Can you introduce the Société du Plan Nord?

The Société du Plan Nord was founded in 2015. We are now in the process of implementing the government's 3rd Nordic development plan. Last December, the minister responsible for the Société du Plan Nord, Maité Blanchette Vézina, and two other ministers released the Northern Action Plan 2023-2028. With the collaboration of more than 25 ministry and governmental agencies, the key figures are as follows: 45 new actions divided into four orientations. They are: Land access and infrastructure, economic strengthening, strengthening community vitality, environmental protection, and biodiversity. We also have 30 active actions and long-term projects that have been planned for a long time. Compared with 2016, our scope of action has broadened, particularly towards community support. We are fortunate to have the three main plans aligned over the same five-year period: our Strategic Plan, the Northern Action Plan, and our Sustainable Development Plan. What is your role within the Québec mining ecosystem?

Our 2023-2028 investment plan is C$2.6 billion for the Northern territory. The lion's share will be dedicated to infrastructure, because if you add up all the roads in the Northern Territory, there are 3,300 linear km in an area twice the size of France. In Nunavik, a territory located north of the 55th parallel, there are only two modes of access: by air or by sea over a window of 4-5 months a year. Access to the territory represents a major challenge for the mining industry. For example, we have a multi-user road subsidy program aimed specifically at mining companies.

Our role in the mining world is to “surround” projects: Is there a road? Is there electricity? Can we finance renewable energy projects? Is there high-speed internet for mining 4.0? For example, Winsome Resources' assets are relatively isolated in the North, and access roads to the projects are incomplete. We are helping at the planning level to make studies to determine which infrastructure will be optimal.

We also look at the mining companies' business plans. At present, many projects are based on the “fly-in fly-out” model, which has impacts on communities located near the project. They see workers flying overhead and leaving without contributing to local socio-economic development. Providing affordable housing will be crucial to the region's development. How important will the mining industry be to revitalize communities in the North?

It is time to turn the corner. In the '30s, mining companies would discover a deposit and build a town around it, like Schefferville, Gagnonville. Where there was a mine, there was a town. Today, with the transformation of the business model, the idea is to have a mining camp close to the deposit and to transport the workforce.

This shift is now taking place, thanks to the new ESG standards. Mining companies are now focusing more and more on the social acceptability of their projects. In Fermont, with ArcelorMittal, we helped set up a project to offer 40 homes, encouraging the local workforce to settle in the community. Without social acceptability, there can be no project. And social acceptability feeds on a fair return to host communities. Exploiting the economic breadbasket of the North should maximize the benefits for the people and the community of the North. How does one reach a balance for a fair economic development of the region?

The first challenge will be to further develop the entire supply chain. We need to be able to add value locally. What will be your priorities in the next six months?

Within the framework of the 23-28 Northern Action Plan, we are continuing with land access projects, which are becoming a crucial factor for all mining developers. In terms of telecommunications, Côte-Nord and Eeyou Istchee James Bay regions are served, and submarine cables scheduled for 2025-2026 will reach Nunavik. Operators like Glencore will be able to integrate new technologies at that time. Above all, we are going to continue working on the mining logistics chain: in the future, CSM will be evacuated via the Billy Diamond road to Matagami, where we are contributing to the conception of a hand-haul zone, allowing truck traffic to transport the spodumene concentrate to Bécancour for lithium processing and upgrading in Trois-Rivières, in the “Battery Valley”.