Ontario Launches New Job-Creating Critical Minerals Strategy

March 3, 2026

Province’s vision paper and consultation focused on jobs and Canadian self-reliance

March 03, 2026

TORONTO – As part of its plan to protect Ontario’s economy and accelerate growth, the Ontario government is cementing the province’s role as a secure, reliable global supplier of responsibly sourced critical minerals. Today, at the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, Minister Stephen Lecce announced the government is releasing Fortifying Ontario’s Economy: A Plan to Accelerate Responsible Resource Development, a forward-looking vision to boldly overhaul and modernize Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy. The government is inviting feedback to ensure the next phase of the strategy can respond to a rapidly changing world, with a focus on bolstering Canadian self-reliance, jobs and supply chains, to ensure Ontario continues to be the most attractive place in the G7 to invest and create jobs.

Ontario is also announcing the addition of high-purity iron and aluminum to its Critical Minerals List, the first expansion since its inception, underscoring a firm commitment to bolstering end-to-end supply chains that support manufacturing amid ongoing U.S. tariffs.

“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.”

Ontario’s five-year Critical Minerals Strategy, launched in 2022, laid a strong foundation. The previous strategy focused on the electric vehicle market and emphasizing the need for clean technologies, but the world has changed – fast and dramatically. Escalating geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, U.S. tariffs and rising trade protectionism demand a shaper, more agile response focused on ending foreign dominance and protecting Ontario’s vital industries and workers. Renewing the strategy will allow Ontario to stay ahead of that change ensuring the province remains competitive, resilient, and positioned to lead in a more uncertain economy.

The forward-looking vision paper invites feedback on key priorities to unlock our critical mineral wealth to protect economic security, strengthen sovereignty and lead as a trusted G7 partner, including:

Planning for growth to reduce exposure to global shocks, ensuring Ontario is never left vulnerable to unstable or untrusted supply.
Building a future-ready workforce to ensure we have the skilled workers to deliver.
Continue delivering regulatory certainty and faster permitting delivery, creating one of the most advantageous regulatory environments in the world.
Support exploration to find the mines of tomorrow, today.
Build, early, meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships that support reconciliation, equity participation, and shared prosperity with Indigenous communities.
Scale up innovation, attract global capital, and anchor critical mineral supply chains here at home.

The new strategy will be shaped by direct input from industry, Indigenous partners, communities, and the public – focused on strengthening domestic supply chains, ensuring economic and national security, accelerating responsible development, and building an economy that withstand today’s pressures and capture tomorrow’s opportunities. The feedback received will be instrumental in calibrating the next phase of the strategy to respond to a rapidly changing world and ensure Ontario continues to be the most attractive place in the G7 to invest and create jobs.

“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.”

Ontario is also updating the criteria for the Critical Minerals List to better align with the strategic needs of the province, Canada and its allies. Including high-purity iron and aluminum expands the number of critical minerals in Ontario to 35. High-purity iron is essential for the transition to “green steel” manufacturing using electric arc furnace technology in Ontario’s steel mills, while aluminum is a cornerstone material for the province’s world-class automotive, aerospace, and defence sectors. By adding these minerals, Ontario is signaling to the world that it is a premier jurisdiction for investment in the exploration and processing of materials vital to modern advanced manufacturing.

“Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy has played an important role in advancing our government’s economic priorities and attracting job-creating investments in the advanced manufacturing, life sciences, tech, and defence sectors,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “By modernizing the Strategy to include new metals and adapting the scope to meet the demands of a changing geopolitical landscape, we’re positioning the province for long-term resilience and ensuring Ontario workers stand to benefit from a new wave of industry opportunity”.

Since launching its first Critical Minerals strategy, Ontario has made significant progress in becoming a global mining powerhouse, including:

Implementing the transformative ‘One Project, One Process’ framework to cut red tape and target a 50 per cent reduction in government review timelines, with 3 nation-building projects already designated, representing more than 5,000 new jobs and $75 billion added to Canada’s economy.
Launching the $500 million Critical Minerals Processing Fund to build domestic processing capacity.
Investing $25 million through the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund to support Ontario-based companies commercializing groundbreaking solutions for the entire supply chain.
Supporting over 213 projects through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program with a $29.8 investment, driving the discovery of the mines of the future.
Strengthening Indigenous partnerships by investing $70 million into the Indigenous Participation Fund and sharing nearly $360 million through resource revenue sharing agreements since 2018.
Investing in new electricity transmission and generation, including refurbishing and expanding northern hydroelectric stations, and new transmission lines into the gateway of the Ring of Fire, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timmins and Dryden.

Quick Facts

Ontario is recognized as the mining finance capital of the world with 40 per cent of all publicly listed mining companies worldwide listed on the TSX and TSX-V and having a combined market value of over $1.1 trillion in 2025.
Ontario’s mining sector supports 28,000 direct jobs and 46,000 indirect jobs through associated mineral processing and supply services.
There are currently 37 active mining operations in Ontario, with the majority located in Northern Ontario, of which nine are base metal (nickel, copper, zinc) mines.
Currently, there are 33 significant projects in the pipeline, reflecting growing interest in Ontario’s predictable investment and permitting climate, bolstered with proactive investments in transmission, clean energy generation, and infrastructure.
Since implementing the 1P1P framework Ontario has designated three projects to benefit from the expedited process including: Frontier Lithium’s PAK Lithium Project, Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford Nickel Project, and Kinross Gold Corporation’s Great Bear Project.
Key accomplishments under the current strategy include major legislative reforms like the Building More Mines Act and the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, and hundreds of millions of dollars in targeted investments in exploration, innovation, and processing.

Quotes

“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

“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

“Glencore Canada welcomes Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy, which lays the groundwork for a stable and competitive ecosystem to support mining, processing and recycling activities in the province. As part of the strategy, we are highly supportive of programs like the Critical Minerals Processing Fund and the recently expanded Critical Minerals Innovation Fund, which aims to bolster Ontario’s critical minerals sector by de-risking larger investments needed to develop timely and complex projects.”

– Peter Xavier
Chief Operating Officer, Canada Metals, Glencore Canada

“The Ontario Prospectors Association commends Minister Lecce and the Ontario government for their leadership in renewing Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy. The addition of high-purity iron and aluminum to the Critical Minerals List is a timely and important next step in securing our domestic supply chains and reinforcing Ontario’s position as a global leader in critical mineral development. We look forward to actively participating in the consultation process and working alongside government, Indigenous partners, and industry to shape a strategy that meets today’s challenges and seizes tomorrow’s opportunities.”

– Steve Virtue
President and CEO, Ontario Prospectors Association

“Green Technology Metals welcomes the Ontario Government’s vision paper and the launch of consultations to renew Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy. As we advance our integrated lithium development in Northwestern Ontario, we strongly support a process shaped by industry, Indigenous partners, and communities, focused on strengthening domestic supply chains, accelerating responsible development and ensuring Canada’s economic and national security.”

– Cameron Henry
Executive Director, Green Tech Metals

“We welcome Minister Lecce’s leadership in expanding Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy to include additional metals essential to our economic and national security. Critical minerals, including lithium, underpin modern defence technologies, from secure communications and advanced electronics to energy storage, electrification of military vehicles and next generation aerospace systems. They are equally vital to the global energy transition, powering EV batteries, grid scale storage and resilient clean energy infrastructure. By broadening the strategy, Ontario is reinforcing its role as a reliable, secure supplier of responsibly produced critical minerals, supporting Canada’s economic sovereignty and long-term competitiveness alongside its allies.”

– Trevor Walker
President and CEO, Frontier Lithium

“The mining industry in Ontario is at a crossroads, and Minister Lecce’s commitment to renewing the Critical Minerals Strategy to accelerate responsible development and strengthen our economy is the kind of leadership we need at this exceptional moment in time.”

– Tim Hill
Chief Executive Officer, Impala Canada Ltd.

“Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy is a decisive step toward securing industrial and economic sovereignty in an increasingly volatile global landscape. This roadmap is a bold step forward in turning natural wealth into a resilient, sustainable advantage for the Province of Ontario and Canada. Our Victoria Project in Sudbury hopes to be part of this value-creation journey.”

– Marek Bednarz
President and CEO, KGHM International

“The inclusion of high-purity iron on Ontario’s Critical Minerals list is a bold and forward-thinking step that underscores its vital role in clean steel production, advanced manufacturing and next-generation technologies. Discoveries such as Juno’s Vespa system demonstrate the immense, world-class potential of the Ring of Fire to anchor secure, made-in-Ontario supply chains for iron, titanium, vanadium, scandium and gallium — the very materials that will drive innovation, strengthen our industrial competitiveness, and power Ontario’s economy for generations.”

– Robert Cudney
Chief Executive Officer, Juno Corp.

“Much of Ontario’s manufacturing sector depends on critical minerals, which is why we are delighted to see this first step in renewing a strategy our sector relies upon. CME is also encouraged to see the addition of high-purity iron and aluminum to the minerals list. Ontario manufacturers are hopeful that this added focus will secure more resilient and globally competitive supply chains, keeping them focused on making the incredible products that drive our province’s economy.”

– Dennis Darby
President & CEO, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)

“Ontario is sending a clear signal that the Province is serious about building a resilient, end-to-end battery materials ecosystem. Our Georgia Lake and Red Rock Converter projects are designed to anchor that vision by strengthening the domestic supply chain from resource to refined product. By advancing responsible development and establishing lithium processing capacity in Ontario, we are supporting a sustainable and resilient critical minerals supply chain that is better positioned to navigate global uncertainty while advancing long-term economic growth.”

– Mirco Wojnarowicz
CEO, Rock Tech Lithium

“NioBay Metals welcomes Ontario’s renewed Critical Minerals Strategy. This positive news sends a strong signal that the Province is serious about securing Canada’s place in global critical mineral supply chains. It represents an important step for industry, economic resilience, and national security. NioBay remains committed to advancing responsible development in collaboration with Indigenous partners and all levels of government.”

– Jean-Sébastien David
President & CEO, NioBay Metals

“Today’s announcement further demonstrates that Ontario understands what it takes to build globally competitive supply chains. Jurisdictions that move with clarity, consistency and coordination attract the capital required to build strategic assets. When governments align policy with execution, the resulting predictability reinforces North America’s position as a stable, trusted partner in the broader critical minerals supply chain.”

– Trent Mell
CEO, Electra Battery Materials

“Avenir Minerals welcomes the Government of Ontario’s leadership in advancing a forward-looking Critical Minerals Strategy. In a globally competitive market, clear and transparent policy signals are essential to attracting investment and strengthening supply chains. We welcome the Province’s focus on responsible mineral development and look forward to contributing industry experience that supports high standards, community benefits and long term competitiveness.”

– Alden Greenhouse
CEO, Avenir Minerals

“Renewing Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy is a smart and timely move. Adding high-purity iron and aluminum to the Critical Minerals List sends a clear signal that Ontario is serious about strengthening supply chains, attracting investment, and competing in the industries that underpin our economic and national security.”

– Daniel Tisch
President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Ontario Launches New Job-Creating Critical Minerals Strategy

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