Less than two weeks before the start of the 2024 PDAC Convention in Toronto, Ian Mitchell, leader of Gowling WLG's global Mining Group, appeared on BNN Bloomberg's The Close to discuss the current state of critical mineral mining in Canada. Much of the discussion focused on whether the sector was well-positioned to meet the demands of the country's aggressive EV targets, while also remaining competitive on the world stage.
In the interview, Ian highlighted that Canada’s stable politics, clean grid, proximity to the United States, and sterling ESG reputation gave it a reason to be optimistic. However, he also stressed that these competitive advantages wouldn’t last forever, and that Canada needed to move quickly if it’s to stay one step ahead of the competition globally.
According to Ian, effective cooperation is an essential ingredient in this regard:
“What we need to do is collaborate more broadly across governments – provincial, federal, Indigenous communities – and with industry, as opposed to having, for example, a province-made solution that requires federal funding and consultation after the fact.
"I think there's high-level alignment on these issues. It's just about coming up with a plan together to avoid two or three years of consultation that puts us behind."
Watch the full interview at the link below, and click here to learn how to connect with our Mining Group during PDAC 2024
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