Critical minerals: Quebec Premier wants to speed up mining projects

With the uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the job losses that could result, Premier François Legault wants to put his foot on the gas pedal for mining projects so that Quebec can exploit its critical minerals more quickly.

“We’re going to have to shorten lead times. We need to get rid of all the work and bureaucracy involved in obtaining permits (…) It’s urgent that we act!” he said on Monday.

“In the mining sector, we have a golden opportunity,” he added.

Legault is currently on an economic mission in Hannover, Germany, to promote Quebec’s comparative advantages, including critical minerals.

“Several German companies have told me, whether it’s for defense or cars, they need all kinds of critical minerals that we have. So we need to deliver projects faster,” he maintained.

Faced with American threats to withdraw from NATO and an increasingly bellicose Russia, the European Union recently announced its intention to invest the colossal sum of 800 billion euros to rearm.

The Premier believes that Quebec could take advantage of this situation and win contracts related to European defense.

“We’re in a situation where we’re under attack from Mr. Trump. We’re going to lose jobs. There’s a great opportunity to develop and transform critical minerals in Quebec and create good jobs in Quebec’s regions,” said Legault.

The Premier also suggested that assessments by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement – commonly known as BAPE – could be done more quickly.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre proposed on Monday the creation of an “energy corridor” to speed up approvals for “essential infrastructure” in Canada.

Earlier this month, he suggested designating areas as “Canadian build-ready zones” that would effectively be “pre-approved and pre-approved zones” for projects such as mines, data centers, power plants and LNG liquefaction plants.

Legault doesn’t go as far as Poilievre. “Each project is case-by-case. You have to look at the environmental impact, whether it’s socially acceptable and whether it’s safe for employees. So I don’t think we can do without carrying out certain studies for each project. On the other hand, they need to be done much more quickly, and we need to stop duplicating efforts. The federal government has to get out of this,” he explained.

Legault will return from his trip to Germany on April 2, the same day the U.S. president plans to impose a new round of tariffs.

This is Premier Legault’s first mission to Germany, although he has visited France on a number of occasions (and is not ruling out a return visit).

Germany is Quebec’s leading economic partner in Europe. The province exported $1.6 billion worth of products there in 2024.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews