In a rapidly changing world, we are meeting this moment and transforming our economy from one that is reliant on a single trade partner, to one that is stronger, more self-sufficient and resilient to global shocks. At the core of this, is new nation-building infrastructure: ports, mines, trade corridors, and other major projects that will unlock our vast natural resources and enable us to sell them to new markets across the country and around the world, while securing sovereign domestic supply chains.
Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, was at Nouveau Monde Graphite's Montreal offices to highlight the Government of Canada's decision to refer the company's Matawinie Mine to the Major Projects Office (MPO).
Nouveau Monde Graphite's Matawinie Mine is part of Canada's strategy to be a powerhouse in the extraction and upgrading of critical minerals, including graphite, tungsten, copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt. It will help ensure that our critical minerals industry can flourish, and that we and our global allies can benefit from our natural resources, clean technologies and unparalleled access to global markets. It specifically addresses major gaps in Canada's graphite value chain, where domestic mining is limited and there is currently no refined graphite production.
Located near Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Québec, the Matawinie Mine is an open-pit graphite mine that will redefine global battery supply chains. It will integrate with the company's planned Bécancour Battery Material Plant to produce spherical graphite using Québec's clean hydroelectricity. This spherical graphite will then be used in the production of electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.
This project will strengthen Canadian supply resilience, reduce dependence on carbon-intensive sources, and help accelerate the clean transition. As Canada's first integrated graphite operation and a strategic supplier to EV and defence producers, it is part of the Critical Minerals Production Alliance, a Canada-led G7 initiative.
The Nouveau Monde Graphite Matawinie Mine is expected to create over one thousand new careers and draw $1.8 billion in investment. Construction will start in the first quarter of 2026 and the mine will be in production by mid-2028.
This project is part of the second tranche of projects to build our economy, announced by the Prime Minister today. On their own, any one of these projects is transformational. As part of our broader national strategies to boost Canada's competitiveness, these initiatives will make our country more prosperous and resilient for generations to come.
