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Sean Boyd is executive chair of the board of Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
Canada launched a new Arctic and Northern Policy Framework in 2019, supported by $700-million in dedicated funding. It correctly calls on all of Canada to strengthen our sovereignty, while building the kind of economic future northerners want, and doing it in a way that protects the environment. This was a positive first step.
But it is missing a component: the development of the Arctic’s abundant mineral resources, including critical minerals crucial for the decarbonized economy of the future. That must be an essential element of any Arctic strategy.
Arctic peoples have long understood this. In fact, when Nunavut was carved out of the Northwest Territories 24 years ago, the Inuit deliberately selected land with the most mineral potential, because they understood the value those resources would have in the future. That future is now.
Advancing the development of a mining industry in the North is clearly in Canada’s national interest. Doing so could make the region a leading supplier of minerals required for the global energy transition, while also creating economic opportunity and prosperity for Indigenous peoples. It would also solidify Canada’s claim to sovereignty through an increased business presence.
For the rest of this article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-canada-arctic-critical-minerals/