New Brunswick’s Sisson Mine has been added to Ottawa’s list of nation-building projects, with Premier Susan Holt calling it an important step in putting the province on the national stage.
“Today’s announcement (….) is a clear sign of the major role that New Brunswick can play in the Canadian economy,” Holt told reporters Thursday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney made a visit to New Brunswick to meet Holt two days ago and hinted the province would be included in the list.
On Thursday, Carney announced the second batch of major projects the government is submitting for possible fast-track approval on Thursday.
Other projects on the list include a nickel mine in northern Ontario, a hydroelectric project in Iqaluit, a transmission line and an LNG project both in northwest British Columbia and a graphite mine in Quebec.
“What the world wants is Canada to be the reliable supplier of critical minerals,” Carney said.
The projects chosen are ones that have national implications, and Carney said the mine fits the bill.
Based on Crown lands near Stanley, N.B., the Sisson project is poised to mine for tungsten and molybdenum.
Both minerals can be used for energy storage and to improve battery performance. As well, since they are lightweight and durable materials, they can also be used in the defence and aerospace industries.
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“It’ll position Canada as a reliable supplier for steel manufacturing, defence and protective equipment,” said Carney.
The mine is a project decades in the making. Northcliffe Resources says a succession of different mining companies have undergone preparations for the project over more than 40 years, and the Holt government has highlighted its potential for months.
It has already received federal and provincial environmental approvals.
“We believe now is the time to unlock our potential here in New Brunswick, to put our resources to use for New Brunswickers and for Canada,” said Holt.
In 2017, Wolastoqey chiefs and the province signed an accommodation agreement regarding the Sisson Mine, with six First Nations to receive a percentage of mine royalties.
It’s too soon to say if a present-day agreement would mirror that arrangement, Holt said, “that’s the kind of thing that’s being discussed and negotiated now.”
St. Mary’s First Nation Chief Alan Polchies Jr. said the Wolastoqey chiefs are still gathering information about what this latest development will mean for their communities, but the focus remains on their rights.
“The Wolastoqey chiefs will insist that all proper processes are put in place, and of course that we ensure that the Wolastoqey rights are respected,” he said.
Holt said her team has been in discussions with First Nations and communities in the area over the past several months, picking up on conversations that began years ago.
She said discussions, including those around equity, will continue.
“We’re at the beginning of the equity component considerations, we may well be leveraging the funds the federal government has put in place to support First Nations in taking equity stakes in projects like this,” said Holt.
“So that piece is more in its infancy because that’s part of the modernization of this project.”
The designation as a nation-building major project means the mine will be streamlined through normal regulatory processes.
The premier told reporters site development is expected this coming spring.
— with a file from The Canadian Press
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