Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government plans to amend the province’s Mining Act to help build more mines, amid forecasts that electric vehicles and other advanced technologies mean mineral needs will double or even quadruple worldwide by 2040. (The Logic)

Talking point: The province’s plan to “save mining companies time and money” includes: easier permitting to recover minerals from mine waste; more qualified professionals to certify closure plans; more “flexibility” in rehabilitating closed mines; and letting miners pay the costs of complying with environmental objectives in installments. The province’s press release highlights developing the Ring of Fire. The mineral-rich area of Northern Ontario has long faced delays and skepticism over its value, as well as objections about the impact on a key peatland ecosystem and on some First Nations communities. The federal government is also seeking to speed up mining amid a push to localize the EV supply chain, but has said that other mines are “far closer to realization than the Ring of Fire.” Ontario said it plans on upholding “world-class environmental protection standards” and spurring “significant” economic development for Indigenous communities.