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", "languageSelectorImage": { "imageLarge": "\/content\/dam\/stantec\/images\/Icons\/Map.svg", "altText": " World map" }, "globalRegion": { "name": "Global", "regionTag": "localization:global", "description": "", "languages": [ { "langCode": "en", "name": "English", "pathLink": { "url": "en" }, "active": "true" }, { "langCode": "fr", "name": "Français", "pathLink": { "url": "fr" }, "active": "false" } ] }, "regionLanguages": [ { "regionTag": "localization:china", "name": "China", "description": "", "languages": [ { "langCode": "en", "name": "English", "pathLink": { "url": "cn" }, "active": "false" }, { "langCode": "en", "name": "", "pathLink": { "url": "en" }, "active": "false" } ] }, { "regionTag": "localization:italy", "name": "Italy", "description": "", "languages": [ { "langCode": "it", "name": "Italiano", "pathLink": { "url": "it" }, "active": "false" }, { "langCode": "en", "name": "", "pathLink": { "url": "en" }, "active": "false" } ] }, { "regionTag": "localization:latin\u002Damerica", "name": "Latin America", "description": "", "languages": [ { "langCode": "es", "name": "Español", "pathLink": { "url": "es" }, "active": "false" }, { "langCode": "en", "name": "", "pathLink": { "url": "en" }, "active": "false" } ] }, { "regionTag": "localization:netherlands", "name": "Netherlands", "description": "", "languages": [ { "langCode": "nl", "name": "Nederlands", "pathLink": { "url": "nl" }, "active": "false" }, { "langCode": "en", "name": "", "pathLink": { "url": "en" }, "active": "false" } ] }, { "regionTag": "localization:taiwan", "name": "Taiwan", "description": "", "languages": [ { "langCode": "zh_tw", "name": "繁體中文", "pathLink": { "url": "zh_tw" }, "active": "false" }, { "langCode": "en", "name": "", "pathLink": { "url": "en" }, "active": "false" } ] }, { "regionTag": "localization:turkey", "name": "Turkiye", "description": "", "languages": [ { "langCode": "tr", "name": "Türkçe", "pathLink": { "url": "tr" }, "active": "false" }, { "langCode": "en", "name": "", "pathLink": { "url": "en" }, "active": "false" } ] } ], "originPath": "/content/stantec/en/ideas/content/article/2026/why-canadas-critical-minerals-strategy-must-start-with-enabling-infrastructure.html" } }Canada’s mineral wealth has always been a strategic asset. With global demand rising for materials like copper, nickel, lithium, graphite, and rare earth elements (REEs), Canada is well-positioned to play a central role in the mining industry and the reshaping of global supply chains. But as the conversation around critical minerals evolves, it is becoming increasingly clear that the real differentiator will not be only what is on the ground, but it will also be how we build the systems that support sustainable, reliable production.
Recent years have brought a surge of interest in critical minerals, driven by the global push toward electrification, sustainability goals, and national security. Yet despite this momentum, the investment climate has become more complicated. Prices for some battery metals have faltered because of shifting policy and free market manipulation. Exploration activity has been slow to rebound from decades-long lows. And many projects have struggled to move forward into construction. The reasons are varied and complex. But one factor stands out: the lack of foundational and trade-enabling infrastructure that attracts investment and allows projects to scale with confidence.
Cody Ryckman and Scott Trusler write in Canadian Mining Journal to explain why Canada can be a global leader in the critical minerals industry.
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