It is my pleasure to rise in this House today to speak to the Building a Better Ontario Act. Like the rest of the world, Ontario continues to face economic uncertainty due to high interest rates and global instability. These challenges are putting pressure on Ontario’s families and their finances, as well as the province’s finances.

In these challenging times, we must have a sound plan and execute it. That is exactly what the Building a Better Ontario Act is all about and why our government refuses to slow down our work to rebuild this province. We are stepping up to build a better future for everyone, and we are not doing it by putting additional costs and taxes on families, businesses and municipalities.

The Building a Better Ontario Act, if passed, will support economic growth and build stronger communities for the generations to come. Our plan will continue to support people and businesses in Ontario through targeted investments to build a strong future together.

Thanks to the leadership of this Premier and the Minister of Finance, there’s a lot happening in Ontario to be excited about, but we also know that there is more work to be done.

These last years have highlighted the weakness of global supply chains and the overreliance on others for what we have here in abundance. Take natural resources like critical minerals, for example. The world is racing to secure reliable sources of minerals for the electric vehicle revolution and the technologies of tomorrow. However, nations that do not share our world-class human rights, environmental standards and labour practices have a dangerous stranglehold on the minerals we need. We do not want to build EVs with nickel mined from Indonesia that uses energy from burning coal and dumps the mine waste in the ocean, and we don’t want cobalt from the Congo for obvious human rights issues.

Speaker, I have said it many times: We have what the world needs right here in northern Ontario. We have the minerals, expertise and talent to become the foundation of the growing supply chain for critical minerals and clean technology in North America and beyond. We have an obligation to produce the fuel of the future here in Ontario, because we have the best miners in the world and we have the best environmental standards. That’s why we launched the Critical Minerals Strategy, which includes targeted investments in everything from exploration to innovation.

Our plan also includes cutting red tape that has been holding back our sector for years. It is simply unacceptable that it takes 15 to 17 years to permit a mine. That’s why our government passed the Building More Mines Act, and the regulations are set to come into force on April 1. This act ensures that the ministry can operate at the pace of business, because we know that governments do not build mines; companies do. The act improves our system without sacrificing our world-class environmental protections or how we consult with Indigenous communities. I’m very proud of that fact, Speaker. This is just one more thing our government is doing to ensure that we are prepared to capitalize on the critical minerals opportunity we have in northern Ontario.

Our government’s Critical Minerals Strategy is building an integrated supply chain for clean technologies by connecting mineral producers in northern Ontario with the manufacturing might of the south. But the made-in-Ontario supply chain starts with mining, and mining starts with exploration. That’s why we are investing $35 million in the Ontario Junior Exploration Program to help junior companies find the mines of the future.

But our investments don’t stop with exploration. We are investing in the downstream industries like processing, to ensure that we will fill the supply chains. That’s why we launched the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund: to help solve modern mining and supply chain challenges and leverage Ontario’s highly educated and experienced workforce.

Through the Building a Better Ontario Act, we are investing an additional $15 million over three years to fund the support, research, development and commercialization of technologies, processes and solutions for critical minerals. This fund is open to companies and open to partnerships between companies and Indigenous communities, academics or non-profit organizations.

This program is the direct result of conversations we have had with industry leaders and will support the rest of our government’s infrastructure initiatives. Just listen to what Trevor Walker of Frontier Lithium had to say about our $15 million investment: “This investment underscores the importance of research, development and technology commercialization and reinforces the collaborative efforts between government, industry and academia and building and maintaining a strong critical minerals sector in Ontario.”

When we invest in mining, we are investing in an industry that is leading the charge towards a cleaner, brighter and more sustainable future. We have seen fantastic examples of companies leveraging these investments to change what we think is possible, like Carbonix, an Indigenous-owned company, partnering with Trent University, who are turning mining waste into crucially in-demand graphite components of EV batteries. The president and CEO of Carbonix, Paul Pede, said that thanks to our government’s increased support, “Carbonix is now partnering with SGS Lakefield to develop a critical minerals processing demonstration plant at their facility in Lakefield, Ontario.” He said, “Carbonix will use this facility to process high-sulphur petroleum coke, sourced from refineries in Ontario, into battery-grade graphite materials for Ontario battery manufacturers.”

Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel, said, “Ontario’s commitment to invest in the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund in budget 2024 is the latest in a series of strategic moves to strengthen the province’s economy and its position as the world’s leading mining jurisdiction.”

He is correct. Our plan and targeted investments are driving up the growth, and we are seeing and building critical links in our supply chain, from mining to manufacturing.

Mr. Selby goes on to say, “The opportunities for growth and innovation in critical minerals are unlimited, and Canada Nickel Co. is proud to be at the forefront of this exciting new chapter for Ontario’s economy.”

Canada Nickel has already leveraged this program in the past to research and develop groundbreaking zero-carbon-footprint processing techniques that they plan to use in two world-class processing facilities. The facilities are planned to be built in the great riding of Timmins and will support our EV supply chain and clean steel processing capacity, and create good-paying jobs in the north.

Processing was overlooked and forgotten by previous governments, but it is one of the most crucial links in a stable supply chain. Our government understands this. Processing adds value to the product by refining the ore into the materials needed for manufacturing modern technologies. That’s why our investments are ensuring we are building the processing capacity in Ontario while creating jobs, adding value to our exports and building a strong made-in-Ontario supply chain.

Wyloo Metals is leveraging the program to research how to reprocess and store tailings materials underground to backfill mine workings to future reduce potential service impacts on their projects in the Ring of Fire. There are too many other projects to name, but they all highlight not only the collaborative work being done across Ontario but also the innovation and brilliance of our people.

Speaking of the Ring of Fire, we are making historic progress, thanks to our government’s investment of $1 billion in the region and the strong partnerships with Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation. For the first time ever, three First Nations-led environmental assessments are under way for the roads to the Ring of Fire. But we also know we cannot wait for the EAs to be complete to start thinking about the next steps. We must be prepared and act with urgency. That’s why, at PDAC earlier this year, I signed a community development agreement with Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation. This agreement is the next major step in building the corridor to prosperity, connecting the communities to the highway network and mining opportunities in the Ring of Fire.

The agreement will support shovel-ready infrastructure projects like new training facilities that will create more local jobs and upskill individuals to prepare them for meaningful careers. It supports recreational facilities that will be important community gathering spaces for the increasing number of youths that will be able to stay in their communities. Most importantly, the agreement is designed to improve the well-being and readiness of First Nations partners to participate fully in future economic development, including building roads and mineral development. We have also agreed to work together to make decisions on construction, ownership and governance of the proposed road network so we can improve project timelines.

Speaker, this is one of the most important projects of our lifetime, and the people of Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation have waited far too long. Under the leadership of this Premier, we have made more progress on the Ring of Fire than any other government ever has, and we will continue to realize this opportunity because we know the benefits it will bring.

I am honoured to be associated with Chief Bruce and Chief Cornelius. They have a strong vision for building stronger communities. That is a vision our government shares.

Our government’s commitment to a strong mining sector is evident in the Building a Better Ontario Act. We will continue to seek out ways to sharpen our competitive advantage and bring prosperity to Ontario. Mining is a pillar of our economy and will only grow in importance. I am proud to be a part of a government that not only recognizes that, but puts a priority on it, because the future will be fuelled by mining. It is our obligation to our children and our grandchildren that we realize these opportunities.

When Ontario comes together, the people of this province can accomplish remarkable things. Working together, we can overcome any challenge. Thanks to the leadership of this government, we will continue to build Ontario into the place that we all know it can be. This is a future I know we all want. This budget, if passed, will help us build a better Ontario together.

Speaker, we believe fully in and have exercised the duty to consult on these projects—fully. The Building More Mines Act was endorsed with royal assent in May of last year. We have finished the regulations, and they will be enacted on April 1. We’re fully committed to the duty to consult, and we’ve filled every obligation that’s required of us. Our relationships with the First Nations people are superb. Mining has done a great job.

What else are they doing with that $3 billion and with the technology? They’re so concerned about the environmental impact that they won’t even discharge water. That’s what miners do. All across Ontario where we mine, the discharge water is cleaner than the intake water. That’s why we support the mining sector in Ontario. That’s why we’re committed to—

Speaker, I’ve said many times, we are open for consultation. We have an open-door policy. Actually, all of the members in the mining community have the same philosophy. We passed that new Mining Act without changing a word in Ontario’s world-class environmental standards or the duty to consult. We believe in it, and we carry it out.

Speaker, in the last 15 or 20 years, the population in northern Ontario was declining. Why is it declining? Because they didn’t have any focus on mining. One of the last Premiers said, in fact, that the economy of Ontario will not be defined by people digging holes in the ground. But let me tell you, we dig world-class holes in the ground that produce critical minerals, and we have to get the infrastructure into the towns to make sure that people that live in those communities—I’m one of them who lives in that community.

Forty per cent of the workforce, of course, is women. There’s only 14% of women that are employed in the mining sector. When you talk, as we have, with the young women that are employed in that sector and they find how rewarding the communities are, it’s truly uplifting. It’s an incredible experience.

Not that long ago, we were in northern Ontario but on that particular trip we were also in Sudbury, and I told you about the young woman who was from Moosonee, who got her education and was working at 9,600 feet at the Creighton Mine. What did she want to do? She wanted to be a mining engineer. What was she working on? Electric vehicles at 9,600 feet at the Creighton Mine and absolutely loving it—from Moosonee.

That’s the opportunity that exists for women in mining, and ensuring that we maximize the opportunity and exposure of women working in mining.

Report continues in volume B.