Manitoba open for business with new critical minerals strategy, premier says
Six-pillar strategy includes a focus on Indigenous involvement
The province is open for business in the critical mineral sector, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said Tuesday.
Manitoba's critical minerals strategy, unveiled during a news conference, outlines ways to get new mines open faster, expand the industries associated with mining, attract new investment, advance Indigenous involvement and create jobs across the province.
"Manitoba is like the Costco of critical minerals — if you need it, we have it," said Stefanson. "Gold, diamonds, nickel, lithium, potash, and the list goes on."
Manitoba is home to 29 of 31 minerals on Canada's 2021 critical minerals list. These include lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements, which are the six minerals recognized as having the greatest opportunity for economic growth, a news release from the province said.
"This strategy tells the world that Manitoba is open for business," she said.
Stefanson added the increased focus on critical minerals will lead to more jobs in every corner of the province.
Jeff Wharton, the province's economic development, investment and trade minister, echoed the premier's sentiment and said Manitoba is positioned as a hub for critical minerals.
"This strategy will help get mines into production, creating good paying jobs for Manitoba families and generating the revenues we need for the essential services and infrastructure Manitobans rely on every day," he said.
'Economic reconciliation' included
One of the pillars of the strategy recognized in Tuesday's news conference is advancing Indigenous-involved partnerships.
As part of the strategy, a mining advisory leadership group will be established with Indigenous representatives. The goal is to strengthen relationships, explore revenue sharing and establish a community capacity-building fund, the province's news release said.
Wharton pointed to the Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba, which recently started production on Manitoba's first-ever potash mine with Gambler First Nation holding 20 per cent equity in the project. He also mentioned an agreement between Marcel Colomb First Nation and Alamos Gold Inc. which will see the First Nation and mining company share revenues while collaborating on economic development, jobs, training and environmental stewardship of a gold-mining project.
Wharton also said there are currently over 20 exploration agreements between First Nations and the mining industry.
Also included in parts of the strategy is the establishment of a new fund to support critical mining work by post-secondary institutions in Manitoba and the improvement of the provincial tax credit.
NDP respond to premier
Stefanson said Tuesday the vision of Wab Kinew and the opposition NDP would "kill jobs for thousands of Manitobans," citing Kinew's signing of the Leap Manifesto around a decade ago which, among other things, calls for no new infrastructure projects aimed at increasing extraction of non-renewable resources.
The NDP responded with a statement Tuesday afternoon and said that since 2017, three mines in the province have closed, the Progressive Conservatives cut the mining reserve fund and Manitoba has lost 1,700 mining jobs.
The party has also pledged to boost mining development if elected this fall.
The full critical mining strategy can be found on the province's website. The province also said Tuesday the strategy will be followed up by the Manitoba minerals action plan, which will outline specific actions to achieve Manitoba's mineral sector potential, a news release said.
The action plan will evaluate progress and is expected to be released next spring.
"That's what this is all about — opening Manitoba for business, while being smart stewards of the land that we call our home," said Stefanson.