Panel: The Role of BC’s Critical Minerals in Security of Supply and Resilience

As global demand grows, BC’s critical minerals are not just economic assets but vital to Canada’s national security, defence industrial policy, and allied supply chain resilience. This panel will explore how BC’s mineral wealth fits into the evolving Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy and defence industrial policy.

● What do you see as the biggest opportunities and constraints in realizing BC’s role as a reliable supplier of critical minerals for global markets?

●From the perspective of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, how is the Department of National Defence beginning to think about secure supply of the minerals required for defence technologies and platforms and what does this mean for Canadian and BC producers?

● What does it actually take to move a project from resource to production in today’s environment? How do partnerships, infrastructure, and regulatory and demand certainty influence whether projects move forward?

● How do BC’s critical minerals fit into the broader supply chains for allied economies — particularly the U.S., Europe, and other defence partners? Where does BC have the strongest opportunity to contribute to secure supply?

● How is the defence perspective on securing access to these materials evolving, and what could that mean for mining jurisdictions like BC?

● How does BC’s strategy for First Nations partnerships, clean energy, and infrastructure align with Canada’s national security and defence industrial priorities?

● What will it take for BC to translate its mineral potential into a secure and resilient supply of critical minerals for Canada and its allies over the next decade?