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Ontario Mining

Excerpt From 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario – Critical Minerals, Ring of Fire and Indigenous Initiatives (May 15, 2025)

https://www.budget.ontario.ca/2025/pdf/2025-ontario-budget-en.pdf   (pages 36 – 43)

Ontario calls on the federal government to recognize the important role that Ontario shipbuilders can play in the National Shipbuilding Strategy to bolster Canada’s domestic shipbuilding capabilities, as well as supporting Canada in meeting and exceeding its two per cent of GDP NATO spending target as part of national defence commitments.

Unleashing the Economic Potential of Critical Minerals

The imposition of U.S. tariffs has highlighted the urgent need to bolster Ontario’s economic resilience. This includes greater emphasis on domestically sourced critical minerals to maintain secure supply chains and unleash Ontario’s economy.

Critical minerals, such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements, are the foundation upon which modern technology is built. Rapidly changing technologies are, in turn, increasing the global demand for critical minerals, which have become important to strategic industries, including in the defence, aerospace, automotive and energy sectors.

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Lecce touts Ontario’s mining strategy as key to energy security and economic self-reliance – by Barbara Patrocinio (QP Briefing – May 16, 2025)

https://www.qpbriefing.com/

“Our job is to be bold,” Lecce said. “We’re not just exporting minerals. We’re exporting a model for how a modern, secure, and sovereign economy can look in the 21st century.”

In an interview marking mining week, Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce says Ontario is poised to become a global “clean energy superpower,” and he’s betting big on critical minerals, faster permitting timelines, and more domestic processing to get there.

Lecce outlined his vision for the province’s resource sector, which he described as essential not only to creating tens of thousands of jobs, but also to defending Canada’s economic sovereignty.

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Ice roads are a lifeline for First Nations. As Canada warms, they’re disappearing. (Grist.org – May 15, 2025)

https://grist.org/

Indigenous peoples are navigating the slow collapse of winter roads — and an even slower pace of help.

It was the last night of February and a 4×4 truck vaulted down the 103-mile winter road to Cat Lake First Nation in northern Ontario, a road made entirely of ice and snow. Only the light of the stars and the red and white truck lights illuminated the dense, snow-dusted spruce trees on either side of the road. From the passenger seat, Rachel Wesley, a member of the Ojibway community and its economic development officer, told the driver to stop.

The truck halted on a snow bridge over a wide creek — 1 of 5 made of snow along this road. It was wide enough for only one truck to cross at a time; its snowy surface barely 2 feet above the creek. Wesley zipped up her thick jacket and jumped out into the frigid night air. She looked at the creek and pointed at its open, flowing water. “That’s not normal,” she said, placing a cigarette between her lips.

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Northern Ontario First Nations fear uphill battle to preserve rights as Bill 5 speeds through legislature – by Aya Dufour (CBC News Sudbury – May 16, 2025)

https://www.cbc.ca/

Ford government says it’s cutting ‘red tape’ to speed up resource development projects

Bill 5 is a broad piece of legislation that has implications for mining development, endangered species, archeology and Indigenous peoples. It’s part of the Ford government’s “plan to protect Ontario” by cutting “the red tape that has held back major infrastructure, mining and resource development projects.”

The bill was tabled a few weeks ago and is now slated to be examined by a standing committee at Queen’s Park, whom Friends of the Attawapiskat river founder Michel Koostachin is set to address in the coming weeks. “There’s not going to be any consultations whatsoever with this bill,” said Koostachin.

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Turbulence in global titanium supply (The Oregon Group – May 14, 2025)

https://theoregongroup.substack.com/

Titanium market faces supply disruptions and regional deficits

Titanium, prized for its strength and versatility, is essential across advanced defense, aerospace, automotive, medical, and industrial sectors. From everyday pigments to jet engines, the titanium dioxide (TiO₂) market was valued at US$24 billion in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 3.7% from 2023-2030. The US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan all classify titanium as a critical mineral.

The titanium market now faces supply disruptions and regional deficits as geopolitical challenges and rising defense industry demands increase pressure. Growth in Chinese dominance of global pigment markets has also driven supply deficits of high value titanium dioxide minerals such as rutile. The largest global producers of titanium metal and pigments are feeling the strain—creating a clear market opportunity for new entrants and strategic investments in new long-term sources of titanium feedstocks.

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Glencore and Vale each win mine rescue district honours – by Staff (Sudbury.com – May 14, 2025)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Annual district mine rescue competitions were held last week for both the Onaping and Sudbury mining districts, teams now advance to the all-Ontario competition to held in Timmins in June

Vale and Glencore are sharing the honours for the 2025 Ontario Mine Rescue district competition winners for Sudbury and Onaping districts respectively, said a news release issued Tuesday. The annual mine rescue district competitions, held last week, produced new winning teams in all of the mining districts across the province.

Those teams will advance to the provincial competition to be held in Timmins in June. Every team that participated in the district contests had to respond to a mock emergency. Teams were judged on how quickly they responded, how well they performed first aid and how they resolved the overall emergency.

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NEWS RELEASE: Tariffs or no Tariffs, Genuine First Nation Partnerships must be the Backbone of Sustainable Development in Ontario and throughout Canada (Eabametoong First Nation – May 14, 2025)

Eabametoong, Ontario – “Respect and wisdom go a long way, although they are becoming rare in these days of selfinterest,” reflected Chief Solomon Atlookan and Council from Eabametoong First Nation. “Many politicians are promising change and racing to push new projects without thinking through what positive development is really about – improving quality of life for the long term.”

Yesterday Prime Minister Carney announced his new cabinet, and many in Canadian and Provincial politics have been scrambling to respond to the threats coming from our long time American allies. The leadership of Eabametoong First Nation has written to invite governments and businesses to return their focus to a much deeper and fundamental alliance: Treaty #9 and relationships with First Nations. EFN is calling for a ‘war council’ to be formed with the specific focus of promoting the economic and social sustainability of our shared way of life.

“Our ancestors fought and spilled blood alongside the settler forces in 1812 to preserve our way of life against American expansionism, and we later agreed to a Treaty that promised shared control of our lands and the mutual prosperity of our peoples.

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Mining the Northwest: Orla spends to elevate Musselwhite to ‘next level’ production – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 14, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Vancouver miner invests $115 million to upgrade, expand and lengthen mine life of northwest operation

Vancouver’s Orla Mining is delivering as originally advertised when it comes to investing and rebuilding in its latest catch at the Musselwhite Mine.

The upstart mid-tier gold company is investing $115 million into the remote northwestern Ontario underground operation to plunk into mine development, procure new equipment, and launch an aggressive round of exploration drilling this year.

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‘Diamonds are forever,’ but not necessarily so for northern mining industry – by Aya Dufour (CBC News Sudbury – May 13, 2025)

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

DeBeers renews focus on natural diamonds after closing lab-grown business

DeBeers recently renewed its focus on natural diamonds after experimenting with lab-grown ones. But that probably won’t be enough to revive diamond mining in northern Ontario, according to some working in the sector.

In a news release last week, the mining giant pointed to a sharp decline in prices for lab-grown diamonds and said that trend underpinned the company’s “core belief in rare, high value and natural diamond jewelry.” DeBeers started its lab-grown diamond business around the same time it closed its only diamond project in Ontario — the Victor Mine near Attawapiskat First Nation in the province’s far north.

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Timely government permitting factors into McEwen Mining’s upsized gold production plans – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 12, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Timmins miner eager to tap into robust Grey Fox deposit sooner than later

How keen are Ottawa and Queen’s Park in working together to accelerate the approvals process that puts more mines into production? McEwen Mining will find out in the months to come. The Toronto gold company has high hopes for its Grey Fox deposit, east of Timmins, which CEO Rob McEwen called a “cornerstone asset for us for years to come,” in a May 7 news release.

The Timmins-area miner recently released the latest batch of high-grade drill hits from an ongoing exploration program at Grey Fox that bolstered management’s confidence that the high-grade deposit only stands to get bigger.

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Canada is not for sale — And neither is Neskantaga First Nation, says chief – by Jon Thompson (Ricochet Media – May 12, 2025)

Front

‘This is a genocide:’ no clean water, healthcare as drug pandemic rages

Neskantaga First Nation Chief Gary Quisess is only six weeks into his first term, and is facing simultaneous crises in his community and in Thunder Bay. But he left home and travelled to Queen’s Park today to call out what he describes as “genocide” buried in new provincial environmental legislation.

Ontario’s proposed Bill 5, the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act, would allow the province to designate “special economic zones” that would qualify to bypass environmental regulations and speed up development. It is expected to be in force as early as September, and Premier Doug Ford intends to name the proposed Ring of Fire mineral development as the first such site.

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Greater Sudbury mayor focused on critical minerals – by Jenny Lamothe (Sudbury.com – May 8, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Mineral processing, a home permitting boom and push to grow the city’s population emphasized in State of the City address

It was the city’s Latin motto, Aedificemus, that gave rise to the theme of Mayor Paul Lefebvre’s annual State of the City address, which he translated as “Come, let us build together.” Hosted by the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the May 1 speech was the mayor’s third address since he was elected in 2022.

A packed house heard the mayor speak to the economic progress and vision for the city, and saw the first ever showing of the artist rendition of the new downtown events centre facade.

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3 First Nations chiefs warn Ontario’s premier Treaty 9 lands are ‘not for sale’ – by Edzi’u Loverin (CBC News Indigenous – May 09, 2025)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/

Province is using tariffs as ‘an excuse’ to push through mining project approvals, says lawyer

Three Treaty 9 First Nations chiefs say they will challenge a proposed Ontario law to implement “special economic zones” to speed up development, if passed.

Chief Donny Morris of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, a community around 580 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, said Wednesday his response to Bill 5 is the same as Premier Doug Ford’s response to U.S. threats of annexation. “Canada and Ontario lands is not for sale. It’s the same perception we have, too,” he said.

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Ontario in ‘critical time,’ must speed up infrastructure projects, Ford says – by Rochelle Raveendran (CBC News Toronto – May 07, 2025)

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

Government won’t skip environmental assessments, premier says

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province must focus on accelerating infrastructure projects as it finds itself in a “critical time” against U.S. tariffs. “We just want to get projects moving forward as quickly as possible,” he said at Queen’s Park on Wednesday.

“There’s no longer time to sit around and wait 10 years as we do an [environmental assessment] and everything else.” His comments come after the government has faced criticism for a proposed bill that would give cabinet power to create “special economic zones” and allow the government to exempt itself from following laws on certain projects.

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Tariffs and their effect on northern Ont. focus of final day of northern municipal conference – by Eric Taschner (CTV News Northern Ontario – May 07, 2025)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/

Provincial cabinet ministers were on hand Wednesday in North Bay for the final day of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities conference. For the last three days, FONOM has included numerous talks and panels for hundreds of municipal leaders and dignitaries to take back to their towns and cities.

On Wednesday morning, six ministers in Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet converted on the conference, which took place at the Best Western on Lakeshore Drive. They were on hand to listen to municipal leaders about the issues they’re facing – and to bring those concerns back to Queen’s Park.

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