Investments in critical minerals infrastructure are essential to enable Canada to seize the enormous economic opportunity presented by the low-carbon economy and to capitalize on our rich mineral resources. Canada is well positioned to be a global leader and a first-class producer of a wide variety of critical minerals that are essential to powering the clean economy, including lithium and copper, and to create good jobs and support economic opportunities across critical mineral value chains — from mining to processing, manufacturing and recycling.

MP Michael McLeod, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, along with the Honourable Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Infrastructure for the Northwest Territories, announced up to $25 million in infrastructure funding, pending final due diligence, to the Government of Northwest Territories for its Taltson Hydro Expansion Project. This funding would be provided through the federal government’s Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF). The project is in partnership with Indigenous governments, including the Akaitcho Dene First Nations, the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, and the Salt River First Nation. This partnership-based approach ensures that these Indigenous governments play a key role in shaping the project’s direction.

The Government of Northwest Territories plans to complete pre-construction milestones for the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project to build a new 60-megawatt generation facility near the existing Taltson Hydro Facility south of Great Slave Lake, as well as a 230-kilovolt transmission line connecting the Taltson grid with the Snare hydro system grid north of Great Slave Lake. Expansion of the Taltson system and connection to the North Slave region would enhance the Northwest Territories’ green energy capacity and reliability, significantly reducing the region’s future greenhouse gas emissions and providing grid connection opportunities for multiple critical minerals projects and communities in both the North and South Slave regions. Pending final due diligence, Natural Resources Canada has conditionally approved an investment of up to $25 million under the CMIF for this project.

The CMIF is a key program under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy to address infrastructure gaps, enable critical minerals production and connect resources to markets through various clean energy, electrification and transportation infrastructure projects. Additional funding decisions for projects under the CMIF to further critical minerals infrastructure development expected in the coming months.

These new critical minerals projects, alongside investments toward clean energy projects in rural and remote Indigenous communities, highlight the Government of Canada’s partnership with the Northwest Territories through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables (Regional Tables). The Northwest Territories joined the Regional Tables process in 2022 as a way for the two levels of government, with Indigenous partners, to work more closely together to identify and accelerate the tremendous opportunities in the low-carbon economy. To get there, Canada and the Northwest Territories — in collaboration with Indigenous partners and with the input of key stakeholders — are developing a collaboration framework that will lay out joint actions that can be taken in the short and medium term to build tomorrow’s low-carbon economy. The collaboration framework will be released in 2025.

Critical minerals are essential components in products used for clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles, electrical transmission lines and batteries. Canada’s mining sector provides many of the building blocks of clean technologies, including lithium and copper, needed to fight climate change and build a clean economy.

Quotes

“This project, under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy’s flagship program, will develop the necessary energy infrastructure to enhance the Northwest Territories’ green energy capabilities and provide benefits to multiple critical minerals mines and communities. Developments like this help mines get built faster and will help decarbonize Indigenous communities, and they are a key element in seizing the generational opportunity before us. This investment complements the region’s long history and deep expertise in mining, creates good jobs in the Northwest Territories and advances economic growth, now and into the future.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“These strategic investments in clean energy infrastructure are key to realizing Canada’s critical minerals potential. I am proud to highlight to highlight the conditional approval of the Talston Hydro Expansion Project, which will help reduce the region’s future greenhouse gas emissions and provide economic opportunities in the North.”

Michael McLeod
Member of Parliament, Northwest Territories

“The Taltson Hydro Expansion Project will be a key piece of infrastructure of the Northwest Territories. Significant progress has been made to bring our Steering Committee of governments together and today’s announcement enables us to advance next steps to conclude the legacies of the original Taltson project and regulatory processes for the expansion. We thank Canada for their contribution to supporting strategic infrastructure investments to improve quality of life for NWT residents and prepare the territory for investment and growth.”

The Honourable Caroline Wawzonek,
Minister of Infrastructure for the Northwest Territories

“We’re supporting northern and Indigenous communities by investing in northern-led clean energy solutions. The Taltson Hydro Expansion Project will enhance clean power supply for critical minerals development in the Northwest Territories while advancing energy security, supporting local jobs and economic development, and moving away from polluting and costly diesel.”

The Honourable Dan Vandal
Minister of Northern Affairs

“The NWTMN is pleased to see Canada supporting our important project; this funding is essential and will allow us to move forward on this opportunity which can provide benefits today and for our future generations.”

Garry Bailey
President, Northwest Territory Métis Nation

Quick Facts

• Canada has developed its own critical minerals strategy with the aim of advancing the development of these resources and related value chains to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy and support advanced technology and manufacturing.
• The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy addresses five core objectives:
  • supporting economic growth, competitiveness and job creation;
  • promoting climate action and strong environmental management;
  • enhancing global security and partnerships with allies;
  • advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples; and
  • fostering diverse and inclusive workforces and communities.
• Canada’s whole-of-government approach to critical mineral development is collaborative, forward-looking, iterative, adaptive and long-term. The initiatives presented in the Strategy will be implemented and refined in collaboration with provincial, territorial, Indigenous, industry and other Canadian and international partners.
• The CMIF is a key program under the Strategy to support enabling clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects necessary to increase Canada’s supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals.
• The CMIF supports strategic priorities, such as decarbonizing industrial mining operations; strengthening supply chains through transportation infrastructure; and advancing economic reconciliation by supporting the participation of Indigenous Peoples in infrastructure and critical minerals projects.
• In addition, the federal government is helping to develop Canada’s abundant critical minerals through NRCan’s Regional Energy and Resource Tables (Regional Tables). These Regional Tables are joint partnerships with individual provinces and territories in in collaboration with Indigenous partners — and with the input of key stakeholders — to identify and accelerate shared economic priorities for a low-carbon future in the energy and resource sectors.

Related Information

• Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy
• Government of Canada Launches $1.5-Billion Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund
• Canada and B.C. Invest in Infrastructure Upgrades to Support Critical Minerals Development in Northwest B.C. and Create Jobs Across the Province
• Canada Announces Significant Funding to Unlock More Critical Minerals Development in Northern British Columbia and the Yukon
• Supporting Critical Minerals Development in Northern Ontario
• Programs and funding for critical minerals projects
• Regional Energy and Resource Tables