Agnico Eagle Mines, Canada’s biggest gold miner, wants the new government to develop a formal Arctic strategy in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada its 51st state, the company’s Chairman Sean Boyd said.
Earlier this year, Agnico overtook Barrick Mining’s market capitalization to become the world’s second-largest gold miner, just below Newmont Corp, the largest extractor of bullion by production and market capitalization.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Heather Exner-Pirot is the director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
The Trump administration has thrown the global financial system into chaos with its tariff threats. Few sectors have been spared, save one: gold. The precious metal has emerged as a preferred safe haven for investors. Gold has been regularly hitting record prices, including new highs last month of US$3,500 an ounce.
Canada, as the world’s fourth largest producer of gold, has benefited from this trend. For several months now, the commodity has surpassed passenger vehicles as the country’s second largest export. In December, Canada’s monthly mineral product exports hit the $10-billion mark for the first time ever, with gold accounting for more than half.
https://www.thesudburystar.com/
The world needs Sudbury’s critical minerals and the city must take full advantage of its opportunity, Paul Lefebvre says
The horizon looks very promising for Greater Sudbury, Mayor Paul Lefebvre told a packed house on Thursday. As the aromas of chicken parmesan and pasta sauce wafted through the upper hall at the Caruso Club, the audience — mostly members of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and the regional business community — turned towards the podium, where Lefebvre stood for the annual State of the City address.
The mayor’s speech was uplifting and optimistic. He said Greater Sudbury is poised for great outcomes. After decades, we are finally starting to realize our potential, he said.
https://www.northernminer.com/
Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX, NYSE: AEM), generating about one-fifth of Nunavut’s gross domestic product, launched The Arctic Edge podcast series on Thursday. This series aims to show listeners the realities about the Territory and Canada’s North, Agnico chair Sean Boyd tells The Northern Miner.
Hosted by journalist Hannah Thibedeau, the series includes interviews with Inuit leaders, politicians, business executives and military figures. The first two episodes are available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with an Inuktitut edition due later.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/
On the morning of Pope Francis’s April 26 funeral, U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, sat alone on two red chairs, facing one another, in the largely empty St. Peter’s Basilica. At the time, the topic of the impromptu mini-summit amid the baroque opulence of the Vatican was not known.
Less than a week later, all became clear. The two leaders were wrapping up the fraught Ukraine-U.S. minerals deal, discussions of which had sometimes been ill-tempered and explosive since Mr. Trump’s election campaign in the fall. On Thursday, in his evening address from Kyiv, Mr. Zelensky said, “In fact, now we have the first result of the Vatican meeting, which makes it truly historic.”
https://www.thesudburystar.com/
One analyst calls this part of Northern Ontario ‘the most important mining discovery in Canadian history’
It spans an area of Ontario bigger than Quetico Provincial Park — itself nearly as big as Algonquin Park — but few people have visited and you won’t find it easily on a map. Tip: if you Google Winisk River Provincial Park, that will at least get you in the right neighbourhood.
As murky as it might be geographically, however, geologically and economically it has been thrust under a spotlight — particularly of late, as both Queen’s Park and Ottawa look to parry U.S. trade moves and build domestic might going forward. The Ring of Fire has become a household name, and a source of superlatives.
Rio Tinto is weighing a move into rare earths and other critical minerals as it responds to shifting global market dynamics and trade tensions. Following the company’s annual general meeting in Perth on Thursday, chief executive Jakob Stausholm said the board had discussed rare earths this week and would take a “serious look” at their potential role in Rio Tinto’s portfolio.
Stausholm said that as the company continues to optimize its iron ore operations in the Pilbara and advances developments like the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, it’s also reshaping its aluminum, copper, and lithium businesses to support the energy transition.
https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/
Misty Urbatsch is the CEO, president, and director of Core Nickel Corp.
Core Nickel Corp. (CSE: CNCO) is quickly gaining traction as an emerging exploration company targeting high-grade nickel sulfide systems in northern Manitoba. Since listing in late 2023, the company has raised $3.9 million in capital, secured nearly $0.5 million in non-dilutive government funding, launched multiple drill programs, and initiated airborne surveys across key assets — all while firmly establishing itself in the globally significant Thompson Nickel Belt.
The company’s exploration efforts are centered on the Thompson Nickel Belt, the world’s fifth-largest nickel belt and a globally significant source of high-grade nickel sulfide. Though more than five billion lbs. of nickel have been mined from the region, large portions of the belt remain underexplored using modern geological and geophysical techniques.
Energy exports are almost two and a half times the value of exported cars, and critical minerals are coming on fast
Times haven’t changed as much as many people seem to think. Canada’s vast resource potential still generates both big economic opportunities and important diplomatic leverage in our relations with the United States and others. With our small domestic consumer market, we still owe much of our prosperity and influence to the export of commodities and resource-based manufactures.
Despite recent rhetoric, Canada has long been and still is an “energy super-power.” We are the world’s fourth-largest producer of crude oil and a trusted member of the West’s nuclear-fuel supplier group. With effective resource management and huge potential in liquefied natural gas (LNG), our global role in energy will only expand in coming years.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/
Company vice-president says Casino would have ‘significant differences’ from the Eagle gold mine
The heap leach facility at the Casino mine will be different from the one that failed last summer at the Eagle gold mine in the Yukon, according to the mining company. The Casino mine — which is still in the environmental assessment phase — is 300 kilometres northwest of Whitehorse via Carmacks, on what the company says is one of the largest copper-gold deposits in Canada.
Shena Shaw, Casino Mining’s vice-president of environmental and community affairs, gave a presentation at the Association of Yukon Communities’ annual general meeting on April 25.
https://www.northernminer.com/
Ontario is among the world’s top 10 mining jurisdictions and is rich in base and precious metals as well as a suite of critical minerals. Here’s a look at eight companies with interesting projects to watch.
Canada Nickel
Canada Nickel expects to receive final permits and make a construction decision on its Crawford nickel sulphide project before the end of this year.
Crawford, 42 km north of Timmins, contains the second-largest nickel reserves in the world with 1.72 billion proven and probable tonnes grading 0.22% nickel, 0.013% cobalt, 0.014 gram palladium per tonne, 0.009 gram platinum, 6.44% iron, 0.57% chrome and 1.61% brucite.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Algoma Steel Group Inc. chief executive Michael Garcia is appealing to Prime Minister Mark Carney to “immediately engage” with the Trump administration about dropping punishing tariffs on imports of Canadian steel. Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.-based Algoma is under significant strain owing to the 25-per-cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on March 12.
The Canadian steelmaker is directly bearing the costs of the tariffs because it is importer of record in the United States, and it has largely been unable to pass on the costs to its customers. The little under three weeks the company was subject to the tariffs during the first quarter cost it $10.5-million. The U.S. market accounts for about half of Algoma’s revenue.
In the Speech from the Throne, the Ford government once again promised to expedite mineral development in the area that mining companies are calling the Ring of Fire in the far north of the province. It then followed up before the Easter long weekend with Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025.
This bill leans hard into the rhetoric of the need to slash laws governing everything from endangered species protections to resource development in a way that promises plenty of chaos — and not much clarity — as everyone from First Nations to businesses tries to sort through its far-reaching implications.
Canadian company stands to gain from U.S. president’s thirst for critical minerals
An executive order signed by United States President Donald Trump last week could potentially challenge existing global norms linked to deep-sea mining as he tries to reduce his country’s reliance on China for critical minerals. Trump’s order lists several instructions to speed up the start of seabed mining, such as expediting reviews of mineral exploration licences and commercial permits in areas “beyond national jurisdiction.”
The move was lauded by Vancouver-based Metals Co. Inc. (TMC), which has exploration rights in two areas of the Pacific Ocean and has been evaluating U.S. locations since 2019. On Tuesday, it applied for two additional exploration licences and one commercial recovery permit.
https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/
Few figures have shaped Ontario’s mining landscape as profoundly as Chris Hodgson (CH). He has left an indelible mark on Ontario’s mining industry. His career, which spanned both politics and industry leadership, showcases his unwavering dedication to the sector.
Hodgson’s journey from natural resources critic to mining minister, and ultimately to a 20-year tenure as president of the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), reflects a deep commitment to advancing the sector. In this wide-ranging interview, Hodgson speaks with the Canadian Mining Journal about his unexpected entry into mining, the tough decisions that defined his time in office, and the major strides made under his leadership — from groundbreaking safety reforms to reshaping public perceptions of the industry.
