It was acknowledged that the biggest challenge to building a new mine is the regulatory red tape associated with mine permits and the high capital cost of projects. In this opening panel, leading mining executives will share their perspectives on the opportunities, constraints, and strategic choices shaping Ontario’s emergence as a global critical minerals supplier.

• What are the strategic opportunities and risks in advancing critical minerals exploration and production in Ontario?
• How are global trade dynamics, tariffs, and geopolitical shifts influencing Ontario’s critical minerals path to market?
• Where are current regulatory and funding mechanisms supporting progress — and where are they falling short?
• What is the incentive price that will allow companies to build projects?
• What’s needed to attract private capital and accelerate downstream investment in refining and processing?
• How is the push for early, meaningful Indigenous partnerships reshaping project development—and how can junior miners meet these expectations despite limited resources?
• Are Ontario’s strong ESG credentials helping to differentiate its critical minerals in the global marketplace — and how are buyers valuing those attributes?

SESSION LEADER

• Where is provincial and federal funding being directed — and which types of projects are best positioned to access it
• What regulatory and permitting timelines mean for project development and capital planning
• How are infrastructure investment and policy priorities shaping near-term opportunities for mining and Indigenous partnership

• How are recent US tariffs affecting Ontario’s access to US markets and investment in downstream processing?
• What the dispute means for cross-border critical mineral supply chains and Ontario’s integration with the US defense and EV sectors
• How Ontario miners and policymakers can adapt to shifting trade dynamics and reduce exposure to trade volatility

• Key barriers to financing critical minerals projects in Ontario - from exploration to processing
• How infrastructure gaps, permitting delays, and uncertain demand signals affect bankability and project timelines
• The role of government initiatives and public-private partnerships 

While investor interest in Ontario’s critical minerals is growing, financing challenges remain due to long timelines, policy uncertainty, and market instability. This panel explores actionable solutions for attracting capital, de-risking projects, and ensuring that government funding plays a catalytic role in building Ontario’s critical minerals market.

• What funding gaps exist at exploration, development, and processing stages — and how can they be addressed?
• How can permitting clarity and regulatory coordination (e.g., “one project, one process”) reduce investor risk?
• What role are Ontario, NRCan, CIB, and CMIF playing in validating projects and unlocking private capital?
• Are flow-through shares, tax credits, and loan guarantees sufficient to support early-stage miners?
• What do big banks need to play an active role in financing early stage critical minerals projects - i.e. what type of offtake agreements can unlock debt and attract institutional investment?
• How does the lack of local midstream infrastructure impact project bankability and long-term investor interest?
• What reforms or innovations are needed to make Ontario more globally competitive?

• The financial shift: How Indigenous investment vehicles like loan guarantees, pooled capital, and equity partnerships are expanding community participation beyond the mine — to energy, roads, and water
• Why empowering Indigenous equity in infrastructure is key to accelerating permitting, de-risking projects, and building trust in Ontario’s critical minerals sector.
• Equitable Partnerships: How miners can align early with Indigenous financial priorities to co-create infrastructure solutions that are bankable, scalable, and inclusive

• Key drivers behind Taykwa Tagamou Nation’s landmark $20M equity investment for the development of the Crawford nickel mine project
• Equity as a foundation for co-development between mining and First Nations partners
• What does this model signal for future project financing strategies involving First Nations, strategic partners, and government funding?

This panel explores how a growing number of federal and provincial initiatives including loan guarantees, pooled funds, and equity models are enabling Indigenous communities to play a more active role in infrastructure and project financing for critical minerals — and what this means for miners and investors looking to partner effectively.

• How are Indigenous-led financing structures — including loan guarantees, pooled capital, and equity partnerships — address infrastructure gaps for critical minerals in Ontario?
• How are First Nations beginning to leverage tools like loan guarantees and pooled funds to support project participation - and how are these opportunities stackable?
• What are some early examples of Indigenous involvement in infrastructure financing — and what’s driving success?
• How do these models help address regulatory, permitting, or de-risking challenges in project development?
• What do investors, governments, and miners need to understand to support scalable, Indigenous-driven development?

• What the current permitting process looks like in Ontario — and how it’s changing
• Common bottlenecks, misconceptions, and where delays typically arise
• Practical advice for aligning technical work with regulatory expectations and community engagement

Ontario’s push to streamline permitting through initiatives like Bill 5 reflects growing urgency to accelerate critical minerals development. At the same time, the federal government’s "one project, one process" initiative aims to simplify overlapping jurisdictional reviews for major projects. This panel brings together Indigenous leaders, legal experts, and mining executives to explore how these reforms are reshaping the permitting landscape—and what’s needed to ensure faster approvals don’t come at the cost of meaningful engagement or long-term project certainty.

• How are provincial and federal permitting reforms, including Bill 5 and "one project, one process," changing the regulatory landscape for critical minerals projects?
• What concerns and opportunities are being raised by Indigenous communities and industry regarding consultation and project oversight?
• Does the current reform agenda address the core challenges: timeline uncertainty, lack of clarity, and high permitting costs—especially for juniors?
• What strategies can companies adopt to foster stronger relationships with regulators and Indigenous partners throughout the project lifecycle?
• How can Ontario align with national infrastructure planning to unlock project timelines and enhance permitting coordination?

• How does this project create a circular supply chain for Ontario’s EV ecosystem—from battery waste to critical mineral recovery
• Structuring equitable partnerships that deliver long-term benefits and First Nations ownership in clean energy infrastructure
• What’s needed - from permitting to export controls - to scale battery recycling and grow domestic midstream capacity

• Why midstream refining control - not just raw material extraction - is key to Ontario’s global competitiveness in EVs emerging industries and national defence

• How Ucore secured multi-source funding and next steps for Canada’s first commercial demonstration plant in Kingston ON, Canada for processing mid-stream rare earths

• The role of Ontario’s midstream processing capacity in anchoring Canada’s role as a NATO critical mineral provider highlighting secure access to rare earths essential for national security applications

• Lessons to date in developing a lithium conversion facility, including permitting, funding, and site selection
• How collaboration with Mitsubishi Corporation supports offtake alignment, project de-risking, and international market access
• Aligning with government and Indigenous priorities: Leveraging public funding and community engagement to build support for critical infrastructure

Offtake agreements are critical for financing Ontario’s critical mineral projects but demand volatility, market manipulation, and geopolitical shifts are upending traditional routes to market. This presentation explores emerging solutions like government-backed price guarantees and new demand pathways from defence and midstream buyers.

• Why offtake markets remain a key bottleneck for project financing
• Exploring the role of government-backed price guarantees to unlock investment
• Defence procurement and midstream capacity as emerging offtake pathways
• What buyers and investors need to see from Ontario producers

This panel brings together procurement leaders from battery manufacturing, automotive, and defense sectors to discuss what they need from suppliers, how they assess jurisdictional risk, and what Ontario must do to become a go-to source for responsibly sourced materials.

• How are you currently sourcing critical minerals, and what criteria drive supplier selection?
• What role does ESG verification and traceability play in your procurement decisions?
• How important is proximity to midstream capacity (refining, conversion) when evaluating supply from a region?
• What signals or support from governments and companies would make Ontario projects more attractive to your organization?
• How do you view defense procurement as a stable offtake route, and what’s needed to expand this channel?
• What are your long-term expectations for Ontario’s role in your global supply chain?

Senior leaders from across Canada’s critical minerals mining sector will share insights on how they’re advancing and investing in projects, what’s driving momentum, and where barriers remain. This session will provide timely insights into national opportunities, the case for streamlined permitting, and the potential for a pan-Canadian approach to critical minerals development.

• What are the most strategic opportunities and pressing challenges for advancing and investing in critical minerals projects across the country?
• How are current permitting and regulatory processes supporting - or stalling-development timelines?
• What infrastructure or logistical gaps are most limiting, and how are you working to overcome them?
• How are you engaging Indigenous partners in your projects, and what have been the keys to meaningful, long-term collaboration?
• Is there real value in a more streamlined, pan-Canadian approach—and what would it take to get there?
• How can Canada position itself to compete globally - particularly with China and other dominant players-in securing market share for critical minerals?

This session aims to foster connections, knowledge sharing, innovative ideas, and collaboration for critical minerals in Ontario. Attendees are invited to join themed tables hosted by experts in the main networking area on critical topics of interest, including: 

• Financing Early-Stage Critical Minerals Projects
• Navigating Permitting & Regulatory Requirements 
• Indigenous-Led Infrastructure Partnerships
• Scaling Ontario’s Midstream Processing Capacity
• Aligning Energy Infrastructure with Mine Development
• Offtake Agreements and Global Market Access

This panel will explore the practical and political realities of advancing development in the Ring of Fire including First Nations leadership, mining industry investment, infrastructure coordination, and government support. With a renewed emphasis on Indigenous-led development and infrastructure that serves both community and industry needs, this conversation will explore what’s working, what’s blocking progress, and what must happen next.

• How are partnerships between First Nations, government, and industry evolving in the Ring of Fire?
• What are the key barriers - regulatory, logistical, or political - to aligning infrastructure with mining timelines?
• How are Indigenous-led approaches to road and infrastructure development reshaping the conversation?
• The Ring of Fire has been in development for almost 20 years — what are the risks of further delays for commodity cycles, investor confidence, and community interests?
• What lessons from recent co-development agreements can inform broader strategy?
• How can government and mining companies ensure road and energy investments create long-term benefits for both communities and the sector?
• What key actions could most accelerate responsible development in the Ring of Fire over the next 12 months?

As demand from critical minerals miners grows, how is Ontario’s electricity system planning to respond? This presentation will outline current transmission and distribution planning relevant to Northern Ontario and key mining regions, addressing system capacity, timelines, and opportunities for collaboration.
 

• How Wabun Tribal Council worked with nine First Nations and Hydro One to develop a precedent-setting energy infrastructure partnership in Northeastern Ontario
• Navigating legal, financial, and community coordination challenges to secure long-term energy agreements and revenue opportunities
• Why traditional energy infrastructure finance models fall short when the offtaker is a mine - and the concerns Indigenous communities face in taking on risk

As Ontario positions itself as a global hub for critical minerals, access to reliable, scalable, and low-carbon power is becoming a defining factor for project viability. This panel brings together leaders from utilities, Indigenous communities, transmission and distribution providers, and infrastructure developers to explore how collaboration can accelerate energy development, reduce risk, and ensure equitable benefits across regions.

• As demand from the critical minerals sector grows, how is Ontario’s electricity system adapting its planning and investment priorities to meet that need?
• What energy infrastructure plans are taking shape in Northern Ontario, and how are Indigenous communities looking to shape and benefit from these developments?
• How are energy infrastructure projects being financed, and what role can public-private partnerships and Indigenous ownership play in de-risking investments?
• How are transmission capacity and connection timelines impacting site selection, permitting, and investor confidence in new projects?
• What role can emerging energy sources—nuclear, renewables, storage—play in meeting mining’s future load requirements?
• What coordination mechanisms exist (or are needed) to align mining development with long-term energy system planning across government, utilities, and Indigenous communities?
• How can Ontario ensure new energy infrastructure delivers both industrial power and sustainable benefits for Indigenous and local communities?

This panel brings together international experts to explore how critical minerals strategies are being implemented around the world—and how those experiences can help guide Ontario’s approach. From investment models to policy frameworks, Indigenous engagement to infrastructure planning, this session will focus on the most transferable lessons for Ontario’s miners, policy makers, and project developers.

• How are critical minerals strategies evolving in your country or region, and what major shifts are shaping the landscape for miners, investors, Indigenous communities, and governments?
• What policy tools or public-private models have proven most effective in scaling critical minerals supply chains and attracting long-term investment?
• What common bottlenecks—such as permitting, infrastructure, or ESG frameworks—are you seeing, and how are they being addressed?
• Based on your observations at this Forum, what stands out about Ontario’s approach to critical minerals development?
• Most importantly, what are the key lessons or cautionary tales from your region that Ontario should consider as it builds a globally competitive and inclusive critical minerals sector?