The person tapped to guide an overhaul of Ontario’s probably profitable mining sector says crucial minerals buried throughout the north signify very important “smooth energy leverage” towards america.
Throughout a latest cupboard reshuffle, Ontario Premier Doug Ford added duty for mines to the portfolio of his present power minister.
Stephen Lecce, who was trusted by the premier to guide on the difficult training file for years earlier than shifting to power, has now been advised to overtake Ontario’s mining system at pace.
His mandate sits on the coronary heart of Ford’s financial plan.
“The premier and our authorities acknowledge is that now we have a crucial generational alternative to scale up with a higher sense of ambition our plan to speed up getting sources out of the bottom to processed and to being exported to new markets,” Lecce mentioned in an interview on Focus Ontario.
In recent times, Ford has hung his financial growth technique on northern minerals. The provincial and federal governments satisfied automakers to relocate to Ontario to focus on battery vegetation and electrical car initiatives.
After which, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to plaster Canada with tariffs at the beginning of the 12 months, Ford switched his pitch to supply Ontario’s crucial minerals to america as a part of a more in-depth buying and selling relationship.
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Trump has repeatedly mentioned he “doesn’t want” Canada’s pure sources and didn’t exclude Canada from latest 25 per cent aluminum, metal or auto tariffs.
Lecce, nevertheless, maintains the crucial minerals in Ontario’s north are one thing america wants — whether or not Trump needs them or not. Additionally they provide an opportunity to forge new commerce relationships.
“Probably the most related for the Canada-U.S. file, because it intersects with our smooth energy leverage with President Trump,” Lecce mentioned.
“The U.S. wants crucial minerals for the navy and for the nationwide safety. And Ontario — in Ontario alone, not to mention our nation — has the bounty of one of many largest pure crucial mineral deposits on earth. And so for us, it’s a mission of pace. It’s additionally a recognition that we need to diversify our export markets and get these commodities to different reliable allies around the globe.”
He mentioned two gold mines opened in Ontario final 12 months. One, he mentioned, took 17 years to acquire all of the approvals it wanted.
Lecce wouldn’t say what the goal time to open a mine in Ontario could be beneath his portfolio, nor would he say if new laws was wanted to make it potential. He promised a serious coverage was within the works.
“You’re going to see a complete plan being introduced forth this spring,” Lecce mentioned. “It is a high precedence for the premier.”
Accessing mines in northern Ontario may also require an enormous infrastructure and diplomacy effort.
To get to the mineral-rich Ring of Fireplace, specifically, Ontario might want to construct an enormous new all-season highway to interchange the ice routes that at the moment exist. That may require funds to construct and buy-in from a various group of native First Nations communities.
Ontario NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa, who represents a using within the north, just lately advised International Information the Ford authorities was approaching that problem unsuitable.
He mentioned the federal government was doing little to profit native communities it wanted to get on aspect.
“They need entry to the sources which can be there (however) they’ve no real interest in coping with the housing, they haven’t any plans to handle the nursing stations or the excessive faculties within the north and the infrastructure,” Mamkwa previously said.
“The psychological well being points, the addictions, they don’t need to deal with these.”
Focus Ontario premiers at 5:30 p.m. on April 5, 2025, on International TV.
© 2025 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
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