What are critical minerals and where are they found in Canada?

Critical minerals are naturally occurring elements and minerals that are essential to modern economies, especially for high-tech, clean energy, defense, and industrial applications. They are deemed "critical" not only because of their importance, but also due to supply risks — many of these minerals are concentrated in a few countries, making their availability vulnerable to geopolitical or economic disruptions.

Canada is a global mining powerhouse, boasting abundant reserves of the critical minerals that underpin tomorrow’s technology. The federal government—working with provincial, territorial, and industry experts—has identified 34 critical minerals, from lithium, nickel, and cobalt to gallium, potash, and niobium. This prioritized list guides investors, developers, communities, and trading partners on Canada’s strategic strengths and opportunities.

Canada’s definition of critical minerals

In Canada, a mineral is classified as critical if it meets two primary criteria:

• the supply chain is deemed threatened, and

• there is a viable opportunity for the mineral to be produced within the country.

Additionally, the mineral must satisfy at least one of the following conditions:

• it is essential for Canada's economic or national security,

• or it is necessary for the country's shift toward a sustainable low-carbon and digital economy.

This classification aims to position Canada as a sustainable and strategic partner in global supply chains.

These minerals are considered strategic because there are few substitutes, they are scarce, and the production and processing of these minerals are concentrated in specific regions. The list of critical minerals guides investment and strengthens supply chains. In a statement, Natural Resources Canada says: “Critical minerals are the foundation on which modern technology is built upon. They’re used in a wide range of essential products, from mobile phones and solar panels to electric vehicle batteries and medical applications. By building critical minerals value chains, we can be the global supplier of choice for critical minerals and the clean energy and technology sources they enable.“

Canada’s list of critical minerals

• Aluminum

• Antimony

• Bismuth

• Cesium

• Chromium

• Cobalt

• Copper

• Fluorspar

• Gallium

• Germanium

• Graphite

• Helium

• High-purity iron ore

• Indium

• Lithium

• Magnesium

• Manganese

• Molybdenum

• Nickel

• Niobium

• Phosphorus

• Platinum group metals

• Potash

• Rare earth elements

• Scandium

• Silicon metal

• Tantalum

• Tellurium

• Tin

• Titanium

• Tungsten

• Uranium

• Vanadium

• Zinc

Uses and supply chains

Critical minerals play a vital role in the green and digital economy, forming the essential components in a wide array of products such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, drones, satellites, smartphones, laptops, data centers, and mobile networks.

Canada’s strategic list of critical minerals supports three priority value chains within its Critical Minerals Strategy: advanced manufacturing, defence applications, and advanced materials, outlined in the framework. The key focus areas include high-value-added metals, clean technologies, batteries for zero-emission vehicles, renewable energy generation and transmission, permanent magnets, information and communications technologies, and compound semiconductors for telecommunications. As Canada builds out industries focused on advanced technologies, steady and reliable access to these critical minerals will be crucial.

Where critical minerals are found in Canada

Canada ranks among the world’s top producers of 34 identified critical minerals. It boasts active mines, smelters, refineries, and a robust pipeline of advanced‑stage projects across every province and territory except Prince Edward Island. Canada is the world's leading producer of potash, an essential mineral used in fertilizer manufacturing. Canada also ranks in the top five global producers of aluminum, platinum group metals, titanium concentrate, and uranium. Canada is one of the few Western nations rich in cobalt, graphite, lithium, and nickel, crucial for future batteries and electric vehicles. It is the second-largest niobium producer and fourth in indium, vital for aerospace and advanced vehicle manufacturing.

According to the latest data, there are 269 critical mineral mines, smelters, refineries, and advanced projects. We adapted data from Canada’s Critical Mineral Map to create the interactive map below. Click on the markers to get more get more information or use the search function to find a specific operation, processing facility or project.

There are 55 active mines in Canada producing critical minerals, of which more than one-third are located in Saskatchewan. Ontario has the second-most active critical mineral mines, with 12, followed by British Columbia with 8. Almost all of the potash mined in Canada comes from operations in Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, other critical minerals are from operations located in other regions of the country.

Processing facilities, which include smelters and refineries are concentrated in two provinces — Quebec and Ontario. Among the 26 processing facilities, more than half are located in Quebec while just under a quarter of are found in Ontario.

Quebec and British Columbia have a rich history of mining. They lead the country in critical mining projects. Quebec currently has 42 projects in the pipeline and British Columbia has 34. Ontario, another mineral rich region with deep mining roots, has 27 advanced projects.

What are the most important critical minerals to Canada?

Natural Resources Canada has identified 6 critical minerals that could boost Canada’s economy. These are lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements. These six are essential in producing advanced technologies like solar panels, batteries for electric vehicles, and wind turbines. Across the country, active mining operations are extracting priority minerals, either as their main product or as a byproduct of mining other metals or minerals. The chart below shows a breakdown of the total number of active mining operations and projects where priority minerals are either their primary product or as a byproduct.

Canada is widely regarded as a mining powerhouse. It’s seen as a safe mining jurisdiction with clear laws and regulations. Canada is poised to play an increasingly important role on the global stage as a key supplier of critical minerals.