Ontario Launches New Job-Creating Critical Minerals Strategy
March 3, 2026
Province’s vision paper and consultation focused on jobs and Canadian self-reliance
As part of its plan to protect Ontario’s economy and accelerate growth, the Ontario government is cementing the province’s role as a secure, reliable global supplier of responsibly sourced critical minerals. Today, at the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, Minister Stephen Lecce announced the government is releasing Fortifying Ontario’s Economy: A Plan to Accelerate Responsible Resource Development, a forward-looking vision to boldly overhaul and modernize Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy. The government is inviting feedback to ensure the next phase of the strategy can respond to a rapidly changing world, with a focus on bolstering Canadian self-reliance, jobs and supply chains, to ensure Ontario continues to be the most attractive place in the G7 to invest and create jobs.
Ontario is also announcing the addition of high-purity iron and aluminum to its Critical Minerals List, the first expansion since its inception, underscoring a firm commitment to bolstering end-to-end supply chains that support manufacturing amid ongoing U.S. tariffs.
“In the fight for Canadian jobs, we transformed one of the slowest mining permitting systems to one of the fastest, emerging in the top two globally for attracting mining investment,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “Our new Critical Mineral Strategy will send a signal to the world: Ontario has a serious plan to build mines faster and create more jobs here at home. 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. Ontario’s new strategy will accelerate momentum, unlock opportunity, and attract the job-creating investments that will power growth across the province.”
Ontario’s five-year Critical Minerals Strategy, launched in 2022, laid a strong foundation. The previous strategy focused on the electric vehicle market and emphasizing the need for clean technologies, but the world has changed – fast and dramatically. Escalating geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, U.S. tariffs and rising trade protectionism demand a shaper, more agile response focused on ending foreign dominance and protecting Ontario’s vital industries and workers. Renewing the strategy will allow Ontario to stay ahead of that change ensuring the province remains competitive, resilient, and positioned to lead in a more uncertain economy.
The forward-looking vision paper invites feedback on key priorities to unlock our critical mineral wealth to protect economic security, strengthen sovereignty and lead as a trusted G7 partner, including:
- Planning for growth to reduce exposure to global shocks, ensuring Ontario is never left vulnerable to unstable or untrusted supply.
- Building a future-ready workforce to ensure we have the skilled workers to deliver.
- Continue delivering regulatory certainty and faster permitting delivery, creating one of the most advantageous regulatory environments in the world.
- Support exploration to find the mines of tomorrow, today.
- Build, early, meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships that support reconciliation, equity participation, and shared prosperity with Indigenous communities.
- Scale up innovation, attract global capital, and anchor critical mineral supply chains here at home.
The new strategy will be shaped by direct input from industry, Indigenous partners, communities, and the public – focused on strengthening domestic supply chains, ensuring economic and national security, accelerating responsible development, and building an economy that withstand today’s pressures and capture tomorrow’s opportunities. The feedback received will be instrumental in calibrating the next phase of the strategy to respond to a rapidly changing world and ensure Ontario continues to be the most attractive place in the G7 to invest and create jobs.
Learn more