‘Our minerals may very well be used to annex us’: why Canada doesn’t need US mining

[ad_1] T he Outaouais area on the western fringe of Quebec is house to hundreds of lakes, huge forests and intensive wetlands. Additionally it is the setting of a swathe of wooded land generally known as La Petite-Nation, which, though not removed from the cities of Montreal and Ottawa, stays comparatively untouched.

That, nevertheless, is to alter with the arrival of a controversial graphite mine with financing from the Pentagon.

Lomiko Metals, an organization based mostly in British Columbia, is planning to construct an open-air graphite mine in La Petite-Nation. As soon as operational, the mine will produce 100,000 tonnes of graphite for 15 years.

For the reason that mine was first introduced eight years in the past, many residents have opposed the venture over environmental issues and fears it's going to threaten the rising eco-tourism economic system. Open-air graphite mines produce mud emissions that may pollute the air and water.

The opposition solely turned extra pronounced as soon as america turned concerned.

“At first, the venture was bought to us as a inexperienced one, for power transition,” mentioned Louis St-Hilaire, the president of the La Petite-Nation Lakes Safety Group, a coalition of 10 lake safety associations within the area that oppose the mine. Whereas there was apprehension in direction of the venture, residents additionally understood the significance of needing graphite to provide lithium-ion batteries.

The Riviére de la Petite Nation (Little Nation River), Quebec, Canada. {Photograph}: Andrei Filippov/Alamy Then, in 2024, the Pentagon introduced it will make investments $8.3m within the venture by way of the Protection Manufacturing Act funding programme, which goals to make sure the provision of assets wanted for nationwide defence.

That got here alongside a $20m grant to construct a cobalt refinery in Ontario – the primary giant funding for the reason that second world conflict – and $6.4m to construct a bismuth and cobalt venture within the Northwest Territories. “All of a sudden, the primary huge investor is the American military, who want a variety of graphite,” mentioned St-Hilaire. “Folks need that even much less.”

David Pharand, the mayor of Duhamel, one of many cities close to the mine, mentioned: “It’s like David taking over Goliath. We thought it was going to be a misplaced trigger, however the military’s involvement actually obtained residents to care much more about stopping the mine.”

In August 2025, a referendum confirmed that 95% of the individuals within the communities surrounding the mine opposed the venture.

The US involvement within the venture comes as Washington seeks to finish its dependence on China for important minerals, mentioned Ben Steinberg, the spokesperson for the Battery Supplies & Know-how Coalition, a commerce group. The army wants graphite not simply to provide batteries, however to be used in army parts that want excessive warmth resistance and sturdiness. Most graphite, each pure and artificial, is produced in China.

“China has the power to suppress and manipulate the graphite market,” mentioned Steinberg. “[So] we've got all of the curiosity on the earth to be working, between america and Canada, to use this useful resource and utilise it for all these essential issues.”

The connection between Canada and america, nevertheless, has turn out to be extra fraught than it was when the funding was first introduced by the Biden administration. Canadians haven't forgotten about Donald Trump’s threats to show the nation into the 51st state. To Jean-François Desmarais, who leads one of many teams opposing the mine, permitting the American army to use Canadian assets feels ironic. “They’re coming in to get minerals to place of their weapons, to annex us?”

It stays unclear how the continuing commerce disputes between Canada and america will influence mining collaborations. The Trump administration has additionally moved away from prioritising renewable power, though Steinberg mentioned he didn't imagine that might influence Pentagon funding. “In relation to important minerals, nearly all of the initiatives that had been achieved within the Biden administration will proceed if the initiatives are viable,” he mentioned.

And regardless of native opposition, the mine venture remains to be shifting forward. Whereas the provincial authorities has said that it'll not fund the venture given the shortage of social acceptance to the mine, the federal authorities has proven no indicators of pulling its funding. Lomiko Metals has already began processing samples from the location.

However native communities are nonetheless engaged on various initiatives that concentrate on sustainable growth. “We now have a wildlife reserve and a provincial park proper right here, and they're getting increasingly more guests yearly,” mentioned Pharland. “I feel individuals don’t perceive why we might harm this progress in favour of a mine that can run out of assets in 15 years.”