Atlantic Canada mines policy shift to attract investment
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Provinces move to simplify approvals for exploration and development, while experts stress the long timelines to productionYou can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.New Brunswick’s move to streamline provincial and federal approvals for mining projects is part of a broader Atlantic effort to revive mining activity in the region, but economists say that while the regulatory changes are necessary, they will take years to translate into new mines and exports.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.The Atlantic provinces sit atop a wide range of mineral deposits, including lithium, graphite, nickel, copper, zinc and gold, resources that are increasingly critical to electric vehicles, batteries, defence supply chains and clean-energy infrastructure.Despite that geological advantage, most projects in the region remain stalled at the exploration or development stage.New Brunswick earlier this week said it will use a single expert review panel that brings together local, provincial and federal authorities and adopt a “one project, one review” approach aimed at eliminating duplication between assessments.Premier Susan Holt said the change is intended to give mining proponents clearer timelines and greater certainty when advancing major projects.Patrick Brannon, a senior researcher with the Atlantic Economic Council, said the reforms address one of the biggest barriers facing mining investment and that other provinces should adopt the same streamlined federal-provincial review process.Ottawa and Ontario on Thursday finalized a “one project, one process, one decision” to streamline environmental approvals for large projects, including for the mineral-rich Ring of Fire area in the northern part of the province.“The region has tremendous potential, but having the resource is only part of the equation,” he said. “Regulatory certainty, infrastructure and access to capital matter just as much. These reforms are a positive first step, but investment doesn’t turn into production overnight.”Brannon has been urging governments to modernize mining regulation for several years. In 2023, he said Atlantic Canada needed clearer, faster and more coordinated regulatory processes to compete for critical minerals investment and that any delays risked pushing capital to other provinces and countries.He said mining projects typically take 15 to 20 years from discovery to operation, even in supportive jurisdictions.Streamlined approvals can shorten those timelines, but projects still face financing challenges and the need for reliable power and transportation infrastructure. There’s also political risk as governments bend to public sentiment on matters such as imposing bans on specific sectors like uranium. Quebec and British Columbia currently have moratoriums on uranium mining.Other Atlantic provinces are also taking steps to make mining development more predictable. Nova Scotia has shortened permitting timelines, expanded its critical minerals list, dropped a ban on uranium mining in March, introduced a phased approval process and launched an online portal to cut red tape.Newfoundland and Labrador has rolled out a critical minerals plan, updated mining laws, added a regulatory navigator and expanded its junior exploration assistance program, which helps small companies cover early stage exploration costs.Brannon said Newfoundland stands out as the region’s most established mining jurisdiction, regularly ranking near the top globally of the Fraser Institute’s annual survey of mining investment attractiveness and hosting multiple operating mines on the island and in Labrador. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, by contrast, are earlier in the cycle, with promising deposits, but little current production.That assessment aligns with Global Business Reports’ description of Atlantic Canada as a region with significant geological diversity and many of the minerals Canada has identified as critical. Its Quebec and Atlantic Canada Mining 2025 report said Newfoundland has a broad mineral base while Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are underexplored jurisdictions with long-term potential, provided regulatory certainty and coordination improve.Most critical-mineral projects across the region remain in early to mid-stage development. Newfoundland’s nickel, copper, cobalt and rare-earth projects are largely at the exploration phase, with lithium emerging more recently.Nova Scotia has lithium, graphite, copper, zinc and gold prospects ranging from early exploration to development-ready sites, while New Brunswick’s copper, zinc, gold, lithium and rare earth deposits include both advanced projects and existing operations, but few new mines are close to production.Still, exploration is happening across Atlantic Canada, driven in part by strong gold prices.For example, New Found Gold Corp. is advancing its Hammerdown gold project in Newfoundland, while Puma Exploration Inc. is exploring the Williams Brook gold project in New Brunswick.First Atlantic Nickel Corp. is actively exploring for nickel in Newfoundland, and Kenorland Minerals Ltd. is focusing on base metals such as zinc, copper and lead at its Atlantic Project in New Brunswick.
Great Atlantic Resources Corp., a multi‑commodity exploration company, is targeting deposits that include antimony, vanadium and lithium, among other metals.Brannon said capital availability remains a major constraint, particularly for junior mining companies, and that regulatory reform alone will not be enough to unlock investment.“Anything that reduces uncertainty helps investment decisions,” he said. “But capital markets are cautious, infrastructure takes time to build and community and Indigenous partnerships are essential. This is a long game.”• Email: arankin@postmedia.comPostmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.