Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. and other advocates for Nunavut’s mining sector are applauding the federal government’s inclusion of high-purity iron on Canada’s critical minerals list.
“The addition of high-purity iron ore to the critical minerals list will open up additional investment sources for Baffinland, both from the public and private sector,” said Peter Akman, a spokesperson for the Oakville, Ont.-based mining company.
The company runs the Mary River iron mine on Baffin Island.
Mining accounts for about one-quarter of Nunavut’s economic activity.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced the addition of high-purity iron, as well as phosphorus and silicon metal, to Canada’s 34-mineral list on June 10.
Traditionally, critical minerals have been considered to be metals like lithium, copper and zinc that are used in the generation of electricity. As the world turns to electricity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, those minerals are becoming increasingly important in that transition.
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