Connecting Northern Ontario Mines and Automotive Manufacturers

We have contacts in these two sectors, but they do not speak to each othersays Stephen Gravel, director of the Center for Smart Miningat Cambrian College, and Conference Chair BEV In-Depth which started on Wednesday.

We said to ourselves: ”Why not have this meeting in Sudbury?” We know that the future of electric vehicles will pass through here, because of the wealth of minerals and the expertise that we have here.

Scott Rennie, Economic Development Officer for the City of Greater Sudbury, sees the gathering as opportunities for the City to benefit from greater collaboration between these industries.

” We have the mines here, Vale and Glencore. We have the offices of a new mining company called Frontier Lithium which has some of the best mineral deposits in North America. We have processing capabilities here, and we’re a three and a half hour drive from southern Ontario where the automotive industry is. »

I believe there are a lot of connections to be made between the North and the South, and Sudbury is well positioned to be able to take advantage of this.continues Mr. Rennie.

We are at the beginning of a transport revolution, says Marc Boissonneault, member of the board of directors of Frontier Lithium. It is not simple, there are several challenges.

It will take participation from all levels of government, with regulations and infrastructurehe adds.

A growing popularity

David Adams is the president of Global Automakers of Canada, which represents about 15 automakers.

” Our members are all building electric vehicles, and they will have to build only electric vehicles by 2035, and this conference is really an opportunity to connect with the critical minerals industry. »

He points out that China has taken a head start in the production of vehicles and the exploitation of critical minerals.

Adams believes Canada has a strategic advantage with its resources, but time should not be wasted, as developing a new mine can take years. We need a little more cohesion between industries and governments to work with us.

Frédérique Bouchard, public affairs manager for the VÉ FLO charging network, explains that electric vehicles represent an increasingly important part of sales.

Between last year and this year, nationally, we went from 6% of new sales of all vehicles to 8.3% in the last quartershe says.

What we realize in the discussions at the conference is the role that key industries can play in this transitionunderlines Ms. Bouchard.

An experience to repeat

We are already seeing partnerships being createdpoints out Stephen Gravel. I am told that we are holding the event at the right time. We must not miss the boat.

” What I’ve always said is that the world can do without Canada in electric vehicles, but we have to make sure they don’t do it without us. »

Stephen Gravel is encouraged by the critical mineral strategies that have been announced by the federal and Ontario governments in recent months, which include many investments in the industry.

Mr. Gravel wants the conference to become an annual event. Five years from now I want to look back and say “that’s when we started to have an impact.”

In a month or two we’ll sit down and discuss next yearconcludes Scott Rennie.