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B.C. premier pushes plan for mining exploration despite Bill 15 backlash – by Katie DeRosa (CBC News British Columbia – May 26, 2025)

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

‘They say damn the environment, full speed ahead’: Hugh Braker on NDP plan to fast-track major projects

Premier David Eby has unveiled his plan to speed up mining development in northwestern B.C. to boost the provincial economy. But the announcement was overshadowed by growing opposition to a controversial law that will fast-track infrastructure and resource projects.

Eby says he has a plan to enable the province to fast-track mining development in northwestern BC, while respecting First Nations rights and conserving B.C.’s sensitive ecosystems. “High environmental standards and partnerships with First Nations are not at odds with resource development,” Eby said at a news conference overlooking the Port of Vancouver on Monday.

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Aus stockpile to tackle ‘distorted’ rare earths market – by Kristie Batten (Northern Miner – May 26, 2025)

https://www.northernminer.com/

Rare earth and lithium producers are cautiously backing the Australian government’s proposed critical minerals strategic reserve, amid fresh details and ongoing concerns over its design. The federal Labor government, re-elected in May, first announced the A$1.2-billion (US$780-million) initiative in April during the closing days of its campaign.

The plan aims to establish a stockpile of critical minerals to bolster national and allied supply chains. Initially offered with limited detail and met with scepticism, the policy has started to take shape.

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Agnico Eagle’s ascent to most valuable gold stock lifts Paulson – by Geoffrey Morgan (Financial Post – May 27, 2025)

https://financialpost.com/

The stock has clobbered rivals, and is one of the few gold companies to outperform the metal itself over the same period

When billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson’s firm made a big bet on gold after the 2008 financial crisis, his fund picked several small- and mid-size gold miners. One of those is now vying to be the world’s most valuable bullion stock.

Toronto-based Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. had a roughly US$7.9 billion market capitalization when Paulson & Co. took a stake in the company. It’s now worth about US$59 billion in New York, with its market cap more than doubling since the beginning of 2024 alone. The gains mean the stock is virtually tied with Denver-headquartered Newmont Corp. as the world’s most valuable gold-focused producer.

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Blood Batteries: How Congo’s Conflict Is Shaking the World’s Rare Earths Market – by Veer Puri (Oberver Research Foundation – May 26, 2025)

https://www.orfonline.org/

Global tech giants face a reckoning as Congo’s conflict exposes the dark side of ‘conflict-free’ minerals.

The recent bout of violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has translated into a systematic shock for rare earth and critical mineral markets globally. With the DRC supplying much of the world’s tantalum and cobalt—essential components in producing electric vehicles (EVs), smartphones, and modern weaponry—the ongoing violence in the region has triggered a major geopolitical and economic disruption.

Supported by Rwandan intelligence and benefitting from artisanal mining networks, the M23 rebel group’s resurgence exposes the “conflict-free” certification systems of the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) and the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI), and accelerates a worldwide search for substitutes. With tantalum prices surging heavily since late 2024, the crisis highlights how localised violence can set off domino effects across critical sectors such as renewable energy and defence.

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Ring of Fire is taking too long. Governments no longer willing to abide consultations that last two decades without results – by Ian Pattison (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – May 24, 2025)

https://www.chroniclejournal.com/

THERE’S A SHOWDOWN brewing in Northern Ontario. It pits the will of Canadian governments to capitalize on the global demand for specialized minerals against the reasonable but seemingly interminable demands of First Nations to be consulted beforehand. The outcome could either help to rescue moribund economies at all levels, or keep those valuable minerals locked in the ground, halting plans for a rich, new mining chapter and sending customers elsewhere.

Canada has emerged from a history of colonial crimes against Indigenous people to present a model to the world on how to begin to make amends. There have been formal apologies and reparations in the millions. Indigenous culture has been adopted into the national milieu. Extensive efforts continue to improve Indigenous life in the Far North and the urban south alike. Results are mixed but the direction is inevitable.

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De Beers to Cut over 1,000 Jobs at Debswana Unit – by Leah Meirovich (Rapaport Magazine – May 26, 2025)

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Botswana President Duma Boko has announced plans for the termination of over 1,000 workers at Debswana, the government’s joint venture with De Beers.

Boko made the declaration at a recent address to civil servants. He said the ongoing downturn in the diamond market motivated the layoffs, a move the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) condemned, according to a statement it released recently.

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A Hallelujah moment for Marathon mine builder as last permit arrives – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – May 26, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Gen Mining’s regulatory path to build $1-billion open-pit is clear, only last of construction financing remains

It’s been a long time coming. Marathon mine builder Generation Mining has snagged the last provincial permit that finally clears the regulatory path for construction of its $1-billion copper-palladium open-pit near the north shore of Lake Superior.

The Toronto company said last week that it received the Environmental Compliance Approval for industrial sewage works from the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. The permit covers the water management and discharge during the construction phase of the project.

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Ford government to amend ‘Special Economic Zones’ bill: ministers – by Jessica Smith Cross (The Trillium – May 26, 2025)

https://www.thetrillium.ca/

Indigenous leaders are warning that the bill could reignite ‘Idle No More’

The Ford government is working on amendments to a bill that Indigenous leaders have warned will reignite the “Idle No More” movement in Ontario if it is passed.

Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, would give cabinet the power to designate an area a “special economic zone,” and then exempt selected proponents and projects from requirements under any provincial law or regulation, including bylaws of municipalities and local boards, that would otherwise apply in that zone. Federal laws, like the Criminal Code, and Charter and treaty rights, cannot be waived, however.

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Critical minerals take back seat in WA as gold hits record prices – by Jarrod Lucas (Australian Broadcasting Corporation – May 25, 2025)

https://www.abc.net.au/

A profile image of a man with dark, spiky hair.

In Australia’s resources sector, Tim Goyder has been the man with the Midas touch in recent years. At one point in 2023, his stock holdings in one-time market darlings Liontown Resources and Chalice Mining saw him become a paper billionaire with an estimated net worth of $1.09 billion.

But as fast as the Perth-based mining investor joined the Australian Financial Review’s annual Rich List, such is the swings and roundabouts of commodity price cycles, he slipped off. That is not to say Mr Goyder has lost his golden touch, but his personal fortune reflects the downturn in critical minerals such as lithium and nickel. “Two years ago, everyone was saying lithium was the thing to be in, which I still believe,” he said.

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Cobalt Crossroads: Why Indonesia Still Trails Behind the DRC in the Tech Supply Race? – by M. Ismail Anshari (Modern Diplomacy – May 26, 2025)

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is widely recognized as the world’s largest producer of cobalt, accounting for around 70% of total global output.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is widely recognized as the world’s largest producer of cobalt, accounting for around 70% of total global output. Numerous foreign mining companies operate in the DRC, employing local miners and simultaneously contributing to the country’s foreign exchange earnings.

However, the country’s mining practices face significant challenges in meeting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, challenges that risk disrupting the supply chains of global technology firms. Despite this, many major tech companies still prefer cobalt sourced from the DRC over exploring alternatives like Indonesia, another resource-rich nation.

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Trump wants the U.S. to dominate uranium production. What does that mean for Canada’s miners? – by Matthew McClearn (Globe and Mail – May 26, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

The United States is a lightweight in uranium, but it wasn’t always this way. From the 1950s through the 1980s, it was the world’s leading producer of the silvery-grey metal and was largely self-sufficient. U.S. President Donald Trump now aims to return to this past, part of a broader effort to achieve what he calls “American energy dominance.” He has signed several orders aimed at fostering domestic uranium production and disadvantaging foreign producers.

Tim Gitzel, chief executive officer of Canadian uranium giant Cameco Corp., dismissed the fallout from Mr. Trump‘s recent actions as mere “distractions” during a conference call earlier this month with investors. The logic underpinning such nonchalance has implications for investors, miners and the Trump administration alike.

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Road, rail and mine blockades could be on horizon over Ontario mining bill: chiefs – by Liam Casey (CTV News/Canadian Press – May 26, 2025)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/

Road, rail and mine blockades could be on the horizon, First Nations leaders said Monday, as they ratchet up pressure on the Ontario government to kill a proposed bill that seeks to speed up large mining projects in the north.

Provincial ministers, meanwhile, said they heard the outcry and will make improvements to Bill 5, but stopped short of suggesting they would eliminate it outright. “We heard loud and clear that there’s some things that they would like to see changed about this bill,” said Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford.

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Watch: Vale video provides details on dismantling of Superstack – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – May 22, 2025)

https://www.sudbury.com/

Project is expected to begin by mid-summer and last for roughly five years

A newly produced video by Vale Base Metals has provided details for the plan to dismantle Sudbury’s Superstack this summer. The stack became operational in 1972 and is regarded as an engineering marvel, said the video. The whole idea of the stack — built to a height of 1,250 feet — was to disperse sulphur dioxide emissions over a wider area of Northeastern Ontario, in response to growing voices of concern and dissent over the smelter pollution being produced by Inco (International Nickel Company) at the time.

In later years, Vale, the new owner of the company, launched the Clean AER (Atmospheric Emissions Reduction) Project at a cost of more than one billion dollars. The project was completed in 2018.

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Ontario says First Nations key to Ring of Fire development despite Bill 5 opposition – by Fraser Needham (APTN News – May 22, 2025)

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Ontario’s minister of Indigenous relations insists development in what is known as the Ring of Fire area will not move ahead without major involvement from affected First Nations. “These projects cannot go ahead until or unless there is significant, substantial participation by First Nations communities and First Nations businesses,” Greg Rickford said this week on Nation to Nation.

But not all First Nations in Ontario are on board with Ring of Fire development and say the government has failed to properly consult them before making plans to open up the area in northern Ontario to mining companies.

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Seafood magnate John Risley leads venture to build infrastructure in Canada’s Arctic – by Nicolas Van Praet (Globe and Mail – May 23, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Nova Scotia billionaire John Risley says Canada has neglected the Arctic for far too long, which has undermined the country’s economic prospects and put its sovereignty at risk. He’s betting he can light a fire for change.

Mr. Risley, who made his fortune with Clearwater Seafoods before turning to investments in MDA Space and green energy, has launched a new company called Arctic Economic Development Corp. (AECD). It’s aiming to spur large-scale growth in Canada‘s North, primarily north of the 60th parallel, by marshalling a wave of new capital, private-sector expertise, and partnerships with government and Indigenous Peoples such as the Inuit.

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