Northern Ontario fosters the collaboration we need to make the province of Ontario the best place to invest in the mining sector. Ontario has the minerals, expertise, and talent to become the foundation of the growing supply chain for critical minerals and remain a powerhouse gold producer for generations to come. Our government is doing everything we can to ensure Ontarians benefit from the great mining opportunities we are blessed with, to benefit northern and Indigenous communities. 

• The Critical Minerals Strategy is backed by $55 million in targeted investments – so we can build a supply chain for new technologies, but we know it all starts with exploration and mining.
• Ontario has Invested $35 million in the Ontario Junior Exploration Program to help junior companies find the critical mineral and precious metal mines of the future. 
• In budget 2024, our government extended the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund – investing an additional $15 million over three years in this program. This funding helps research and commercialization of new technologies to solve supply chain challenges by leveraging our home-grown talent. 
• Our plan is also about cutting red tape that was holding our sector back, that’s why we passed the Building More Mines Act last year and on April 1st of this year, the regulations came into force. The Act is ensuring that the ministry operates at the pace of business without sacrificing our world-class environmental protections or how we consult with Indigenous communities. 
• We are also making historic progress on the Ring of Fire with three First Nations-led environmental assessments underway for the roads to the Ring of Fire. At the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference back in March, I signed a Community Development Agreement with the Chiefs of Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations that supports community readiness for future economic development, including mining. This agreement is the next major step in building the corridor to prosperity, connecting the communities to the highway network and the mining opportunities in the Ring of Fire.