March 7, 2023
At a PDAC networking event designed to open the conversations that lead to business opportunities and partnerships, Minister Wawzonek talked about timing and relationships Monday.
As she welcomed close-to 1000 guests to an “Invest Canada North” networking event, sponsored in part by the GNWT, the Minister highlighted the opportunity that is evolving for investors, industry, the NWT – and its Indigenous partners to leverage the trending demand for critical minerals and rare earths.
While the timing of this rising global demand for critical minerals may be fortuitous, the Indigenous relationships that are positioning the NWT on the cutting edge of ESG-centered exploration and development have been in the making for many years.
“We call it ESG-I; specifically ESG performance standards as realized through an Indigenous lens,” the Minister said.
Challenges traditionally associated with mining in the north are increasingly being outweighed by the NWT’s rich geology of Critical Minerals including REEs and the approach, the practices - and the relationships that characterize the business of exploration and mining in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
“The all-important first step to Investing in Canada’s North is building the relationships,” Minister Wawzonek said.