Prime Minister Mark Carney Unveils $650 Million Pan-Canadian Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc announced on Monday the launch of the $650 million Pan-Canadian Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund, deploying federal capital to construct all-season transportation corridors, high-voltage transmission lines, and regional clean energy microgrids connecting remote northern mineral deposits to domestic processing hubs.

The program, administered through Natural Resources Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, directly targets infrastructure deficits in northern Ontario's Ring of Fire, Quebec's James Bay lithium district, the Northwest Territories, and northern Saskatchewan's uranium and rare earth corridors.

Securing Domestic Supply Chains for the Global Clean Economy Prime Minister Carney emphasized that Canada possesses extraordinary deposits of all 34 minerals critical to battery manufacturing, semiconductor fabrication, defense industrial systems, and clean energy generation, but development has historically been constrained by lack of basic road and electrical infrastructure.

"The global clean energy transition represents the greatest economic opportunity of our generation, and Canada has the resources the world needs," Prime Minister Carney said in Sudbury. "By investing $650 million in foundational infrastructure—building roads, bridges, and clean transmission lines in full partnership with Indigenous nations—we are unlocking billions in private capital, creating high-wage northern careers, and securing our economic sovereignty."

Indigenous Co-Ownership and Environmental Safeguards Under the program framework, infrastructure projects must incorporate binding Indigenous equity ownership agreements and joint environmental stewardship protocols with local First Nations and Métis communities.

Key priority project allocations include:

• Northern Ontario Ring of Fire Access Corridors: $180 million for all-season road foundations connecting Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations.
• James Bay Clean Power Extension (Quebec): $140 million to connect emerging lithium mining and processing facilities directly to the Hydro-Québec grid.
• Northern Saskatchewan Uranium & Rare Earth Transmission: $110 million for high-voltage line expansions.
• Northwest Territories Slave Geological Province Road: $120 million for all-weather highway segments.

Mining association executives and northern community leaders praised the initiative, highlighting that shared public infrastructure lowers capital expenditure barriers for domestic processing facilities while reducing diesel dependency in remote northern communities.