Ontario invests $3.1B in Indigenous-led critical minerals supply chain

The Ontario government is investing $3.1 billion to support Indigenous participation in the province’s growing critical minerals sector, aiming to establish a made-in-Ontario supply chain grounded in shared ownership and opportunity.

The Progressive Conservative government announced the funding package includes $3 billion through the new Indigenous Opportunities Financing Program, which will help Indigenous partners expand into high-growth sectors beyond electricity.

An additional $70 million over four years will go to the Indigenous Participation Fund to build community capacity in regions with significant mineral activity. The province will also provide $10 million over three years in scholarships for Indigenous postsecondary students pursuing careers in resource development.

“These bold investments will aid local businesses and people, particularly in the northern parts of our province like Timmins, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and North Bay, along with a variety of Indigenous communities, in hopes of working towards our goal to make a stronger and more resilient Ontario,” the government said in a release.

The funding package is part of Ontario’s broader strategy to support economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities while securing the province’s place in the global critical minerals supply chain.