Ontario Invests in 68 New Mines of the Future to Bolster Self-Reliance

Province supporting the next generation of mineral discoveries to build made-in-Ontario supply chains, create jobs and unlock economic growth in the North

March 19, 2026

SUDBURY — Today, as part of its plan to build a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy, the Ontario government is boosting the critical minerals and mining sectors by supporting 68 early exploration projects through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program. This investment will help junior exploration companies and licensed prospectors find the mines of the future by covering eligible costs for mineral exploration and development, supporting 71 jobs across northern and rural communities and generating an estimated $18 million in total economic output.

Ontario recently launched consultations to modernize its Critical Mineral Strategy, with a focus on strengthening the mining sector by reducing red tape and investing in early mineral exploration. The province’s plan will help unlock untapped economic potential, bolster Canadian self-reliance, boost job creation and secure made-in-Ontario supply chains, while reinforcing our leadership as the number one jurisdiction in Canada in exploration and deposit appraisal expenditures.

“To boost Canada’s self-reliance, Ontario is investing heavily in early exploration to build a pipeline for new mines and new jobs,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines and MPP for King— Vaughan. “We overhauled our permitting system, while investing heavily in early exploration, resulting in Ontario emerging in the top spot for early exploration investment and Canada’s most attractive mining investment jurisdiction. Ontario’s new Critical Minerals Strategy will further double down on early exploration to lay the groundwork for the next generation of mines, good-paying jobs and economic growth across northern Ontario. As we face headwinds of uncertainty, Ontario is accelerating responsible resource development to fortify our supply chains, workforce, and economy at this critical time.”

As the world looks for stable, responsible sources of critical minerals, Ontario’s leadership in responsible resource development is unlocking new economic opportunities and investment across northern Ontario. Early-stage mineral exploration carries significant uncertainty, with only about a one in 1,000 chance of exploration projects becoming a mine. The high costs, long timelines and challenges of working in remote and rugged regions make it difficult for junior companies and prospectors to attract private investment needed to move projects forward.

The OJEP program covers up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for exploration and development projects. With the addition of the new funding stream and the enhanced Indigenous Participation funding, prospectors will now be eligible to receive up to $65,000 per project (including enhanced Indigenous Participation Support) and junior mining companies will be eligible to receive up to $215,000 per project (including enhanced Indigenous Participation Support). Ontario’s strategic support at this stage helps reduce these barriers and positions Ontario to unlock the new mineral deposits that will drive long-term growth. Today’s investment builds on the $30 million invested in previous rounds of OJEP funding that have helped 213 mining companies finance early exploration projects, with 165 focused on critical minerals.

“Ontario's mineral independence is a cornerstone of our economic sovereignty, and programs like OJEP are essential to maintaining it,” said Steve Virtue, President and CEO of Ontario Prospectors Association. “By supporting the early-stage exploration work that drives discovery, this investment ensures our mining pipeline stays strong and our competitive edge stays sharp.”

OJEP is a key initiative in the government’s plan to update its Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy to position the province as a reliable global supplier of responsibly sourced critical minerals and build fully integrated, made-in-Ontario supply chains. As the global demand for critical minerals needed to manufacture batteries, modern defence technologies and advanced manufacturing continues to grow, Ontario has the deposits, skilled workforce, expertise and business-friendly investment climate to secure the province’s place as the most competitive jurisdiction in the G7 to invest, create jobs and do business.

Quick Facts

• Ontario is one of the most mineral rich areas in the world with currently 200 companies actively exploring more than 300 projects across the province, with a majority of projects located in the North.

• On July 3, 2025, the government opened the call for applications for the OJEP program.

• In 2024, Ontario saw approximately $1.1 billion in mineral exploration spending and deposit appraisal spending, the top investment in Canada for several years, a trend driven in part by programs like OJEP.

• To date, OJEP has proven its ability to attract global capital, with every $1 of public funding leveraging over $2 in private sector investment.

• The government is also investing $500 million to create a new Critical Minerals Processing Fund to provide financial support for projects that accelerate the province’s critical mineral processing capacity and made-in-Ontario critical minerals supply chain, to ensure that minerals mined in Ontario will be processed in Ontario-by-Ontario workers.

• The program supports early exploration activities for a wide range of minerals, including lithium, nickel, copper, and rare earth elements, which are vital for clean technologies and advanced manufacturing.

• The launch of Ontario's 'One Project, One Process' (1P1P) framework is helping streamline government permitting approvals by 50 per cent by coordinating regulatory processes across ministries, making it easier, faster and more predictable for companies leading designated advanced exploration and mine development projects in the province.

Quotes

"Northern Ontario has some of the richest mineral potential anywhere in the world and early exploration is key to unlocking that potential. By supporting prospectors and junior mining companies, our government is helping transform exploration success into new investment, good-paying jobs and long-term economic growth across the region."

- George Pirie

Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth

"Greater Sudbury is proud to be a global centre of mining expertise, with a world-class mining cluster and service and supply sector supporting exploration and development across Ontario and beyond. Programs like the Ontario Junior Exploration Program help prospectors and junior companies advance early discoveries and strengthen Northern Ontario’s role in supplying the critical minerals the world needs."

- Paul Lefebvre

Mayor of City of Greater Sudbury

"Exploration is where the mines of tomorrow begin. The Ontario Mining Association welcomes the government’s continued investment in early-stage exploration through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program, supporting junior companies and prospectors to advance the discoveries needed to grow Ontario’s minerals sector."

- Priya Tandon

President, Ontario Mining Association

"This investment in early exploration is important for Northern Ontario and particularly for communities across the Northwest where the mining sector plays a vital role in local economies. Programs like the Ontario Junior Exploration Program help prospectors and junior companies advance early-stage discoveries in remote regions, supporting jobs, local businesses and long-term economic opportunities. By supporting exploration today, Ontario is helping unlock the mineral potential of the North and positioning Northwestern Ontario to play a critical role in supplying the resources needed for the industries of the future."

- Rick Dumas

President, NOMA

"First Class Metals has been proud to participate in the OJEP program for the past four years, and this support has made a meaningful difference in our ability to undertake exploration across our properties in Ontario, helping advance the projects that may underpin the next generation of discoveries. OJEP represents more than support for prospectors and companies like ours, it is an investment in Ontario’s future as a global leader in responsible mineral exploration and development."

- Marc Sale

CEO, First Class Metals PLC

"The Ontario Junior Exploration Program is foundational to this province's junior mining sector. For companies like SPC Nickel advancing our promising Lockerby East Property in Sudbury, OJEP provides important support that helps ensure that early-stage exploration can continue to flourish. Against today's backdrop of global uncertainty and growing demand for critical minerals from safe jurisdictions, OJEP is more important than ever in enabling junior companies to continue to progress promising targets, attract private capital, and ultimately deliver the discoveries that will underpin Ontario’s – and Canada’s – critical minerals future."

- Grant Mourre

CEO, SPC Nickel Corp.

"Greater Sudbury’s mining and mining supply and service sectors are vital to the northern economy and extend far beyond our region. We thank the Province of Ontario for recognizing the importance of early exploration and for investing in the companies and expertise that turn early-stage work into future opportunity and help advance the next generation of mine development."

- Marie Litalien

President and CEO, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce

"The Ontario Junior Exploration Program fuels discovery and helps ensure Ontario’s mining and minerals sector has the resources it needs to succeed today and into the future. SNOLAB fully supports the provincial government’s efforts to build a strong pipeline of new projects and skilled workers that will sustain economies and communities across Ontario."

- Jodi Cooley

Executive Director, SNOLAB

"As a junior exploration company active in Northwestern Ontario, Landore Resources Canada Inc. sees the continuation of the OJEP program as a signal of the Ontario government’s ongoing commitment to mineral exploration, promoting the stable jurisdiction absolutely critical for the success of our flagship Junior Lake multi-commodity Property, host to our BAM Gold Deposit and B4-7 Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-PGEs Deposit."

- Michele Tuomi

Principal Consultant, Landore Resources Canada Inc.

"We thank the Ministry of Energy and Mines as well as the Government of Ontario for their leadership and swift action in supporting exploration of critical minerals. This grant enables Errington Metals, an emerging exploration and development company, to leverage our capital toward advancing exploration and the potential discovery and development of copper and zinc resources at our Sudbury Basin project; thereby driving sustained economic prosperity for the Province and for Canada."

- Matthew Gollat

President & CEO, Errington Metals

"RPX Gold Inc’s Wawa Gold Project, located near the town of Wawa, was able to successfully complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) with support from the Ontario Junior Exploration Program. The project is situated on a historic brownfield site associated with past mining activity, which provided an existing geological dataset and infrastructure advantages. OJEP funding helped offset the cost of key exploration including drilling and geological modelling, which generated the data required to support the PEA. The program enabled the project to advance exploration more efficiently and demonstrate the potential economic viability of redeveloping the historic site while contributing to regional economic development."

- Michael Michaud

President and CEO, RPX Gold

"In Q3 2025, New Break Resources ran a maiden drilling program at our Moray gold project, 50 km southeast of Timmins, Ontario and made a significant gold discovery. Exploration work at Moray over the previous three years had been materially augmented through funding provided by the Ontario Junior Exploration Program and this year’s grant helped to fund our gold discovery. This success unquestionably validates the commitment provided by Minister Lecce and the Ford government in support of junior mineral exploration in the Province of Ontario, aimed at positioning Ontario at the forefront of global mineral production. New Break is proud to be an ongoing OJEP grant recipient, and we are even more thrilled to have fulfilled our part by delivering a new gold discovery. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the government of Ontario and First Nations, along with our technical team and various other stakeholders, as we continue to advance our Moray gold discovery with 2026 drilling already underway."

- Michael Farrant

President, New Break Resources

"Bold Ventures is delighted to receive OJEP funding for its Burchell Base and Precious Metals Project, which will allow for more thorough testing of our prospective targets which we are currently drilling."

- Bruce A. MacLachlan

President, COO & Director, Bold Ventures

"Every economic deposit begins with a fundamental understanding of the ground beneath our feet. As Canada’s Mining University, Laurentian is committed to providing the research and data that helps junior exploration companies identify the discoveries of the future. This provincial investment in the junior sector is a vital step in securing Ontario’s critical mineral supply chain."

- Nadia Mykytczuk

President and CEO, MIRARCO

"Early exploration is critical because it creates future opportunity for Ontario suppliers. Every project that advances generates demand for the specialized products, services, and expertise our members provide, while strengthening Ontario’s mining supply chain. A strong pipeline of exploration activity is essential to sustaining long-term growth and competitiveness across the province."

- Marla Tremblay

Executive Director, MineConnect