British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut signed a memorandum of understanding in Vancouver on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, to jointly develop a Western Canadian critical minerals strategy aimed at making the region a preferred global supplier.
A first-ever summit of western and northern mining ministers
The agreement was signed at a first-ever in-person summit of the ministers responsible for critical minerals from the four western provinces and three territories, held in Vancouver. The sessions included presentations and a roundtable with industry, investment and Indigenous leaders before ministers signed the deal.
The MOU establishes a framework for co-operation toward a Western Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy. Its stated goals are to promote Western Canada as a global hub for critical minerals innovation and sustainable development, to prioritize regional critical mineral hubs, and to identify the infrastructure planning and investment needed to maximize mineral extraction, processing and export capacity.
“Western Canada is rich in critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earths, which are crucial for clean energy, advanced technology and defence applications,” said Jagrup Brar, B.C.’s minister of mining and critical minerals. “There’s a generational opportunity beneath our feet. Together, we can advance a robust critical mineral value chain in Western and Northern Canada that accesses new export markets, increases trade opportunities, creates jobs and brings in investment across the region.”
The participating governments committed to advance reconciliation and create opportunities for Indigenous leadership, partnership, participation and ownership in critical minerals development. The final strategy is expected to be published in line with the 2026 Energy and Mining Ministers Conference in June.
Each partner brings a piece of the chain
Alberta’s energy and minerals minister, Brian Jean, said the MOU builds on western premiers’ work on economic corridors. “Alberta is ready to lead. With our world-class geology, our strength in processing and refining and our commitment to responsible resource development, we are well positioned to help build secure and resilient critical minerals supply chains for Western Canada,” he said.
Saskatchewan, which the province describes as Canada’s leading primary producer of critical minerals, emphasized infrastructure. “Saskatchewan looks forward to working together to strengthen supply chains and to build and expand priority infrastructure that will get critical minerals from our province to export markets more efficiently,” said energy and resources minister Chris Beaudry, who Saskatchewan’s government said helped lead summit discussions on economic corridors and shared infrastructure, including connections to ports on the northwest coast, Hudson Bay and Grays Bay. Its release said ministers committed to avoid unnecessary delays to major natural resource projects.
Manitoba’s Jamie Moses said the agreement “strengthens Western Canada’s economic resilience by aligning regional priorities,” while Yukon’s Ted Laking highlighted an electricity corridor for communities and mines in the northwest, including a proposed Yukon-B.C. transmission line. The Northwest Territories’ Caitlin Cleveland pointed to the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, and Nunavut’s Craig Simailak said the territory was “excited to see the collaboration of these parties.”
Strategy delivered in June
The pact was also pitched as an answer to collective problems beyond mining economics — from the Yukon’s energy crunch to Canada’s evolving trade relationship with the United States. “Our mining sector will be the foundation of the new economy that Canada is building,” B.C. Premier David Eby said.
The governments made good on the timeline. In June 2026 they jointly released the finished strategy, titled “Stronger Together,” organized around creating regulatory certainty, attracting investment and building the infrastructure needed to execute large projects — including co-ordinating permitting approaches across jurisdictions, a longstanding complaint of miners who say approvals in Canada can take many years when provinces and Ottawa process them one after another.
