Canada’s mine tailings contain untapped critical minerals essential for the green economy, digital technologies, and national defense, according to a new research report.
Lisa Mah, a researcher on the report, commented that: “Critical minerals are the backbone of the modern world, and we’re sitting on a multi-billion-dollar untapped resource: mine tailings.”
Action Canada – an independent, non-profit organization based in Ontario – authored the report called ‘Waste Not: Unlocking Critical and Strategic Mineral Opportunities in Canada’s Tailings.’
In 2017, Action Canada and the Public Policy Forum – a well-known non-partisan think tank based in Ottawa – joined forces to expand Canada’s top accelerator of new leaders. Together they deliver the Action Canada Fellowship, a 10-month leadership program that aims to enhance emerging leaders’ understanding of the country and public policy choices for the future.
Action Canada produced this research report on mine tailings as the Action Canada Fellowship for the year 2024-2025. The organization originally released the report in March.
Mah explained the background for the research, as well as its goals and recommendations. She said: “In Canada, tailings are ubiquitous across an estimated 10,000 abandoned mines and 200 operational mines. Many of these tailings were produced decades ago, when mineral processing was far less efficient and minerals now considered 'critical' weren't prioritized, meaning that many tailings still hold untapped concentrations of valuable resources.”
Mah added that, “Around the world, we’re seeing what’s possible. Projects like the Hellyer tailings reprocessing project have proven the economic viability of re-mining, and the Atlas of Australian re-mining potential has shown the power of a coordinated, data-driven approach at a national level.”
The need for research and good data
The research team consisted of Mah, Jeffrey Collins, Alex Cool-Fergus, Isabelle Godin, Davis Levine, and Aaron Pinto. The group was particularly drawn to the strategic importance of critical minerals. As part of the Action Canada Fellowship's 2024/25 cohort, each team was tasked with selecting a research area under the theme of resources to investigate over an eight-month period, culminating in a published paper and a presentation in Ottawa.
“Early on in our research, we recognized that mine tailings—long treated as waste—could be a significant part of the solution to Canada's future: advancing artificial intelligence and the green energy transition, strengthening national sovereignty, and demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship. We divided our work across several key areas: policy and regulation, economic viability, technological innovation, and Indigenous and community engagement to build a comprehensive set of findings and recommendations.”
She further explained that “The key message behind our recommendations is simple: "no data, no action". Mah said meaningful progress has been made thanks to the leadership of NRCan/CanmetMINING, Geoscience BC, MIRARCO, BRIMM, and other industry pioneers.
Key gaps in Canada with regards to mine tailings
Mah pointed out the gaps in Canada: “Despite the momentum, Canada still lacks a comprehensive national database on mine tailings, limiting our ability to plan and act strategically. There's enormous potential to unlock recovering critical minerals, advancing midstream infrastructure, and reclaiming legacy sites. If we don't act, Canada risks missing out on a major economic opportunity, facing greater environmental risks from aging tailings sites, and leaving taxpayers with growing cleanup costs.”
Managing mine tailings in Canada is complex, she said, with responsibilities shared across federal, provincial, and territorial governments, alongside Indigenous rights-holders. The federal Critical Minerals Strategy (2022) set an important national direction. However, without strong alignment from provinces and territories, which control permitting, land use, and environmental management, the strategy can't deliver real-world results.
Regulatory problems in managing tailings
Mah said Canada must overcome regulatory hurdles to take advantage of tailings. “Today, companies aiming to re-mine tailings often face regulatory frameworks designed for new mining projects. This includes comprehensive permitting processes, environmental assessments, and, in some cases, the issuance of new mining tenures.”
The report reads: “As global demand for these minerals rises, re-mining tailings presents an opportunity to enhance domestic supply, reduce environmental risks, and drive economic growth. However, barriers such as regulatory challenges, financial risks, technological gaps, and limited collaboration hinder progress,”
“Re-mining can also help remediate orphaned and abandoned mine (OAM) sites, reduce environmental damage, and generate economic benefits, particularly for Indigenous communities, through the recovery of valuable minerals.”
Mah held out the case study of Ontario's new Recovery of Minerals regulation from 2024 as a strong example of progress: a dedicated, streamlined permit process to make it easier to recover residual metals and minerals from mine waste.
“While large companies might absorb permitting burdens and liability risks if the economics are compelling, for many, the barrier is simply too high, stifling innovation and investment. This is also where better data becomes power. High-quality, accessible data can inform smarter policies, de-risk investment, and accelerate regulatory reform.”
In the end, the research report stresses how capitalizing on mine tailings will require concerted action. Mah stated, “Canada can and must do better. We have the opportunity to strengthen our domestic critical mineral supply, clean up legacy mine sites, and create jobs and economic growth at the same time. The resources are already here—what’s needed is leadership, investment, and the will to act now.”
The research report presents three main recommendations: Advancing a national tailings inventory, implementing regulatory reforms and a re-mining policy framework, and incentivizing innovation and collaboration.
The full Action Canada report can be found at https://ppforum.ca/publications/strategic-mineral-opportunities-in-canada/
Comments
Howard Lord
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