Will the Ottawa fund one Northern Ontario lithium refinery or four? Wilkinson plays coy – by Lindsay Kelly (Sudbury.com – October 11, 2024)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Federal minister says Canada must pick up the pace of critical minerals development, without cutting environmental corners

Canada needs to speed up the pace of mining-related development if it wants to be a critical minerals leader on the global stage. That was the message from federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson during an Oct. 9 appearance in Sudbury.

Speaking at the 2024 Conference of Mining Regions and Cities, hosted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Wilkinson noted Canada’s global ranking in the top five producing countries for 13 major minerals and metals, including palladium, gold, platinum and nickel.

That puts Canada in an enviable position as countries around the globe seek out reliable, sustainable sources of critical minerals in the transition to a “low-carbon future.”

It can mean thousands of jobs and economic growth, he noted. But the country must do it smartly and thoughtfully. “It simply cannot take us as long as it has taken us, historically, to build new projects,” Wilkinson said.

For the rest of this article: https://www.sudbury.com/local-business/will-the-ottawa-fund-one-northern-ontario-lithium-refinery-or-four-wilkinson-plays-coy-9646423