The Strategic Innovation Fund money will go toward the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator Network, which will work with over 350 businesses to extend the lives of existing mines and dig out new mineral deposits faster. (The Logic)

Talking point: Canada is trying to catch up to China on critical minerals and woo investments from allies, as demand explodes for solar panels and electric-vehicle batteries. To date, the industry here has had trouble competing with China’s state-owned firms. One Canadian firm, Frontier Lithium, said it would need $1 billion to move forward with its plan to mine lithium. That’s currently years away, Frontier told the Financial Post, which was first to report aspects of the accelerator news. The government said the mining accelerator is designed to grab at $100 million or more in private sector-investments and make Canada “a leading producer of zero-emission products.”