The federal government outlined its plans for a new era in the country's mining sector defined by speed, scale and ambition as the industry plays a central role in Canada's build agenda, serving as a foundation for economic prosperity, national defence and security, and low-carbon aspirations.
Tim Hodgson, the federal minister of energy and natural resources, and Parliamentary Secretary Claude Guay led a Canadian delegation at the 2026 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention in Toronto. The world's largest mining conference reinforced the government's declared plans to build and strengthen full critical minerals value chains to supply customers at home and in allied nations.
Hodgson launched the $1.5-billion First and Last Mile Fund and highlighted the upcoming $2-billion Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund. The minister also announced up to $165.2 million in federal investments for 22 Canadian mining projects, including up to $114.9 million for the first five projects supported through the new First and Last Mile Fund. These projects touch on the entire mining value chain, including infrastructure, innovation, sustainability, geoscience and Indigenous partnership. This $165.2-million investment unlocks over $434 million in Canadian project capital.
The minister announced up to $40 million toward the Canadian Digital Core Library (CDCL) to make geological drill core data widely accessible and transform how geoscience data gets shared and used across Canada. He also signed a non-binding Declaration of Intent between the Government of Canada, the Creative Destruction Lab, Laurentian University and several major mining companies including Agnico Eagle, Anglo American, BHP, Hudbay, Teck and Vale to explore the possibility of a public digital library with core from federal, provincial and territorial governments and the private sector.
The CDCL is designed to enable new exploration, accelerate discoveries and improve investment readiness and certainty in the mining sector by using core library resources that already exist.
Minister Hodgson joined provincial and territorial counterparts at an energy and Mines ministers' meeting on the margins of PDAC to discuss accelerating responsible development, improving regulatory certainty and reinforcing Canada's leadership in critical mineral development. The Minister also welcomed New Brunswick's new Comprehensive Minerals Strategy.
Minister Hodgson and Parliamentary Secretary Guay highlighted concrete progress to advance projects, strengthen enabling infrastructure and attract investment at scale throughout keynote addresses, roundtables and bilateral meetings.
The government positions Canada as a trusted partner in critical minerals production globally. Minister Hodgson and Parliamentary Secretary Guay reinforced Canada's position as a natural resources superpower and as a supplier that brings stability and reliability to market at the Convention.
Minister Hodgson joined industry, provincial, territorial and international partners at Invest in Canada's Canadian Critical Minerals Forum to announce the second round of 30 partnerships and investments under the Critical Minerals Production Alliance to diversify production, support new Canadian mining projects and reduce supply chain vulnerabilities. These new partnerships and investments will accelerate and unlock over $12.1 billion in critical minerals projects with 12 allied partners, bringing the total capital supported by the Alliance to $18.5 billion.
Minister Hodgson and Parliamentary Secretary Guay advanced bilateral and multilateral cooperation, discussed Canadian investment opportunities and supported market and trade diversification efforts through engagements with international partners including Greenland, the European Commission, Norway, Argentina, Mongolia, France, Italy, the Dominican Republic and Bolivia. This work was exemplified through the formalization of partnerships with India and Greenland, a joint statement on critical minerals with the European Union and a Memorandum of Understanding on critical minerals supply with Leonardo S.p.A.
Parliamentary Secretary Guay met with global ministers, industry and key organizations at the 11th International Mines and Ministers Summit to advance shared approaches on sustainable mining and strengthen cooperation on accelerating mineral discoveries and production.
Minister Hodgson reinforced that the government views accelerating domestic critical minerals production as a security imperative. This priority gets reflected in Canada's recently announced defence industrial strategy, which focuses on securing critical goods and reducing reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains.
The government strengthens its capacity to ensure reliable access to materials essential to defence and security for Canada and its allies through targeted NRCan funding including $59.4 million to accelerate domestic critical minerals projects, $96.7 million to advance research and development across the value chain and $8.27 million to support the establishment of a stockpiling regime for critical and dual-use minerals.
The government's comprehensive approach includes investing in low-emissions mining technologies, supporting Indigenous-led partnerships, and ensuring rigorous environmental assessments. Minister Hodgson emphasized that Canada's critical minerals strategy balances economic opportunity with environmental stewardship and respect for Indigenous rights.
Through these initiatives, the government plans to position Canada as the preferred global supplier of critical minerals essential for an energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and national security applications. The strategy aims to create thousands of well-paying jobs across Canada while building sustainable mining communities that benefit all Canadians.
The government's plans also include strengthening domestic processing capabilities to move beyond raw material exports toward value-added manufacturing. This approach will maximize economic benefits for Canadians while reducing global supply chain vulnerabilities for critical technologies.
Minister Hodgson concluded that these government plans represent a "transformational opportunity" to leverage Canada's natural advantages in critical minerals to drive economic growth, enhance national security, and support the global transition to clean energy - all while maintaining Canada's commitment to environmental excellence and Indigenous reconciliation.
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