Opinion: Why Canada must step up in mining

My family and I came to Canada from Romania when I was in Grade 9 – newcomers with suitcases in hand, no real plan, and no exposure to mining – despite the fact that one of Europe’s largest undeveloped gold deposits was practically in my backyard. It wasn’t until much later, as a lawyer and then a banker, that I found my way into this industry. Or maybe, it found me.

Today, as a mining executive, I stand on the shoulders of generations of Canadian miners, engineers, and geologists – people who made this country a global leader in natural resource development. But leadership isn’t permanent, and we’re not alone in our ambition. Other countries are moving faster, with more coordination. If we want to lead again, we have to match their urgency.

There’s no question the world is changing. Globalization is contracting. Supply chains are being redrawn. Canada must be at the centre of this shift. We have the geology. If we want energy security, resilient grids, clean power, and the strategic capacity to defend and sustain them – it starts with mining.

So we’re now at a pivotal moment – one that calls for leadership. Canada must decide whether we are willing to lead again. (Watch the attached video below.)

Leading from the top

That starts with three things governments must get right. First: permitting. It should not take a generation to approve and build a mine. Jurisdictional ambiguity and fragmented review processes have stalled progress. Ottawa has pledged to cut federal permitting timelines from five years to two. Provinces like Ontario, Quebec, and B.C. are launching efforts to speed up reviews. These are positive steps – but we need to turn commitments into outcomes.

Second: infrastructure and investment. Roads, power, and bandwidth don’t just support mining – they decide whether it happens at all. Provinces are starting to act. Ontario’s infrastructure plan, Québec’s Plan Nord, and renewed Arctic development efforts all matter. Some provinces have the resources. Others have the power – and some, the ports. But dots on a map don’t connect themselves. Governments need to align, fast.

And third: Indigenous partnerships. Streamlining must not come at the expense of reconciliation. Lasting benefit comes from co-leadership and inclusive, consent-based agreements – grounded in Indigenous equity and participation that balance development and conservation. Trust is built across kitchen tables, not press conferences.

Collaboration

Government can’t do it alone – and neither can industry. In a world of constrained capital, credibility is earned by companies that deliver relentlessly – through downturns, disruptions, and uncertainty. It means attracting and retaining the next generation of talent – not just by offering jobs, but by building workplaces that reflect their values, engaging with meaning and creating real impact.

And innovation with purpose is no longer optional – it’s how mining will lead. From AI that reduces downtime to satellites tracking biodiversity shifts from space, this isn’t science fiction – it’s mining in 2025, and those bold enough to rebuild while running will shape the future.

Capital is still here – but it’s cautious. It’s watching how we permit, how we partner and how we perform. If we want generalist investors to return, we need to earn their confidence with discipline, delivery and transparency.

But none of it moves without capital. Canada has an edge to build on. Our charity flow-through share structures are a uniquely Canadian innovation that align risk capital with public benefit. Government-backed investments, like the one in Foran Mining’s copper-zinc project, show what’s possible when policy and capital align. But there’s more we could do. Why not coordinate government funds and incentivize pension and infrastructure capital to co-invest in nationally significant projects?

Economic boost

The potential is enormous. Over 500 major resource projects in Canada could unlock more than $1 trillion in gross domestic product by 2035. That’s not just an economic figure – it’s jobs, security and reconciliation in action.

And it’s personal. Mining gave me a place in this country. I’ve worked across the North, in Newfoundland, Bolivia and Nicaragua. I’ve seen what this industry makes possible – it creates value, not just extracts it. And that’s the real resource: leadership.

We don’t need new ideas. We need to act on the ones we’ve had for years – with urgency and coordination. The world is watching us, not just to hear what we say, but to see what we do.

So let’s lead again – together.

Daniella Dimitrov is Chief Financial Officer at Calibre Mining, which is building the Valentine Gold Mine in Newfoundland and Labrador and earlier this year agreed to merge with Equinox Gold. On June 3 in Quebec City, she opened The Mining Investment Event of the North with remarks on opportunities for Canada’s mining sector.