Ontario Launches New Job-Creating Critical Minerals Strategy

March 3, 2026

In a time of escalating geopolitical tensions, Ontario is taking decisive action to protect Canadian jobs, strengthen domestic supply chains and secure long-term economic growth.

At PDAC 2026, our government released Fortifying Ontario’s Economy: A Plan to Accelerate Responsible Resource Development, a forward-looking vision paper to invite feedback on the renewal and modernization of the province’s Critical Minerals Strategy to respond to supply chain disruptions, U.S. tariffs and rising trade protectionism and bolster Canadian self-reliance.

The renewed strategy will focus on accelerating responsible development, supporting exploration to find the mines of tomorrow, scaling innovation, building a future-ready workforce, delivering regulatory certainty and faster permitting and attracting global capital to anchor critical mineral supply chains here at home.

Building on actions already underway, including the new ‘One Project, One Process’ framework to cut red tape and reduce government review times by 50 per cent, the vision paper charts the next phase of Ontario’s approach to unlock new mining opportunities, strengthen our supply chains and build a more resilient and self-reliant economy.

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.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, Ontario is moving with speed to build mines faster, protect Canadian jobs, and attract major job-creating investment that keeps economic benefits and opportunities here at home.