Norway House chief says First Nations can help Manitoba's potential to be global 'Costco of critical minerals'

The chief of the only First Nation to fully own a mining company in Manitoba says he wants the provincial and federal governments to recognize his community's role in boosting critical mineral exploration as a global race to secure those materials heats up.

Norway House Cree Nation Chief Larson Anderson says his community took full ownership of the Minago nickel project on the Thompson nickel belt in November. The mine could enter production within the next five years, he said.

Nickel — which is used to make things like stainless steel, solar panels and batteries — is not the only critical mineral at the site. Magnesium deposits were recently discovered and they're believed to be more abundant and valuable than nickel, Anderson said.

While Anderson has noticed the federal and provincial governments jointly announcing support for mining organizations and new mining companies across the country, he says that hasn't been the case for Norway House.

"This is the first-ever First Nation-owned mine [in Manitoba], and we think the province and the federal government would want to jump on that opportunity and help First Nations get out of being a burden to the taxpayer," he said.

"First Nations can help this province become a have province, as opposed to continuing to be a have-not."

Norway House had one of 15 mining projects that received just over $3 million from the province about a year ago.

A spokesperson for Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses declined to comment on this story due to Election Financing Act rules about government communications during byelections. (The Transcona constituency has a byelection March 18.)

Premier Wab Kinew recently touted Manitoba as the "Costco of critical minerals" — a line previously used by former premier Heather Stefanson — when he and other Canadian leaders visited the U.S. capital earlier this month to try to dissuade American lawmakers from going ahead with proposed tariffs on Canadian goods.

"In order to keep the American economy moving forward, you need access to those raw materials," he told reporters in Washington on Feb. 12.

Kinew also said clean energy provided by Manitoba Hydro makes the province a desirable destination for future mining development.

"We have what America needs."

Kinew's comments came less than a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot mic telling business leaders that U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to annex Canada are real and motivated by a desire to access critical minerals.

But if Manitoba truly is the Costco of critical minerals, then some of the shelves appear to be empty.