The Canadian mining industry’s next growth cycle will depend on far more than extraction. At CIM CONNECT 2026, industry experts argued that strategic growth in mining will require a broader shift in how projects are planned, financed and developed.  

Panellists during a general panel on May 5 discussed the importance of long-term partnerships with Indigenous nations and more transparent project decision-making to building the workforce capacity and policy environment needed for Canada to compete for a larger share of global mineral markets.

An opportunity to grow global market share 

Throughout the discussion, panellists returned to a central message: Canada has a rare opportunity to strengthen its position in the global mining industry, but realizing that potential will require competitive policies, infrastructure investment and more streamlined project development. 

Heather Exner-Pirot, senior fellow and director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, pointed to Canada’s advantages, including its geology, political stability, Indigenous partnerships and growing global demand for secure mineral supply chains. However, she cautioned that governments need to move beyond simply approving projects and instead actively encourage development through tools such as tax incentives, permitting reform and infrastructure investment, warning that “it’s not enough to just be neutral.” 

She also argued that Canada should focus not only on participating in the current commodity cycle, but on increasing its share of the global mining market by becoming a more competitive destination for investment. She said Canada already has many of the fundamentals needed for growth but warned that permitting delays and inconsistent policy can weaken competitiveness compared with other jurisdictions. 

“There is so much we know how to do to actually promote growth,” Exner-Pirot said, pointing to measures such as accelerated capital cost allowances, exploration tax credits and Indigenous loan guarantee programs as examples of policies that can help attract development and investment. 

“This [mining] cycle is uniquely positioned for Canada to shine,” she said, describing resource development not only as an economic opportunity, but “a responsibility for us to produce minerals in a reliable fashion, at an affordable price and in a way that we can get it to the markets that need it.” Addressing risk early Panellists also highlighted the importance of identifying and managing risk early as essential to sustaining long-term industry growth, particularly as strong commodity markets create pressure to accelerate development timelines. Speakers stressed that disciplined decision making and open conversations about uncertainty are critical to avoiding costly delays and maintaining long-term project success. 

Karla Mills, executive vice-president and chief project development officer at Teck Resources Limited, said many project outcomes are determined long before construction begins, through early assumptions, governance decisions and how risks are managed during the planning phase.  

“By the time you’re building these mines, you’re largely living with those decisions that you’ve made early on,” she said. 

Mills warned against “forcing certainty where it doesn’t exist,” arguing that strong markets can create pressure to move projects ahead before risks are fully understood. “When we reward confidence instead of accuracy, I think what we unintentionally do is embed risk into the baseline, and that applies to sort of all aspects of project development,” she said. 

She emphasized that modern mining risks extend beyond technical execution and now include regulatory complexity, partnerships, governance and community expectations. In that environment, panellists argued that strategic growth depends on risk management as an ongoing process throughout project development. 

Speakers added that involving Indigenous communities and partners earlier in the planning discussions can help strengthen project alignment and reduce uncertainty before construction begins. While that process may initially appear slower, Mills said it ultimately creates stronger projects with fewer surprises later in the project lifecycle. 

Workforce growth and future opportunity 

Canada’s mining industry may have the mineral and metal resources to fuel its next growth cycle, but panellists warned that a worsening labour shortage could become one of the industry’s biggest obstacles. 

“The workforce situation is going to be a real bottleneck and a real constraint to [this mining] cycle,” Exner-Pirot said. 

Exner-Pirot added that Canada is facing a serious labour shortage in most trades, including mining, even as youth unemployment remains near 15 per cent. She argued that over the last few generations students have been encouraged towards university pathways rather than trades careers, despite growing long-term demand for skilled labour.  

For Canada to sustain mining growth, she said, the industry and governments will need to elevate trades careers, expanded training pathways and better communicate the opportunities available within modern mining. 

“In the absence of communication, people fill in that space themselves, and that's our biggest risk.” She added that the industry has not done enough to attract a more diverse workforce into the trades, arguing that improving representation would strengthen long-term workforce sustainability. 

Long-term collaboration 

Collaboration emerged as one of the defining pillars of strategic growth. Panellists emphasized that mining companies can no longer approach engagement only after project plans have already been established but instead need to build relationships earlier and more transparently, particularly with Indigenous communities. 

“Mining is a long-term play, and Indigenous communities are there for the long-term,” Ron Hyggen, CEO of Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership, said. He noted there has been a positive shift in recent years away from transactional agreements and toward more collaborative approaches, including equity participation and impact benefit agreements. 

Panellists said successful partnerships are increasingly built on early engagement, shared decision-making and long-term alignment between companies and communities. Hyggen added that Indigenous communities often approach resource development from a generational perspective, making long-term planning and relationship-building essential to project success. 

Speakers also stressed that stronger collaboration can help reduce uncertainty during development while creating more durable economic opportunities for communities and industry alike.