Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson on Wednesday announced funding for five infrastructure projects to support the development of critical minerals in the Sudbury and Timmins regions.

Through the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF), pending final due diligence, up to C$8.4-million in funding has been approved.

The Crawford nickel sulphide project is set to benefit from a C$6.8-million investment for electrification and connection to the Ontario electricity grid. Of that, C$2.4-million will go to Transmission Infrastructure Partnerships to advance a transmission line connecting the Crawford project to the Ontario power grid.

Project developer Canada Nickel Company will receive up to C$4.4-million to conduct studies for the mine’s electrification plan.

When in production, the project is expected to create more than 1 500 high-paying jobs, according to Canada Nickel, and its electrification will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 60% compared with diesel-powered operations.

Further, government has earmarked up to C$1.6-million for Magna Mining to support preconstruction activities to help power the Shakespeare and Crean Hill mines with clean electricity and connect the Shakespeare mine to the Ontario highway system.

These mines will produce nickel and copper.

Also, with C$2.7-million from Natural Resources Canada, Giyak Mishkawzid Shkagmikwe and Taighwenini Technical Services Corporation, the economic development corporations of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nations respectively, will purchase two production mining drills. These drills will be leased out to support First Nations training opportunities, wealth generation and participation in the clean economy.

The purchase will help Indigenous partners participate in the revitalisation at Vale's Stobie mine, which is a nearly $1-billion joint project of Vale, Thiess, United Steel Workers and local First Nations, to produce more nickel and copper.

The historic Stobie pit, which ceased operations in 2017 after 100 years, will be restarted, and production is expected to ramp up in the coming years.

Wilkinson made the announcement while visiting the Vale Stobie mine site in Sudbury.

“Today's investments are about fostering Northern Ontario's mining expertise to create more jobs and drive economic growth.  It is our priority that Indigenous partners have a part to play in the development of natural resources on our way to a clean energy future. The mining industry is one of the top employers for Indigenous communities across Canada, and we want to continue to encourage collaboration between mining and Indigenous communities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wilkinson also announced over C$5.1-million in funding for 16 projects in the critical minerals sector, as part of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy. The funding is provided through two key programmes to increase the supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals and support the development of domestic and global value chains for the green and digital economy.

The investment includes C$4.1-million in funding for the Critical Minerals Geoscience Data Initiative, which will provide support to ten projects to enhance access to data and generate new insights on the geological potential of critical mineral sources.

Global Partnerships Initiative will receive close to C$1-million to support six projects that will reinforce Canada’s growing number of bilateral commitments and engagements in the critical minerals space.