Canada Prioritizes Critical Minerals with Matawinie Mine Referral
Montreal, Quebec (November 13, 2025) – The Government of Canada today signaled a meaningful step towardsโ bolstering domestic critical mineral production and strengthening national โคeconomic resilience by referring Nouveau Monde GraphiteS Matawinie Mine project to โคthe Major Projects Officeโฃ (MPO). The proclamation,madeโ by the honourable Dominic LeBlanc,President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and โฃOne Canadian Economy,โ at Nouveau Monde Graphite‘s Montreal headquarters, underscores Canada’s commitment to diversifying its economy and securing vital supply chains.
The Matawinie mine, located near Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Quรฉbec, is an open-pit graphite mine poised to play a key role in the evolving global battery supply chain. The project aims to address current gaps in Canada’s graphite sector, where domestic mining and refining capabilities are limited. It will be integrated with Nouveau Monde Graphite’s planned Bรฉcancourโฃ Battery material plant, utilizing Quรฉbec’s clean hydroelectric power to produce spherical graphite – a crucial component in electric vehicle (EV) batteries andโฃ energy storage systems.
This initiative isโ central to Canada’s strategy to become a leading producer of critical minerals, including graphite, tungsten, copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt. By developing domestic resources, Canada aims to reduce reliance on potentially unstable or carbon-intensive foreign sources and provide secure supplies for both domestic industries โขand international allies. The Matawinie Mine is a strategicโข component โคof the Critical Minerals Production Alliance,a Canada-led initiative within the G7.
The project โคis projected to generate over 1,000 new jobs and attract approximately $1.8 billion inโ investment. Construction is slated to begin in the firstโค quarter of 2026,withโข the mine expected to be operational by โคmid-2028.
This project formsโค part of a broader โขseries of “nation-building” infrastructure investments announced today by the Prime Minister, designed to enhance Canada’s competitiveness and long-term prosperity. The government emphasizes that each โindividual projectโข holds transformative potential, and collectively, they represent a significant step towardsโข a more resilient and โขprosperous โfuture for Canada.