Québec Communities Vote “No” to La Loutre Graphite Mine

Residents in five Western Québec municipalities of have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed open-pit graphite mine, with 95 percent voting against the La Loutre project in a referendum.

Nearly 3,000 ballots were cast on Sunday (August 31) across Duhamel, Lac-des-Plages, Lac-Simon, Chénéville and Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk. Of those, 2,754 citizens voted against the asset, while only 115 were in favor.

The organizers say the result leaves no room for ambiguity about local opposition.

Located near Lac Bélanger, roughly 80 kilometers northeast of Gatineau, La Loutre is owned by Lomiko Metals (TSXV:LMR,OTCQB:LMRMF), which says it is a potential source of graphite for electric vehicle batteries.

China is the world’s largest producer of graphite by far, and countries around the world are looking to lock down supply of the material. In 2024, Lomiko received a US$8.35 million grant from the US Department of Defense, as well as C$4.9 million from Natural Resources Canada, as the countries looked to strengthen North America’s supply chain.

But for many locals, the referendum on La Loutre was not about global supply chains, but about protecting the lakes, forests and tourism-driven economy that sustain the Petite-Nation region.

Duhamel Mayor David Pharand, long opposed to the mine, said the scale of the rejection will shape what comes next.

“I can assure the population that the percentage of the results of this referendum will have a major impact on the decision of the government and the action that will be taken,” Pharand told CBC. “We will work based on those numbers with our political, federal, and provincial members of parliament to see that this project is not funded.”

Provincial officials struck a similar tone. Papineau MRC prefect Paul-André David said in a statement that the results reflect widespread environmental concerns and will guide the region’s stance in discussions with Québec City:

“The MRC will have to take the necessary measures to protect the interests of the community, by demanding that governments ensure that the sustainable management of water, air and landscapes is at the heart of discussions.”

Mathieu Lacombe, the Coalition Avenir Québec member of Québec’s National Assembly for Papineau, called the outcome “unequivocal” and pledged in a Facebook post to “ensure that the will of citizens is respected.”

Premier François Legault has repeatedly said in recent years that “if there is no social acceptability, there will be no mining activity,” a promise the Coalition du NON is now urging him to uphold.