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 the United States Senate reversing a mining moratorium, Ontario requesting feedback as it seeks to update its critical minerals strategy, and Canadian Copper securing funding for its Murray Brook project in New Brunswick.

Osisko Metals reported a resource increase at its Gaspé copper project in Quebec after extensive drilling last year. Measured and indicated resources reached 1.83 billion tonnes averaging 0.27 per cent copper, up 119 per cent from the company’s 2024 estimate. According to Osisko Metals, the deposit is now among eastern North America's largest undeveloped copper projects. 

A new resource engineering program at St. Mary’s University in Nova Scotia, approved by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission, will welcome its first cohort of students this fall. The program offers streams in mining engineering and renewable energy engineering. Students will now be able to complete their full bachelor’s degree at St. Mary’s, eliminating the need to transfer to a partner institution for their final two years.

Amex Exploration shared the results of a feasibility study for phase one of its Perron gold project in Quebec, outlining expected production of around 147,000 ounces annually over the first five years. The study highlights initial capital costs of $193.9 million and a mine life of around 17 years. Phase one includes underground mining with toll milling, while phase two will expand operations to open-pit mining and include the construction of an on-site processing facility.

The United States Senate this week overturned a mining ban in northern Minnesota that had been imposed by the Biden administration. The Twin Metals copper-nickel-cobalt project owned by Chilean miner Antofagasta was among the projects impacted by the ban. The measure now goes to U.S. President Donald Trump who is expected to endorse it. The 20-year mining moratorium was introduced in 2023 over environmental concerns.

The province of Ontario announced this week it is seeking public input on a proposed update to its critical minerals strategy. In the posting on the environmental registry site, the request for comment noted that “while the previous critical minerals strategy of 2022-2027 prioritized clean technology and electric vehicles, the world has changed. Ontario must broaden the application of critical minerals policy to include materials needed for national security, advanced manufacturing and computing power to drive the economy forward.” The government is requesting feedback on a series of topics including project financing, policy reforms and Indigenous participation. 

Canadian Copper has secured up to $96 million to advance the development of its Murray Brook copper-zinc-lead-silver project and nearby Caribou processing plant in New Brunswick. The funding from OR Royalties and Ocean Partners UK—via streaming, debt and equity—will cover the capital expenditure outlined in the project’s preliminary economic assessment, allowing the company to focus on securing remaining permits.

Ontario is investing $125 million through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to build a permanent Mine Rescue Training Institute in Sudbury. The 120-acre facility will be operated by Ontario Mine Rescue and will train more than 540 mine rescue and fire response volunteers annually. Volunteers will have access to advanced, realistic mining environments and modern technologies such as virtual and augmented reality.

St Barbara’s Touquoy gold mine in Nova Scotia, inactive since 2023, has received industrial approval to process around three million tonnes of stockpiled ore, CTV News reported. Processing is expected to begin by the end of the year and last 10 to 14 months.

American Eagle Gold, which is backed by South32, Teck and financier Eric Sprott, launched a roughly $31 million unsolicited tender offer for Pacific Booker Minerals (PBM), The Globe and Mail reported. American Eagle is seeking 90 per cent ownership of the company, with shareholders having until July 29 to tender their shares. The deal could see American Eagle combine PBM’s Morrison gold-copper project with its nearby NAK gold-copper project, both in B.C., potentially benefiting from shared infrastructure, along with coordinated permitting and technical work.

Eldorado Gold completed its acquisition of Foran Mining for $3.8 billion, The Globe and Mail reported. Shareholder votes were held last week, with 84 per cent approval from Eldorado shareholders and 83 per cent from Foran shareholders. The deal adds the McIlvenna Bay copper-zinc project in Saskatchewan to Eldorado’s portfolio. Commercial production at the project is expected this summer.

An Ontario student mine tour in 2025 gave undergraduates hands-on exposure to modern mining, Lynn Greiner reported for CIM Magazine. Organized by the CIM Toronto Branch and the Ontario Mining Association, the four-day program visited several mine sites and training centres across the province. Students had the chance to experience advanced technology, underground operations and camp life, helping spark interest in mining careers. Another tour is planned for this year.

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?