The House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources met to study critical minerals development, hearing from four mining industry executives: David Cataford of Champion Iron, John Mullally of Newmont Canada, Chad Ulansky of Cantex Mine Development Corp., and Sandeep Singh of Western Copper and Gold.
David Cataford described the Labrador Trough as holding some of the world's purest iron ore, now listed as a critical mineral for decarbonizing steel. He said Champion Iron has invested nearly $2 billion since 2018 and paid close to a billion dollars in taxes and royalties, but argued that unlocking the region's full potential requires strategic infrastructure investments: a new transmission line between Churchill Falls and Labrador West, upgrades to the Port of Sept-Îles, and completion of a rail loop connecting two existing lines at a fraction of the cost of a new railway. He recommended that the federal government help coordinate these investments, noting that public infrastructure spending can generate significant returns through tax revenues.
John Mullally highlighted Newmont's operations in northwestern British Columbia, including the Red Chris copper-gold mine and the undeveloped Galore Creek deposit, and emphasized partnerships with the Tahltan and Nisga'a nations. He made four specific recommendations: federal investments in roads and transmission, particularly the proposed north coast transmission line; federal support for the shared decision-making "foundation agreement" between B.C. and the Tahltan Nation; expanded trades training through hub-and-spoke centres; and lowering the clean technology manufacturing investment tax credit threshold from 90% to 50% for copper, while including brownfield expansions. He noted that Newmont's board is considering a $4-billion investment decision at Red Chris in 2026 and that recent federal steps have positively influenced that decision.
Chad Ulansky, speaking as a junior explorer with a zinc and germanium project in central Yukon, warned that Canada risks missing the critical minerals opportunity due to four challenges: unreliable capital markets, lengthy permitting timelines, strained relationships with some First Nations, and lack of infrastructure. He recommended continuing the critical mineral exploration tax credit and encouraging Canadian pension funds to invest more domestically, noting that the eight largest funds have reduced domestic investment from 90% to about 25% since restrictions were lifted. He argued that permitting timelines have worsened, contrasting the Ekati diamond mine's three-year permitting in the 1990s with current multi-year delays for basic exploration permits, and said Bill C-69 has expanded federal overreach and slowed approvals rather than streamlining them.
Sandeep Singh presented the Casino project in the Yukon as Canada's largest critical minerals project by annual revenue, with the potential to contribute $61 billion to GDP and increase national copper production by over 15%. He said the project has attracted investment from Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi Materials, but requires 130 megawatts of power that the Yukon's isolated grid cannot supply. He advocated for the proposed B.C.-Yukon grid connection, already supported with $40 million in federal funding, which would enable Casino to run on hydroelectric power while benefiting the entire region. He called for proactive federal coordination to prevent interdepartmental delays, timely Crown consultation with First Nations, and adequate resourcing for assessment bodies and indigenous participation, noting that First Nations are not the source of delays.
The committee briefly debated and agreed to postpone a planned travel week for the critical minerals study to the November break week, with the understanding that no travel would occur on Remembrance Day.
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