Welcome back to your weekly mining news recap, where we catch you up on some of the news you may have missed. This week’s headlines include Caterpillar’s purchase of RPMGlobal, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson brushing off security concerns over United States stakes in Canadian miners and Codelco investing in rock breaking technologies. 

The Nova Scotia government has launched the first phase of an online permitting portal designed to become a “one-stop shop” for mining companies to apply for, track and renew permits and licences, as well as make payments, Toronto Star reported. Phase one lets users check application statuses, with full online permitting and payment functions to follow in future phases. The aim of the portal is to simplify the permitting process and give miners better access to important information about their projects. 

McEwen Mining will acquire all outstanding shares of Canadian Gold, owner of the past-producing Tartan Lake gold mine in Manitoba, Mining Weekly reported. The Tartan Lake mine hosts existing infrastructure and Canadian Gold has recently advanced exploration work there. Once the transaction closes, which is expected in January 2026, McEwen shareholders will hold 92 per cent of the combined company, with Canadian Gold shareholders holding eight per cent. McEwen stated that the acquisition aims to strengthen its development and production pipeline. 

Taseko Mines has lowered its full-year copper production guidance despite reporting a 39 per cent quarter-over-quarter production increase at its Gibraltar mine in British Columbia, Mining Weekly reported. Taseko expects further copper production gains in Q4 but said it will still not fully recover the output lost earlier this year, when ground challenges delayed access to higher-grade ore. Taseko also began wellfield operations at its in-situ Florence Copper mine in Arizona, marking the start of commercial production.  

Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said the federal government has no national security concerns over the U.S. government’s recent equity stakes in Canadian miners Lithium Americas and Trilogy Metals, The Globe and Mail reported. While Ottawa reviews all foreign investments in the critical minerals sector for potential security risks, Hodgson described the acquisitions as small and reaffirmed that the United States remains an ally. He added that Canada’s greater focus is on helping domestic critical minerals companies compete with countries that have imposed export restrictions, such as China. 

Freeport McMoRan plans to break away from the industry’s benchmark pricing system for copper concentrate sales next year, Bloomberg News reported. The decision follows a collapse in treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) for copper concentrates to record lows in 2025, threatening the profitability of smelters. Freeport intends to negotiate individual supply deals to better protect smelter margins as benchmark TC/RCs risk turning negative in 2026. 

Saint-Gobain Canada has completed construction and is starting full production at its Kootenay West gypsum mine in British Columbia, Canadian Manufacturing reported. The mine will provide 400,000 tonnes of gypsum annually to supply CertainTeed, Saint-Gobain’s building materials subsidiary, for its wallboard manufacturing plants in Vancouver and Calgary. The mine has an expected 40-year life. 

Codelco is investing US$50 million in U.S.-based I-Pulse, a developer of pulsed power technologies that uses bursts of electricity to fragment rock, Bloomberg News reported. Through its mining venture I-ROX, I-Pulse aims to reduce energy use and emissions by replacing conventional crushing and grinding methods. Codelco joins Rio Tinto, Newmont and Teck Resources as investors in the company, which was co-founded by mining magnate Robert Friedland.  

Caterpillar has entered into a formal agreement to acquire Australia-based mining software solutions provider RPMGlobal, International Mining reported. The deal is worth about US$732 million. The acquisition is expected to complement Caterpillar’s existing mining technologies and strengthen its capabilities in asset management, fleet management and autonomy.  

Earlier this year, the Taykwa Tagamou Nation (TTN) made the largest known direct investment by a First Nation in a Canadian critical minerals company by committing $20 million to Canada Nickel, Tijana Mitrovic reported for CIM Magazine. The deal gives TTN the right to acquire a 7.9 per cent equity stake and a seat on Canada Nickel’s board, marking a milestone in economic reconciliation and shared ownership in the mining sector. The investment supports development of the Crawford nickel project near Timmins, Ontario—expected to become Canada’s largest nickel mine—and will allow TTN to participate in future projects and downstream processing. 

That’s all for this week. If you’ve got feedback, you can always reach us at editor@cim.org. If you’ve got something to add, why not join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram pages?