SaltWire's Atlantic regional weather forecast for October 17, 2023] | SaltWireTorngat Metals wants to lead the way in creating a rare earths industry in Canada and hopes it can win the favour of the Nunatsiavut government to make its plans feasible.
The ore would undergo some processing at the mine site to minimize the amount that would need to be transported.For Torngat Metals, the timing is right in terms of the demand for rare earth metals, which can be used to make permanent magnets that could be used to build more efficient motors for electric cars or wind turbine generators and various other cutting-edge technology aimed at decarbonization and transitioning to a greener economy.
There have been various iterations of the Strange Lake project through the years. Burow said the backing of Cerebrus means the company will have the financial security it needs to be able to proceed from start to finish.While the mine itself could still get approval from the Quebec government, the road Torngat Metals wants to build and use runs through Labrador Inuit Lands and must eventually get the green light from the Nunatsiavut government.
“All of that is on the table,” said Burow. “We want to play a role in bringing together all of this knowledge and help be part of finding solutions that may be broader than what our impact will be.”Jim Goudie, deputy minister of the Nunatsiavut government’s Department of Lands and Natural Resources, said those and any other concerns will be brought forward during the ongoing environmental process and ultimately will be decided on by Nunatsiavut’s executive council and assembly.
“All of that has to be incorporated into a Nunatsiavut government environmental assessment,” said Goudie. “And all those pieces have to be in place before that environmental assessment can be done and we know that some of those pieces are not in place.Torngat Metals acknowledges this project is going to take time, and Burow said time is needed to make sure things are done to everyone’s satisfaction.