TORONTO – The Ontario government welcomed Frontier Lithium Inc.’s proposal to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to build a first-of-its-kind lithium refinery in Thunder Bay. This refinery would result in hundreds of new, full-time jobs and support Ontario’s emerging end-to-end critical mineral supply chain, with critical minerals mined and refined in Ontario by Ontario workers.
“Our government is working with Frontier Lithium and the federal government to protect Ontario workers and jobs by mining and refining our critical minerals right here in Ontario,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “The frontline of our battle against Donald Trump’s tariffs starts in northern Ontario with our abundant supply of critical minerals. Frontier Lithium’s interest in expanding their production of strategic minerals in Ontario is yet another vote of confidence in Ontario’s workers and business environment.”
Frontier Lithium is working with the provincial and federal governments towards an agreement that would, subject to final conditions, see the company develop and operate a lithium chemicals conversion facility in Thunder Bay. This facility would be part of Frontier Lithium’s PAK Lithium Project, which aims to be the first fully integrated lithium development initiative in Canada and will be an important part of the province’s developing made-in-Ontario critical mineral supply chain.
Ontario has significant deposits of lithium, which is a strategically important material in the global electric vehicle (EV) battery market. With an emerging end-to-end EV and EV battery manufacturing supply chain, Ontario is well positioned to become a global leader as both a critical mineral supplier and EV manufacturer.