Ontario's Minister of Mines visits Sudbury
Ontario's Minister of Mines highlighted the Critical Mineral Innovation Fund during a tour of Sudbury on Monday.
George Pirie spoke of the funding during a tour of Dynamic Earth, reaffirming the $15 million promised in the 2024 budget.
"We have everything the world needs in northern Ontario and this is our time to take advantage of a generational opportunity," Pirie said.
"Sudbury, Timmins and Thunder Bay, and other regions in the north, all have a part to play in mining in Ontario."
The Critical Mineral Innovation Fund was first introduced in 2022 as part of the Critical Mineral Strategy to address supply chain challenges and strengthen the industry.
Pirie also shone a spotlight on two local recipients of the fund: Vale and the Mining Innovation Rehabilitation and Applied Research (MIRARCO).
Vale received $500,000 to work with MIRARCO to improve the mining giant's sustainability goals.
Glen Watson, senior sustainability specialist with Vale, said the partnership provided the industry giant an excellent opportunity.
"The (fund) has allowed us to work with an excellent research facility right in our backyard and looking at waste materials as a resource instead of a liability," Watson said.
"It has been really important in not only funding some fundamental and applied research, but also engaging in industry directly," said Nadia Mykytczuk, CEO of MIRARCO.
"I think the biggest challenge in addressing critical minerals demand is putting pressure on the mining industry, and yet they’re looking for new tools for other sources like waste, how do we go after something that had been sitting out for over 100 years and extract those critical minerals sustainably."
Pirie will also be speaking at the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities Conference.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Flammable kids' sleepwear, salmonella-contaminated chips: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued recalls for various items this week, including kids' bassinets, chips, and stoves. Here's what to watch out for.
The secret Italian lakes that most tourists don't know about
Italy has dozens of secret smaller lakes that boast superb scenery, unknown to mass tourism, where locals get together on day trips and enjoy picnics.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
From DVDs to rehearsals: Halifax theatre company transforms Video Difference building into arts hub
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.