March 2, 2026 Toronto, Ontario Natural Resources Canada
Canada is accelerating critical minerals development and building more resilient supply chains so we can unlock our natural mineral abundance. Central to this effort is the creation of the Canadian Digital Core Library (CDCL) - a national platform that will facilitate access to digitized drill core data from across the country. Drill cores provide valuable information that allows us to identify mineral deposits and assess the size, quality and economic potential of a mineral resource so we can develop new mining projects across the country.
Today, at the 2026 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada Convention (PDAC), the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources announced progress toward the creation of the CDCL.
Natural Resources Canada is committed to investing up to $40 million in the initiative to make geological drill core data widely accessible and transform how geoscience data is shared and used across Canada. Minister Hodgson also announced the signing of a non-binding Declaration of Intent between the Government of Canada, Creative Destruction Lab, Laurentian University and multiple major mining companies - Agnico Eagle, Anglo American, BHP, Hudbay, Teck, and Vale. The Declaration signals that these entities will look at ways of using drill core data to create a public digital library in support of a common national data set to strengthen Canada's competitiveness in mining exploration and analysis.
By creating a national public digital repository of public drill core data, the CDCL positions Canada at the forefront of what mining innovation looks like in 2026. This initiative will not only accelerate the discovery and responsible development of critical minerals but also attract investment, create and support jobs, and strengthen supply chains for clean technologies and strategic industries, reinforcing Canada's position as a global leader in clean, responsible and innovation-driven mining.
