Yukon signs deal with Canada’s west and north to ‘unlock’ critical minerals
Published 10:45 am Tuesday, January 27, 2026
The Yukon government has signed onto a deal aligning western and northern Canadian regions in their push to “unlock” critical minerals in their jurisdictions, according to Ted Laking, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources.
Copper for electrical wiring, tungsten for lightbulbs, and nickel for batteries are among the “wealth of resources” that make society tick and are needed for everyday life, per Laking.
“We were blessed in Western Canada to have, you know, an abundance of these,” he said.
Announced in a B.C. government press release on Jan. 25, the Yukon is coming together with British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut around the memorandum of understanding (MOU). The release highlighted their agreement on speeding up development, strengthening the supply chain, diversifying export markets and positioning Canada’s west as the preferred global supplier of critical minerals.
A statement to Black Press Media from the B.C. Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals indicates that the MOU that was signed at the summit included some edits made during the summit.
Craig Simailak, Nunavut’s minister responsible for mines, couldn’t be at the summit but plans to sign on once he has received approval, which is expected in early February, according to the B.C. ministry’s statement.
The announcement around the MOU happened as some Yukon government, industry, First Nations and community representatives flocked to Vancouver for the annual AME Roundup conference on mining from Jan. 26-29.
For the second year in a row, the Yukon NDP has effectively boycotted the event. A Jan. 21 statement from Yukon NDP Leader Kate White cites unresolved mining issues in the Yukon as the reason her caucus won’t attend the major mining conference this year. She said she will meet with Yukon First Nations, municipalities and mining companies in the territory.
“Until this new Yukon Party Government is willing to make real change, we can’t in good conscience go to an industry conference pretending all is well,” White said.
“Our door is always open, but our focus remains where it belongs: on the issues facing everyday Yukoners.”
The MOU is intended to set the foundation for creating a Western Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy.
“In the face of questions about global stability, how can we market ourselves as a stable jurisdiction that has access to these resources that, you know, our like-minded countries and allies know that they can rely on us to develop these resources,” Laking said.
“Practically speaking, what it means is officials are starting with haste on quite a bit of work that’s going to get us to a strategy by the end of the summer.”
He thanked the prairies for rail and B.C. for port access to help get those critical minerals to market.
Laking said he fought for the need for investing in dependable winter power in the north to be included in the MOU.
Earlier this month, Yukon energy officials announced the territory hit the “red zone” but avoided rolling blackouts amid an extreme, prolonged cold snap. Laking indicated more certainty for investors and reliable winter power is needed to get more industrial investment in the territory.
“Yukon is already at the max of what we can generate in terms of power. And so when we see the prime minister talk about the need to unlock our potential as a critical mineral powerhouse in the world, that’s great to hear that, but we do need to see commensurate investment in dependable power,” Laking said.
“A small jurisdiction like the Yukon simply cannot afford to put that all on its own shoulders, and so we’re going to need help from federal partners to help move the ball down the field on that issue.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced the North Coast Transmission Line’s referral to the Major Projects Office. Tied to that project is a Yukon-B.C. grid connect project that would link the Yukon’s isolated grid to the Canadian grid through B.C. The grid-connected project is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and is years away.
Black Press Media has requested a copy of the MOU, but it wasn’t provided by the publication. The document will be made publicly available after Nunavut signs on, according to the B.C. mines ministry.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com