October 18, 2026 to October 24, 2026

This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news concerning metals and non-metals miners, explorers and prospectors. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track the upstream and downstream forces affecting Mining? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Manufacturing and Oil & Gas. Also consider subscribing to our Mining - Washington edition covering critical GR news south of the border.

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Provincial Government News
• 💬 Government Consultations
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Calendar

• House Committee on Natural Resources: Canada's Nuclear Future: On October 26, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold hearings on 'Canada's Nuclear Future' with witnesses including representatives from HEC Montréal, Canadian Nuclear Association, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, and McMaster University.
• Environment and Sustainable Development Committee Meeting: Major Projects Office Briefing: On October 27, the House Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development will receive a briefing from the Major Projects Office and examine carbon capture technologies with input from Nature Québec, pHathom Technologies, and other sector participants.
• Senate Committee Examines Building Canada Strong Act (Bill C-39): On October 26, the Special Senate Committee on the Building Canada Strong Act (Bill C-39) convenes for witness testimony from Transport Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress, and Indigenous organizations.
• Senate Committee on Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources to Discuss Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum: On October 27, the Standing Senate Committee will review Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore petroleum industry and consider a draft report in room B30, Senate of Canada Building.

Federal Government News

Government of Canada Invests $193 Million in Critical Minerals and Aluminum Processing

On October 23, 2026, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced a $193.3 million investment under the Strategic Response Fund. The investment supports two major projects: $164.8 million for Rio Tinto’s $818.5 million initiative to upgrade and decarbonize its Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean aluminum operations and $28.5 million for Aluminerie Alouette's $135 million modernization program. The funding will facilitate infrastructure upgrades at respective smelters, modernize anode baking furnaces, and construct a new billet casting centre. These measures intend to bolster production efficiency and preserve 6,000 jobs nationally. The projects anticipate enhanced competitiveness for Canadian aluminum amid global tariffs and sustain industry links to research institutions and SMEs.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canada and Türkiye Deepen Energy and Mining Collaboration

Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Tim Hodgson, met with Türkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, in Ankara on October 22, culminating in a Joint Statement on cooperation in energy and mining. Both parties signaled intentions to intensify dialogue around nuclear energy partnership, with Canada promoting its nuclear supply chain and expertise for Türkiye’s new nuclear ambitions. Discussions also reviewed the expansion of Canadian LNG exports and the application of Canadian mining practices, including Türkiye’s adoption of the Mining Association of Canada's Towards Sustainable Mining standards. Agreements included facilitating trade and investment in minerals, exploration services, and technical exchange between their geological surveys. The statement commits to further industry collaboration, particularly in battery minerals and the integration of PDAC conferences.

Sources: www.canada.ca, www.canada.ca

Industrial Product and Raw Materials Price Indexes Show Significant Year-Over-Year Increase

Statistics Canada released new data on October 22 indicating that the Industrial Product Price Index rose 2.0% month over month and 14.5% year over year for September 2026. The Raw Materials Price Index reported a 4.8% monthly increase and a surge of 27.0% compared to September 2025. These figures track widespread upward shifts in commodity prices, directly affecting input costs across mineral extraction, processing, and related supply chains.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

Team Canada Strong: $8 Billion Investment in Skilled Trades Workforce

Employment and Social Development Canada announced the Team Canada Strong initiative, a commitment of $8 billion to recruit, train, and hire up to 100,000 Red Seal skilled trades workers by 2031. The plan allocates $2 billion toward harmonizing provincial and territorial workforce strategies and $880 million to launch youth work placements. It features incentives up to $10,000 for employers hiring first-year apprentices in Red Seal trades and advances the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service. Key measures include digitizing certification processes, income supports during training, and a $5,000 Red Seal Completion Bonus for new certificate holders as of April 1, 2025. The grant system and expanded Union Training and Innovation Program intend to advance training infrastructure and equipment investments.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Monthly Mineral Production Data Available for August 2026

Statistics Canada released monthly mineral production and refining data for August 2026. The dataset provides industry tables on volumes and values across major commodity outputs, contributing to ongoing trend analysis and production benchmarking.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

Canada Releases National Strategy on Environmental Racism and Justice

Environment and Climate Change Canada published its first National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice for 2026–2031 on October 23. The strategy, developed with input from Indigenous, racialized, and marginalized communities, commits the federal government to adjust federal decision-making processes to reduce environmental inequities and broaden access to environmental information. Ongoing feedback from community and government partners will guide implementation and future policy development measures under this strategy.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Provincial Government News

Ontario Proposes Legislative Changes to Speed Archaeological Approvals

Ontario is seeking to cut archaeological permit wait times by up to 80% and expand sector capacity. Reforms focus on updating approval processes, improving digital permitting, and collaborating with Indigenous partners.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Canada and Ontario Announce $8.7 Billion Action Plan for Industry Resilience

Canada and Ontario will jointly invest $8.7 billion to strengthen steel, auto, and critical mineral industries, including a new $1 billion commitment for Ring of Fire infrastructure and coordinated provincial-federal permitting efforts.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Ontario and Canada Establish Joint Action Plan to Shield Workers from Tariffs

Premier Ford and Prime Minister Carney announced an action plan implementing a Joint Steel Action Fund, emissions standard pause through 2029, and funding for critical minerals supply chain development.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Alberta Minister Advances Energy Trade Ties with UAE

Minister Joseph Schow will lead a mission to Abu Dhabi and Dubai from October 26 to November 5, promoting Alberta energy and coordinating participation at ADIPEC 2026.

Sources: www.alberta.ca

Government Consultations

Consultation Open: Nuclear Security for Sealed Sources (REGDOC-2.12.3)

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has launched a consultation on REGDOC-2.12.3 specifying updated security measures for sealed sources during storage, transport, and use. The consultation starts November 2.

Sources: www.cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Zinc and Tin Supply Pressures Put Historic Mining Districts Back in Focus: Industry observers examine zinc and tin market constraints and impacts on legacy districts.
• QGold Initiates 2026 Drilling Campaign at Mine Centre: QGold commences new exploration drilling in Ontario's Mine Centre district.
• How a once high-flying mineral explorer wound up embroiled in legal battles over a lithium project: A feature on legal disputes over a Canadian lithium project.
• Demands for Stelco, Canada’s maple syrup reserve and Ottawa’s risky mining bet: Must-read business and investing stories: The Globe and Mail summarizes recent shifts in Canadian business and mining investment.
• Governments are rushing to build new critical minerals mines, but early-stage projects are rife with risk: Coverage assesses the risk profile of new critical minerals initiatives in Canada.
• Grades, Permits and Antimony: The Three Things Driving New Zealand’s Return to the Gold Map: New Zealand's mining landscape receives renewed industry attention.
• Business Brief: Ottawa’s risky mining bet: Brief commentary regarding Ottawa's critical minerals strategy.
• 'Let's do it right': N.W.T. downstream leaders and advocates on Alta. oilsands tailings release: N.W.T. groups respond to Alberta oilsands tailings issues.
• Effort to restart Con Mine discussed at Yellowknife town hall: Community-level discussions explore prospects for restarting Yellowknife's Con Mine.

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