It’s been no secret that the prices of gold and silver have been moving upward at a fast clip in recent months. Gold has soared 27 percent so far this year. There has not been a significant drop-off in production, so it’s been evident that an increase in demand has been a part of the force driving the price upward.

Two potentially important Canadian projects, which could have produced revenues in the billions and jobs in the tens of thousands, have now been officially abandoned and the reasons offered by both relate to the economic impossibility of successfully negotiating all the regulatory obstacles that have been presented.