From Rock to Road: Investing in Ontario’s Looming EV Boom
The momentum around the global energy transition has underscored the critical importance of establishing secure, ethical and efficient critical mineral supply chains, leading to renewed interest in jurisdictions with the right resources but without the geopolitical baggage. And Ontario, Canada is rapidly emerging as a front runner.
Guided by its Critical Minerals Strategy, Ontario is working to establish a fully domestic supply chain that spans from exploration to processing and advanced manufacturing. The province is leveraging its world-class geology, transparent permitting and strong Indigenous partnerships while investing in infrastructure, tax incentives and clean energy to support downstream processing. With battery gigafactories under construction across Ontario, the province is emerging as a credible North American alternative to China’s supply dominance.
An increasing number of global resource companies, like Australian firm Green Technology Metals (ASX:GT1), are investing in Ontario to pursue integrated strategies that link critical mineral resources with processing facilities to supply directly to OEMs and battery manufacturers.
Government backing for critical minerals
Canada has identified critical minerals as essential to its economic future, energy transition and geopolitical resilience. Federal and provincial governments are prioritizing these resources to secure domestic supply chains, reduce dependence on foreign producers and capture more value from downstream processing.
This strategy is reflected in a broad suite of incentives, from exploration grants and streamlined permitting to tax credits and funding for refining facilities. At the same time, governments are investing in enabling infrastructure, including all-season roads, expanded grid capacity and port upgrades, to unlock access to mineral-rich northern regions.
Against this backdrop, GT1 is effectively leveraging this supportive policy environment to advance its integrated lithium strategy. At its flagship Seymour lithium project, GT1 has already been awarded C$5.5 million from CMIF Round 1 for a road upgrade and secured a C$100 million letter of intent from Export Development Canada (EDC) for project financing. Additional submissions include C$6.34 million from CMIF Round 2 for transport, power and water upgrades, along with up to C$500,000 from the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund for ore sorting and metallurgical work.
At the Root project, GT1 has applied for C$4.95 million from CMIF Round 2 for road, power and water infrastructure. For its planned Conversion Facility, a key part of GT1’s integrated mine-to-battery strategy, the company has submissions under review with NRCan Strategic Project Support and SIF, with additional support sought from the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund for refining and conversion technology.
These funding awards and applications demonstrate how GT1’s projects are…
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