A mineral exploration company has dropped its plans to drill in Corner Brook's watershed.

According to the city, Thomas Resources withdrew its application to conduct core drilling at Corner Brook Lake on Thursday.

The proposal met opposition from locals last year.

Thomas Resources resubmitted its plan after the city changed its development regulations.

Town council was set to vote on the application at the next public meeting in August.

'Missed opportunity'

Neville Greeley, the mayor of Corner Brook, said the business venture is a missed opportunity for his community.

"I think this sends a very strong message to other businesses – not the message we want to be sending, but I think it sends a very strong message that you've got a community that's trying to be open for business. We don't have people knocking on our doors looking to come here," Greeley said.

"This was an opportunity for that, but we'll never know what that potential is, or was, or would be."

Greeley said the criticism of the project from people in the community may have contributed to the company's withdrawal of their application.

He said many residents were opposed to the project, but for the wrong reasons.

"You can't have a factual debate with somebody who is philosophically opposed to something and refuses to listen to reason," Greeley said.

"You can't have a debate about dinosaurs with somebody who refuses to believe that they existed, regardless of what evidence you were able to put in front of them. So that's the challenge that we were facing."