land coveted by the mining industry: that's the new reality for many Quebecers. The province, rich in critical minerals, is whetting appetites, but citizens are organizing resistance, worried about their homes and the environmental effects. Because here, the subsoil doesn't belong to the landowners. The mining law is "outdated", says Hamelin, one of the mobilized residents. "It's a bit like the Wild West the way you buy claims," she adds, urging the provincial government to protect inhabited land, not exploit it. (Photo by Genevieve Normand / AFP) (Photo by GENEVIEVE NORMAND/AFP via Getty Images)