The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - July 25, 2025
An old mine building at the town of Cobalt, Ontario, speaks to the province's critical minerals history and future potential.
Click on the image to read "An Introduction to Ontario's Critical Minerals."
To accelerate the development of a critical minerals supply chain in Ontario and across Canada, the provincial government is investing C$7 million (US$5.1 million) into innovative companies pioneering new mineral exploration and mining technologies in the province.
This latest round of funding through the province's Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF) is focused on realizing the economic potential Ontario's critical minerals have to offer and reducing reliance on foreign sources in the face of economic uncertainty from U.S. tariffs.
"With global demand for critical minerals soaring – and new U.S. tariffs targeting Canada's mining and manufacturing sectors – Ontario is taking action to accelerate growth and innovation in Ontario's mining sector," said Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce. "Through the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund, we are putting Ontario first, building a made-in-Canada supply chain that attracts investment and creates good-paying jobs here at home."
CMIF was established in 2022 as part of Ontario's larger mines-to-market critical minerals strategy.
Click on the image to read "An Introduction to Ontario's Critical Minerals."
Extending north from Canada's manufacturing hub along the northern shores of the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay, Ontario hosts deposits and mines with more than 30 minerals critical to the automotive, energy, high-tech, and other industrial sectors.
Mining is already embedded in Ontario's culture and economy, contributing roughly C$14.4 billion ($10.5 billion) to the province's GDP and supporting an estimated 74,000 direct and indirect jobs.
CMIF aims to ensure that mining remains an integral part of Ontario's economy into the future by supporting:
• Innovative techniques for deep exploration and mining.
• Mineral recovery technologies.
• Battery supply chains.
• Mining innovations.
Over the past three years, this fund has invested C$20 million ($14.6 million) in 29 Ontario-based projects.
In its 2025 budget, the provincial government has allotted an additional C$5 million for CMIF over the next two years to stimulate investment in the critical minerals supply chain and support the development and commercialization of innovative minerals exploration and mining technologies.
"Ontario is doubling down on its efforts to protect our province from economic uncertainty and secure our future as global leaders in critical minerals," said Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy.
CMIF will contribute up to C$500,000 ($364,600) to cover up as much as half the costs of eligible critical mineral initiatives in the province.
Avalon Advanced Materials President and CEO Scott Monteith said the provincial support is essential for battery supply chain projects such as the Lake Superior Lithium processing facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
"Such funding will strengthen investment in innovative mineral processing technologies, helping to bolster Ontario's mining industry," he said.
Those interested in CMIF funding can submit an application through Transfer Payment Ontario.
With more than 17 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration, and technology metals.
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