In this episode of Minerals Matter, Jocelyn Douhéret, Director General of Mining Policy and Development at Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, sits down with Pascale Massot, Co-Founder of APF Canada’s Canada-Indo-Pacific Critical Minerals Hub, to unpack Quebec’s critical minerals strategy and the province’s focus on supply chain optimization.
Jocelyn, who joined the ministry in 2023 after a long career in the mining sector, traces the province’s mining evolution from gold and iron to its current strategic position as home to the only niobium mine in the Northern Hemisphere and the only lithium mine operating in North America.
He discusses how Quebec moved ahead of Ottawa on its critical minerals strategy in 2020, what distinguishes “strategic” from “critical” minerals, and how securitization and global economic shifts have reshaped the strategy to what it is today. He also underscores the role of the circular economy in competing with China for market demand, positioning Quebec as a reliable source for lower-footprint, traceable mineral supplies.
Download the transcript (AI-assisted) of this podcast episode.
