Once a month, we partner up with LobbyIQ to update our readers on recent movements in the federal lobbying landscape in Ottawa. We provide separate coverage for each channel, defined by the most relevant industries, organizations, institutions, and subject matters.

📊 Key Takeaways — Mining, 2026-03

• Overall, lobbying across this channel's industries totalled 198 meetings in March 2026, compared to a 12-month average of 150.2 (+32%). This represents a notable increase.
• The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include: Impala Canada Limited, Foran Mining Corporation, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited.

📰 Real-World Implications — Mining, 2026-03

Federal Critical Minerals Push Drives Record Mining Lobbying

A major surge in mining sector lobbying in March 2026 reflects new, unprecedented federal government support for critical minerals—including $3.6 billion in new programs, bilateral agreements, and tax incentives announced at PDAC 2026. These initiatives have elevated mining to a national security industry, spurring companies to engage heavily with policy-makers to influence how funding is allocated, projects are approved, and regulations are shaped.

📎 Government of Canada invests to unlock Canada’s critical minerals advantage · Top 5 Things To Know About PDAC 2026 And Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy

Race to Secure Supply Chains Heightens Industry Volatility

The high volatility and event-driven surges in lobbying reflect Canada’s efforts to counter global supply chain risks and foreign (notably Chinese) dominance in mineral processing. Ottawa’s moves to secure deals with G7 and allied nations—and scrutiny of foreign takeovers—have companies maneuvering aggressively to position themselves for federal support, international offtake deals, and to ensure regulatory certainty as global competition intensifies.

📎 Canada unleashes $12 billion mining push as Hodgson declares 'new era' at PDAC · Canada signs over 20 critical mineral deals but faces $12-billion U.S. challenge to turn diplomacy into mines

Strategic Infrastructure, Indigenous Partnerships Spur Targeted Lobbying

Notable spikes in organization-specific lobbying, especially toward Natural Resources Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development, demonstrate companies’ efforts to influence the allocation of infrastructure and Indigenous partnership funds. The new $1.5B First and Last Mile Fund and the Indigenous priority funding pools make direct outreach essential for companies wanting a competitive edge as Ottawa steers major project support toward responsible and inclusive development.

📎 Government of Canada invests to unlock Canada’s critical minerals advantage · PDAC 2026: Hodgson says Canada's mining sector is at a 'hinge moment' while announcing new critical minerals projects

Streamlined Permitting and Regulatory Overhaul Attracts Industry Advocacy

Increased advocacy toward Natural Resources Canada, ISED, and Parliament coincides with major announcements to overhaul permitting timelines and regulatory review processes—especially for critical and strategic minerals. Lobbying activity likely aims to shape the specifics of regulatory streamlining and to secure faster, coordinated approvals for high-priority projects, as Ottawa and some provinces (notably B.C.) roll out fixed permitting windows and new escalation frameworks.

📎 BC Gov News: Boosting mineral-exploration sector through new permit timelines · Top 5 Things To Know About PDAC 2026 And Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy

Policy Priorities Shift Toward Indigenous Affairs, Climate, and Regional Development

Mining companies are substantially increasing lobbying on Indigenous affairs, climate, and regional development, aligning with new government funding criteria and policy frameworks. Federal programs now prioritize Indigenous engagement, decarbonization, and regional economic benefits as prerequisites for project support, prompting focused advocacy to ensure company initiatives qualify for—and influence—the design of these funding streams.

📎 Government of Canada invests to unlock Canada’s critical minerals advantage · PDAC 2026: Hodgson says Canada's mining sector is at a 'hinge moment' while announcing new critical minerals projects

Section A: Lobbying Activity by Industry

This section compares, by NAICS industry, the lobbying activity in Ottawa last month to its historical average.

Overall, lobbying across this channel's industries totalled 198 meetings in March 2026, compared to a 12-month average of 150.2 (+32%). This represents a notable increase.

Oil, gas and mining support services experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 17 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 11.4 (+49%).

Mining (metal ore) experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 113 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 77.7 (+45%).

↳ Compared to the same month in prior years (avg 58), this is a significant surge (+95%).

Section B: Lobbying by Industry for the Past Year

To contextualize, we show each industry's lobbying activity over the past 12 months. The combined view from Section A and B shows you whether recent differences are persistent trends or a break from the norm.

Top Industry Residual Trends for 2026-03

Mining (metal ore) ended March 2026 with a residual of +52.8, well above its expected trend.

↳ Mining (metal ore) has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Mining (metal ore) displayed high volatility in its lobbying pattern, suggesting irregular or event-driven activity.

Mining ended March 2026 with a residual of +28.3, well above its expected trend.

↳ Mining has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Mining displayed high volatility in its lobbying pattern, suggesting irregular or event-driven activity.

↳ Oil, gas and mining support services has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Oil, gas and mining support services displayed high volatility in its lobbying pattern, suggesting irregular or event-driven activity.

Section C: Lobbying Activity by Organization

In this section, we see the organizations with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity.

The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include: Impala Canada Limited, Foran Mining Corporation, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited.

↳ Impala Canada Limited: 16 meetings vs. 2 average (+700%).

↳ Foran Mining Corporation: 18 meetings vs. 4.7 average (+286%).

↳ Agnico Eagle Mines Limited: 23 meetings vs. 10.6 average (+117%).

Section D: Lobbying of Government Institutions in the Past Month

Every time an organization lobbies, there is a government official representing a government institution at the other side of the table. This section shows the industry-institutions pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity. Below that, we show the corresponding organization-institution pairs.

Industries → Government Institutions

Organizations → Government Institutions

Notable industry → institution pairs this month:

↳ Mining (metal ore) → Natural Resources Canada (N...: 32 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 20.2, +58%).

↳ Mining (metal ore) → Innovation, Science and Eco...: 23 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 9.2, +149%).

↳ Mining (metal ore) → House of Commons: 20 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 12.2, +64%).

Notable organization → institution pairs this month:

↳ Impala Canada Limited → Natural Resources Canada (N...: 9 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 1, +800%).

↳ Agnico Eagle Mines Limited → Innovation, Science and Eco...: 7 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 0.8, +833%).

↳ The Mosaic Company → House of Commons: 7 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 1.7, +320%).

Section E: Industry and Organization Lobbying by Subject in the Past Month

All lobbying activity is tagged with a "subject matter". This section shows the industry-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity, and below it the organization-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month.

Industries → Subjects

Organizations → Subjects

Notable industry → subject pairs this month:

↳ Mining (metal ore) → Mining: 109 meetings (notable increase vs. avg 74.2, +47%).

↳ Mining (metal ore) → Economic Development: 100 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 57.2, +75%).

↳ Mining (metal ore) → Regional Development: 95 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 47.7, +99%).

Notable organization → subject pairs this month:

↳ Fertilizer Canada → Mining: 24 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 6.1, +295%).

↳ Agnico Eagle Mines Limited → Aboriginal Affairs: 23 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 10.2, +126%).

↳ Agnico Eagle Mines Limited → Climate: 23 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 10.2, +126%).

Section F: Last Month's Most Lobbied Politicians and Civil Servants

This section presents a list of the politicians and civil servants who took the most meetings with key industry players last month.

Most Lobbied Individuals by Sector

Most Lobbied Individuals by Organization