TORONTO — The Ontario government is moving to modernize its Critical Minerals Strategy, positioning the province as a secure global supplier of responsibly sourced materials while seeking to shield its economy from geopolitical volatility and trade disruptions.
At the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention in Toronto, Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce announced the release of a new vision paper titled Fortifying Ontario’s Economy: A Plan to Accelerate Responsible Resource Development. The document launches consultations aimed at updating the province’s five-year Critical Minerals Strategy, first introduced in 2022.
The government says the renewed strategy will focus on accelerating mine development, strengthening domestic supply chains and enhancing Canadian self-reliance amid escalating geopolitical tensions, U.S. tariffs and rising trade protectionism.
“In the fight for Canadian jobs, we transformed one of the slowest mining permitting systems to one of the fastest, emerging in the top two globally for attracting mining investment,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “Our new Critical Mineral Strategy will send a signal to the world: Ontario has a serious plan to build mines faster and create more jobs here at home. To better protect Ontario’s vital manufacturing workers – from defense, automotive and aerospace – Ontario is also adding high-purity iron and aluminum to the Critical Minerals List. Ontario’s new strategy will accelerate momentum, unlock opportunity, and attract the job-creating investments that will power growth across the province.”
As part of the overhaul, Ontario is expanding its Critical Minerals List for the first time since its creation, adding high-purity iron and aluminum. The inclusion brings the total number of designated critical minerals in the province to 35.
High-purity iron is seen as essential to green steel production using electric arc furnace technology, while aluminum underpins Ontario’s automotive, aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors. The move is intended to reinforce end-to-end supply chains at a time when manufacturers face heightened global competition and tariff pressures.
The original 2022 strategy focused heavily on electric vehicle battery materials and clean technologies. The government now argues that shifting geopolitical dynamics require a broader, more agile approach aimed at ending foreign supply dominance and protecting domestic industries.
The new vision paper outlines several priority areas for consultation, including planning for growth to reduce exposure to global shocks, building a skilled workforce, ensuring regulatory certainty and faster permitting, supporting mineral exploration, strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities, and scaling up innovation to attract global capital.
“Our updated Critical Minerals Strategy will strengthen Ontario’s reputation as a leader in responsibly sourced minerals that power modern economies,” said George Pirie, Minister of Economic Development and Growth. “By modernizing the strategy, our government will attract new investment, create thousands of good-paying jobs, strengthen communities, and position the North as a global leader in developing the resources the world needs.”
Since 2022, the province has introduced its ‘One Project, One Process’ framework, targeting a 50 per cent reduction in government review timelines. Three major projects have been designated under the expedited process: Frontier Lithium’s PAK Lithium Project, Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford Nickel Project, and Kinross Gold Corporation’s Great Bear Project. Together, the government estimates these initiatives represent more than 5,000 new jobs and $75 billion in economic impact for Canada.
Ontario has also committed $500 million through its Critical Minerals Processing Fund to expand domestic processing capacity, and invested $25 million in a Critical Minerals Innovation Fund to help commercialize supply chain technologies. More than 213 projects have received support through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program, backed by $29.8 million in funding.
Industry groups and mining companies broadly welcomed the strategy refresh.
“The Ontario Mining Association welcomes the government’s commitment to updating the Ontario Critical Minerals Strategy to reflect Today’s geopolitical realities. As this work advances, sustained and meaningful engagement with industry, Indigenous partners, and stakeholders will be essential, alongside policies that firmly position mining as a strategic priority. Taking continued action and a whole-of-government approach to advance the mining sector will strengthen Ontario’s prosperity, security, and innovation leadership for the benefit of all Ontarians.”
- Priya Tandon
President, Ontario Mining Association
Major project proponents also signalled support, emphasizing the importance of stable policy frameworks to attract long-term capital investment.
“Canada Nickel welcomes the government’s renewed vision for Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy. At a time when secure domestic supply chains are essential to our economic and national security, our province’s critical minerals – including in the Timmins Nickel District – present an opportunity to anchor that supply chain here at home. We look forward to working with the government to continue advancing projects like our Crawford Project, which is shovel-ready, Indigenous-partnered, and designed to be one of the world’s first net-zero nickel operations.”
- Mark Selby
CEO, Canada Nickel Company
Ontario’s mining sector currently supports approximately 28,000 direct jobs and 46,000 indirect jobs across mineral processing and supply services. There are 37 active mining operations in the province, most located in Northern Ontario, and 33 significant projects in the development pipeline.
The province is also recognized as the world’s mining finance capital, with 40 per cent of publicly listed mining companies trading on the TSX and TSX-V exchanges, representing a combined market value of more than $1.1 trillion in 2025.
The government says feedback from industry, Indigenous partners, communities and the public will shape the next phase of the strategy, with the goal of ensuring Ontario remains “the most attractive place in the G7 to invest and create jobs” as global competition for critical minerals intensifies.