Minerals strategy and action plan

The Alberta Geological Survey, Alberta Energy Regulator, and the Government of Alberta released one of the largest mineral data collections in Alberta’s history.

The government will invest over $30 million by 2025 to enable the Alberta Energy Regulator and Alberta Geological Survey  to deliver more minerals-focused public geoscience information and build an inventory of minerals and their concentrations across the province.

This project obtained regional geoscience data across Alberta to:

• Improve our collective understanding of Alberta’s geology and its minerals’ potential. 
• Close knowledge gaps between stakeholders
• Identify new mineral occurrences
• Provide base-level geoscience information to inform and spur exploration and development opportunities.

Enhancing publicly accessible geoscience information attracts more investment, reduces exploration risk, and contributes to well-informed resource development and land use decisions.

Alberta Energy Regulator as the life cycle regulator for minerals

The Mineral Resource Development Act came into effect for brine-hosted mineral development on March 1, 2023, and for rock-hosted mineral development on February 28, 2024 with full proclamation of the Act. Previously, regulatory oversight for minerals was split among multiple entities in the province and there were no specific resource conservation statutes for metallic and industrial minerals, unlike for other natural resources in the province. 

Combined with the Responsible Energy Development Act, the Mineral Resource Development Act provides legislative authority to the AER to regulate mineral resources and ensure their safe, efficient, orderly and responsible development.

The government used a staged approach to implementing the regulatory framework for the Mineral Resource Development Act, starting first with minerals extracted from underground formations, known in the industry as brine-hosted minerals, before moving to rock-hosted mineral development.

Additional information on mineral regulation can be found at: Alberta Energy Regulator’s mineral resource development.

Collaborating with the federal government and other jurisdictions

Alberta’s strategy supports work with federal, provincial and territorial governments and partners – such as the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan, the Canada-U.S. joint action plan on critical minerals and our collaboration with the Northwest Territories on critical minerals development.

The federal government is pursuing the Canada-U.S. Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration and leading the development of a Canada’s approach targeting all segments of the critical minerals and battery value chains. Alberta has potential to supply many of the minerals and metals needed to build advanced battery technologies such as lithium, cobalt, helium, and vanadium, as well as its mineral processing and manufacturing capacity to fuel the domestic value chains.

Mineral Resource Development Act

• The Mineral Resource Development Act was the first step in implementing Alberta’s minerals strategy and action plan. 
  • The act ensures the responsible management and development of the province’s mineral resources.
  • This is a necessary step because, unlike for other natural resources in the province, there have been no specific resource conservation statutes to help guide the responsible development of metallic and industrial minerals.
  • Provisions in the act include obligations on licensees and approval holders related to liability management, remedial action, and compliance, oversight and enforcement. 

Modernizing tenure for metallic and industrial minerals

New tenure for brine-hosted minerals and update tenure requirements for rock-hosted minerals have been established to help encourage timely exploration and production.

As of January 1, 2023, the Metallic and Industrial Minerals Tenure Regulation (MIMTR) was modernized and sets out the requirements for obtaining and maintaining tenure agreements (permits, licences, leases) for metallic and industrial minerals. The new MIMTR also provides specific tenure requirements for the 2 types of metallic and industrial minerals: rock-hosted and brine-hosted.

Initiatives available for Indigenous Peoples and communities

General incentives managed by the Ministry of Indigenous Relations can be used to further mineral projects, including:

• Indigenous Consultations in Alberta - Find relevant, up-to-date information for all parties involved in an Indigenous consultation process for regulated activities.
• The Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation provides investment supports for natural resources, agriculture and transportation projects in Canada that have at least one Alberta-based Indigenous group as an investor.
• The Aboriginal Business Investment Fund can partially or completely fund capital costs for Indigenous community-owned economic development projects. 
• The Employment Partnerships Program provides funding to Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program agreement holders for Indigenous workforce development.
• The First Nations, Métis and Inuit Northern Alberta Development Council Bursary is available for students in pre-apprenticeship training, or in a certificate or diploma studies.

Employment and training programs

The Government of Alberta provides a range of employment and training programs that are available to increase opportunities for employment in the minerals sector. These include:

• The Integrated Training Program offers eligible Albertans competency-based training for skills needed in real-work situations by offering occupation-related skills, work experience, and essential skills.
• The Immigrant Bridging Program offers eligible immigrants with competency-based/occupation-related skills training, work experience, and essential skills to help them obtain employment related to their prior skills, education or experience. 
• The Self-employment Program offers to eligible Albertans who are looking to develop and start a new business formal training, business plan development, one-to-one business counselling, coaching and guidance.
• Transition to Employment Services offers eligible Albertans with individualized services such as employment placement and supports, job matching, work experience and short courses to gain and maintain employment.
• Workplace Training Program offers eligible Albertans work-site training and paid work experience through employer-delivered training. Participating employers agree to provide on-the-job training and/or provide work experience, with the expectation that participants maintain employment after completing the program.
• Jobs, Economy, and Trade (JET) Training and Employment Services branch maintains a Training and Employment Services Directory that lists its programs and services available in 37 municipalities and surrounding communities.
• The Northern Alberta Development Council (NADC) provides a bursary to students training for jobs that are in high demand in northern Alberta, including work in the engineering and technical fields. The NADC Bursary program provides up to $14,000 over two years and is non-repayable for those who agree to live and work in the north.

Supports for employers

Funding, supports, workforce contacts and resources for Alberta employers, industry associations, community and Indigenous organizations.

• The Canada-Alberta Job Grant is a training program where an employer applies on behalf of their present or future employees for eligible training costs. Employers decide who gets training and what type of training may be needed for their employees. 
• Workforce Partnership grants provide funding to organizations such as employers, industry and sector associations, regional organizations, and Indigenous organizations to support labour market adjustment strategies and workforce development, including initiatives to attract and retain workers through partnerships.
• Indigenous Employment Training Partnerships provides grant funding to Indigenous communities and organizations to deliver group-training projects designed in partnership with employers and other partners.
• Workforce contacts and employer resources provides Information to help employers recruit, retain and strengthen their workforce. 

General incentives available for mineral proponents:

• The Research Commercialization Working Group was established in August 2021 to implement goal 3 of the Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs strategy – support innovation and commercialization. The working group submitted its final report to government Advancing Commercialization and Talent (in research) the report of the Research Working Group in April 2023.
• The Innovation Employment Grant encourages economic growth by supporting small and medium-sized businesses that invest in research and development (R&D) with a grant worth up to 20% of qualifying expenditures.
• As Alberta’s innovation engine, Alberta Innovates invests in solutions supporting the development, deployment and end of use processes for next-generation materials, critical minerals, and batteries.  These investments foster a more competitive and sustainable minerals and materials industry. Funding is available through the Energy Storage and Minerals program which supports a low-carbon economy with a focus on rare earth elements and critical minerals such as nickel, vanadium, and lithium for applications in electronics, e-mobility, and energy storage.
• Regional Economic Development Resources are available for Alberta communities and regions to support local efforts to diversify and grow their economies, attract investment, and maintain a positive and competitive business environment.