Long-delayed Sisson Mine in running for Carney’s national projects list
CBC
New Brunswickers will find out Thursday how much of a poker face Prime Minister Mark Carney has.
During a visit to Fredericton on Monday, the prime minister smiled broadly — and cocked his head as if about to reveal a secret — when he was asked why the proposed Sisson Mine wasn’t on his initial “projects of national interest” list released in September.
Carney said more projects would be added on Thursday, including one from the province.
“I’ve had a number of conversations with the premier about major projects here that meet the criteria,” he said.
“They strengthen Canada’s autonomy. They diversify our economy. They’re built with Indigenous partners. They’re consistent with our climate goals. And they have a real economic return.”
Projects that earn the federal designation can benefit from a range of advantages, including accelerated regulatory approvals, federal funding and other forms of support designed to get them moving quickly.
The proposed Sisson Mine project, more than a decade old, would extract tungsten and molybdenum, two critical minerals used for energy storage and production and military applications.
It has already obtained federal and provincial environmental approvals but may be in line for other help to make the project less of a risk for investors.
Since Carney’s comments on Monday, Holt has been asked repeatedly what project Ottawa has chosen and has responded that she didn’t want to “scoop” the prime minister.
The premier knows what the choice is, but all she would say is that it’s not electricity transmission connections through New Brunswick linked to Nova Scotia’s Wind West project.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s announcement so that I can stop dancing around the question,” Holt said Wednesday in Edmundston.
New Brunswick submitted several project proposals for consideration, but the timing for Sisson looks good.
Ottawa said in May it was willing to put up $8.2 million to support the project, and the proponent, Northcliff Resources, said in May the U.S. government was awarding it $20.7 million to advance development.
The Carney government’s budget last week included a new “critical minerals sovereign fund” with $2 billion over five years for strategic investments.
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