Canada's "Critical Minerals" Strategy Built on Major Data Gaps, New Report Finds
Canada’s drive to scale critical‑minerals mining is hampered by major data gaps, a new Northern Confluence report finds. While extraction figures are well‑tracked, the country lacks reliable statistics on domestic consumption, recycling rates, and final end‑use of lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper. Policymakers are therefore basing expansion decisions on global forecasts and industry estimates rather than verified Canadian demand. The report warns this could lead to unnecessary environmental impacts and missed opportunities for a circular‑economy approach.
Canadian-Owned Lithium Mines in Nevada Violate Indigenous Rights: Amnesty International
Amnesty International’s May 12 report says three Nevada lithium projects – Thacker Pass, Nevada North and Rhyolite Ridge – violate Indigenous rights by failing to secure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). Two of the mines are backed by Canadian firms,...
Global Communities Alert Barrick Shareholders to Serious Allegations of Human Rights and Environmental Impacts
Ahead of Barrick Mining’s 2026 AGM, affected communities across four continents have raised serious allegations of human rights abuses and environmental damage linked to the company’s operations. In Argentina, repeated cyanide spills at Veladero and a recent fish‑kill have prompted...
Canada’s Diamond Industry Begins a Long Goodbye
Rio Tinto announced the closure of its Diavik diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories, ending a two‑decade era of high‑grade natural‑diamond production in the region. The mine, which accounted for roughly 20% of Canada’s annual diamond output, generated about $150 million...
Several Canadian Organizations Urge Decisive Action on Unilateral Deep-Sea Mining
A coalition of Canadian environmental groups, including MiningWatch Canada and Greenpeace, sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging immediate action against unilateral deep‑sea mining by The Metals Company’s U.S. subsidiary. The letter argues that the company’s application under...
The Opposition Is Growing: Eleven Organizations Seek to Intervene in Lawsuit Against Bill C-5
Eleven Canadian environmental, scientific, medical and human‑rights groups have applied to intervene in the Quebec Environmental Law Centre’s lawsuit challenging the federal Building Canada Act (Bill C‑5). The law, passed in June 2025, gives the federal government sweeping discretionary powers...
Don’t Neglect Your CORE: Canada’s Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise
Catherine Coumans of MiningWatch Canada warned the All‑Party Parliamentary Group that Canada’s Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) has been vacant since May 2025, leaving 24 active human‑rights complaints in limbo. The office, created in 2019 to provide a non‑judicial avenue for...
Businesses, Conservation Groups Urge Independent Oversight of Massive Coal Mine Expansion in Polluted Kootenai Watershed
A coalition of 34 businesses and conservation groups has asked Canadian Minister Julie Dabrusin to appoint an independent review panel for Glencere’s proposed 5,000‑acre expansion of the Fording River Mine in British Columbia’s Elk Valley. The expansion threatens to amplify...
BC's Revised EA Process - When Is an Expedited Process Not an Expedited Process?
British Columbia’s Infrastructure Projects Act (Bill 15) was introduced to accelerate dams, highways and, later, critical‑minerals projects. A March 10 discussion paper proposes a 20‑month “expedited” environmental assessment for designated high‑priority projects, including mining, with public comment periods as short as 14 days....
Plaintiffs React to Ontario Court of Appeal Ruling that Lawsuit Against Barrick Mining Corporation for Human Rights Abuse in Tanzania...
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that plaintiffs cannot sue Barrick Gold in Ontario over alleged human‑rights abuses at its North Mara mine in Tanzania, directing the case to Tanzanian courts. The lawsuit alleges killings, beatings and kidnappings by the...
Report Back: MiningWatch’s Witness Testimony and Brief on the Nexus Between National Defence, National Security and So-Called Critical Minerals
MiningWatch Canada testified before the House of Commons National Defence Standing Committee and submitted a detailed brief on how Canada’s critical minerals sector intersects with national defence and security. The organization highlighted environmental, Indigenous and supply‑chain risks tied to mineral...
New Report Finds The Metals Company Own Analysis Shows Project “Cannot Be Profitable”
An independent review of The Metals Company’s pre‑feasibility study finds the deep‑sea mining project would generate zero profit and exhaust its mineral reserves in roughly eight years. The analysis highlights that the model relies on overly optimistic metal prices, no...
National and International Organisations Express Concern over Another Ruling Against Environmental Defenders Regarding the Curipamba–El Domo Mining Project, Las Naves,...
National and international NGOs condemned the Quevedo Criminal Court's decision to imprison three environmental defenders for four years and impose a fine of fifteen basic salaries. The rulings are part of a broader wave of criminalisation targeting 32 activists opposing...
Mining on Small Islands: The Struggle to Protect Sangihe Island and the Role of Canada's Baru Gold
A MiningWatch Canada field report reveals Canadian miner Baru Gold Corp is seeking to develop a gold mine on Indonesia’s Sangihe Island, a biodiversity hotspot. The grassroots Save Sangihe Island (SSI) coalition is mounting legal challenges and community actions to...
Ten Years After the Worst Spill in Argentina’s History, Communities Express Concern About Fish Deaths Near Barrick's Veladero Mine
The Jáchal and Iglesias communities in northwestern Argentina reported thousands of dead silverside fish downstream of Barrick Gold’s Veladero mine in early November 2025. While Barrick and provincial officials claim no spill occurred, independent testing by the University of Cuyo...