The report points out that the country’s share of global production for critical minerals and metals has also gone down, with other jurisdictions capturing greater market share for growing demand.
A poll commissioned by the MAC revealed that public enthusiasm for enhanced critical minerals development in Canada is high
“Critical to bolstering the industry’s domestic and international leadership is a predictable and consistent domestic policy and regulatory environment, with proactive and bold policy to position the country for longer-term success, particularly in the face of the pandemic,” Pierre Gratton, MAC’s president and CEO, said in a media statement. “There are tremendous opportunities to do that in the areas of critical and battery minerals – arguably the foundation for any resurgence in Canadian advanced manufacturing and essential elements in the move towards a lower-carbon future.”
Gratton said that public enthusiasm for enhanced critical minerals development in Canada is high, as a survey commissioned by MAC and carried out by Abacus Data revealed.
The study showed that 90% of the people polled liked the idea of Canada being a preferred source for critical minerals and are looking forward to seeing the government taking a number of steps to support this approach.
“It is clear that these essential elements required as inputs in the goods – including clean and healthcare technologies – we create and on which Canadians and our economy depend, represent an important opportunity for the country’s mining sector and the economy as a whole,” the press brief states.
Also on the positive side of things, the Mining Association of Canada’s report shows that the industry continues to be a strong employment generator, accounting for one in every 26 jobs in Canada or approximately 719,000 positions, with 16,500 of those occupied by Indigenous peoples.
