The mining sector is at a “hinge moment” for Canada since critical mineral supply chains are being weaponized, says federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson . “To put it simply, our critical minerals are crucial to our security, sovereignty and national defence ,” he said at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto on Monday. “It also means that, for Canada and our allies, overreliance on concentrated foreign supply chains creates vulnerability.” Canada’s investment proposition has never been stronger, Hodgson said, and the country is one of the “few jurisdictions in the world” to offer a mix of world-class geology, deep, liquid public markets, stable regulatory institutions, strong environmental standards and Indigenous partnerships and political continuity. “And Canada will never use our resources as coercive tools,” he said. “Instead, we see them as tools to build a stronger G7 , a stronger (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and a more secure world for all our allies.” Hodgson also announced the second round of partnerships and investments under the Critical Minerals Production Alliance, a Canada-led initiative that works with other G7 countries to develop secure critical minerals supply chains. The federal government said 30 new partnerships and investments with 12 partners will unlock $12.1 billion in critical minerals projects. The partnerships include a synthetic graphite project, a lithium-processing facility and a rare earth elements recycling centre in Ontario, a metal extraction and site restoration project in British Columbia and an open pit pure molybdenum project in Greenland. “These deals represent aligned equity participation, offtake agreements and coordinated policy measures that accelerate projects and de-risk cross-border investment,” Hodgson said. In a separate announcement at PDAC on Monday, Hodgson and Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon said Natural Resources Canada will invest up to $40 million to create the Canadian Digital Core Library to digitize and share drill core samples from across the country. The project was first announced last year. “Drill cores are how we look underground before we dig,” Hodgson said. “They reduce risk and guide investment. These drill cores are Canada’s underground archive, a physical record of what lies beneath our feet. In fact, some drill cores in Canada are over 100 years old and still useful.” PDAC 2026: Mining industry has golden opportunity to prove its value to world, says Vale CEOGold to take centre stage at PDAC, with some predicting prices will hit $10,000 • Email: jswitzer@postmedia.com