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Canadian Media Resource Articles

As Trump eyes Canada’s resources, Ottawa scrambles to form critical mineral plan B – by John Woodside and Darius Snieckus (National Observer – February 10, 2025)

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to turn Canada into the 51st state was real, fresh annexation concerns were sparked. However, not everyone is in a total panic.

“Trudeau is not a fool. He’s been at this for a long time, and he’s not going to make a statement even in this context that he doesn’t think is going to get out to the media and public,” said Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. “This was not an ‘Oops I got caught moment,’ this was a statement he was prepared to make.”

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Trudeau’s comments that Trump wants critical minerals highlights U.S. reliance on Canadian resources – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – February 8, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assertion that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to take over Canada to gain access to its critical-minerals riches underlines how much the U.S. depends on this country for its immense resource needs.

Mr. Trudeau made the comments about Mr. Trump’s motivations for annexing Canada on Friday to hundreds of business executives, trade experts and union representatives who gathered in Toronto to try to figure out how to boost growth and attract new investment in the face of continuing tariff threats on Canadian imports.

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Trudeau suggests Trump’s serious about making Canada ’51st state’ to secure minerals – by Tom Blackwell (National Post – February 8, 2025)

https://nationalpost.com/

‘Canada is sovereign, Canada will choose its own destiny, thank you very much,’ one minister said

TORONTO — Federal cabinet members stressed Friday there will be “no messing” with the Canada-U.S. border, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that President Donald Trump is serious about making this country the 51st state to secure Canada’s critical mineral reserves.

Transport Minister Anita Anand and Employment Steve MacKinnon said the overwhelming mood in the country is to stand firm on Canada’s independence, regardless of pressure from Trump’s threatened 25-per-cent tariffs.

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Economics, not politics, main reason mines fail to materialize in B.C., researcher suggests – by Marcy Nicholson (CBC British Columbia/Canadian Press – February 06, 2025)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/

Simon Fraser University research survey indicates fast-tracking of project no guarantee of success

The mining industry is applauding the British Columbia government’s decision to fast-track permits for several projects amid the ongoing U.S. tariff threat, but research suggests economic factors have been behind long delays for many other proposals.

Simon Fraser University associate professor Rosemary Collard says research shows that regulatory fast-tracking of mining projects is no guarantee that they will all materialize. She’s the co-lead author of a recent study of 27 B.C. mining projects granted environmental assessment certificates since 1995 and projected to open by 2022, showing that most failed to open on time.

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Donald Trump wants to annex Canada to gain access to its critical minerals, Trudeau says – by Steven Chase and Laura Stone (Globe and Mail – February 7, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told an economic summit on Friday that he believes U.S. President Donald Trump is sincere in his desire to annex Canada and that this stems from the American leader’s interest in gaining access to this country’s critical minerals, a source said.

Mr. Trudeau made the comments to an audience of about 200 business leaders, trade experts and union executives in Toronto who have gathered to map out ways to boost economic growth and attract new capital investment in the face of the looming threat of U.S. protectionism.

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China chokes tungsten exports to the United States – by Annie Lee (Bloomberg News/Financial Post – February 6, 2025)

https://financialpost.com/

Tungsten hasn’t been mined commercially in the U.S. since 2015, the nation counting China as its biggest source

The phone has been ringing off the hook for Lewis Black after China imposed export controls on tungsten, a niche metal mined by his firm that’s crucial to weapons manufacturing.

The chief executive officer of North America’s Almonty Industries Inc. said his customers are in a “state of disbelief” following Beijing’s move on Tuesday, one of a suite of measures announced as a riposte to tariffs placed on Chinese goods by the Trump administration.

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Opinion | In the fight against Trump, Canada needs First Nations people – by Robert Jago (Toronto Star – February 7, 2025)

https://www.thestar.com/

If you don’t want “O Canada” downgraded from an anthem to a land acknowledgement, then Canadians need to work with First Nations to fight back against Trump. Unfortunately, that’s not the approach that some on Canada’s political right are proposing.

While the proposed tariffs from the U.S. administration are on pause for now, the reaction to them was still revealing. Here’s how the National Post’s editorial board framed the problem: “Industries like mining and fishing […] are increasingly refashioned by governments into welfare and ‘reconciliation’ initiatives, repelling private investment that would have brought prosperity to the country as a whole.”

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More power needed for growing northwestern Ontario mining sector: task force (CBC News Thunder Bay – February 07, 2025)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/

About 250 megawatts of additional power generation required

More power is needed in northwestern Ontario if the region is to meet the demands brought on by what a task force calls “unprecedented growth” in its mining sector.

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association’s (NOMA) Northwest Energy Task Force said there are currently 41 major exploration projects in the region, with 37 of those aiming to be operational by 2033.

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Anglo American nears De Beers spinoff as Botswana weighs stake rise – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – February 7, 2025)

https://www.mining.com/

Anglo American (LON: AAL) is moving closer to spinning off its diamond unit, De Beers, after the government of Botswana confirmed interest in increasing its stake in the world’s leading diamond producer by value.

De Beers has been on the chopping block since May 2024, when Anglo announced plans to either sell the unit or launch an initial public offering (IPO). This decision came as part of a reorganization initiated after Anglo fended off a failed £39 billion ($49 billion) takeover bid by Australian rival BHP.

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Canadian critical minerals companies not panicked by Trump tariff threat because of 10% carve-out – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – February 7, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Canada’s critical minerals sector would suffer a significantly less punishing blow from U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs compared with the broader Canadian economy if he moves ahead.

Mr. Trump earlier this week temporarily backed off from imposing 25-per-cent tariffs on most Canadian imports, but the risk remains high, with the possibility that he’ll follow through after the 30-day reprieve runs out.

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CanAlaska Uranium posts top grade at West McArthur – by Blair McBride (Northern Miner – February 6, 2025)

https://www.northernminer.com/

CanAlaska Uranium cut its highest grade intersection yet at the West McArthur project it holds in a joint venture with Cameco in northern Saskatchewan.

Hole WMA076-01 in the Pike zone cut 14.5 metres grading 12.2% uranium oxide (U3O8) from 790.1 metres depth, including 5 metres at 34.38% U3O8, CanAlaska reported Thursday. That result, among the first five holes completed in the company’s winter program, expands the Pike zone’s ultra-high grade footprint at the unconformity by at least 15 metres to the east.

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China hits back at US tariffs with mineral export curbs – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – February 4, 2025)

https://www.mining.com/

China unveiled a series of retaliatory measures against the United States on Tuesday, including restrictions on the export of five critical metals used in defence, clean energy, and other industries. The move comes in response to President Trump’s announcement on Friday of a blanket 10% additional tariff on Chinese imports.

Beijing’s new export controls target tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium, and molybdenum, stating that export licenses will only be granted to companies complying with “relevant regulations.” However, the Chinese government has not provided details about the specific criteria for compliance.

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Feds, province invest almost $80M in Northern Manitoba to advance critical minerals – by Staff (Canadian Mining Journal – February 5, 2025)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

Ottawa and Manitoba have hedged their bets on Northern Manitoba becoming a global hub for trade opportunities, especially in critical minerals, based on a historic investment from both governments recently. Between the two governments, the investment is close to $80 million over two years, with a total investment of $79.4 million.

The federal government is investing over $43 million over the two years in new transportation and training monies. Federal Minister Terry Duguid made the announcement in Manitoba on February 4th. On the same day, the Manitoba government committed to a $36.4 million investment into the railway and port. The provincial monies will go towards restoring and replacing old infrastructure at the northern port.

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Municipal district scraps Grassy Mountain appeal after provincial coal rule changes – by Joel Dryden (CBC News Calgary – February 05, 2025)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/

Alberta government lifted ban on coal exploration in Eastern Slopes in late January

The reeve of a southwestern ranching community says the municipal district has cancelled its appeal of exploration applications tied to the Grassy Mountain site in southwestern Alberta. Ron Davis, reeve of the M.D. of Ranchland, said recent rule changes from the provincial government have upended the district’s arguments tied to its Alberta Court of Appeal case.

“Given that the government has changed the rules, our case didn’t seem like it had as much impact as we would like,” Davis said. In August 2024, Alberta’s top court allowed Ranchland’s appeal, with Justice Kevin Feth writing he found that “a serious, arguable issue [was] established” after the provincial energy regulator accepted applications from Northback Holdings, the company behind the Grassy Mountain mine project.

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Anglo CEO Says Mali Mining Developments Cause for Grave Concern – by Moses Mozart Dzawu and Katarina Höije (Bloomberg News – February 05, 2025)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — The Malian government’s overhaul of its extraction industry risks deterring companies from investing in the nation that’s home to the world’s second-largest gold mine, according to Anglo American Plc Chief Executive Officer Duncan Wanblad.

Mali’s military rulers have demanded a greater share of income from the nation’s gold and other resources since seizing power four years ago. The junta has adopted a new mining code and ordered companies to pay millions of dollars in back taxes and dividends, after a state audit revealed a shortfall of as much as 600 billion CFA francs ($950 million) in government revenue.

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