AME Launches 'Minerals for Tomorrow' to Secure Canada's Future

National public-engagement campaign highlights mineral exploration's vital role in economic security, defence, clean energy, tech competitiveness, and Canadian sovereignty

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 26, 2026 /CNW/ - The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) today launched Minerals for Tomorrow, a national public-engagement campaign highlighting the essential role mineral exploration plays in Canada's economic security, defence, clean-energy transition, technological competitiveness and national sovereignty.

Unveiled at the opening ceremony of the AME Roundup conference, the campaign comes as Canada faces mounting pressure to build more housing, infrastructure, clean-energy systems and defence capacity, all of which depend on a secure domestic supply of minerals. At the same time, the critical minerals strategy outlined in Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent speech at the World Economic Forum frames minerals as a matter of economic security and national sovereignty.

"Canada is at a crossroads," said AME President and CEO Todd Stone. "The technologies and infrastructure we rely on every day -- from clean energy and healthcare to housing and national defence -- all begin with mineral exploration. Without exploration, there are no future mines. And without future mines, Canada becomes more dependent, more expensive, and more vulnerable."

Minerals for Tomorrow positions mineral exploration as the R&D engine of the resource economy, with prospectors, geologists, Indigenous partners, entrepreneurs and technologists willing to take risks long before success is guaranteed. The compelling campaign firmly connects early-stage exploration to long-term outcomes: good jobs, resilient communities, secure supply chains, and economic independence.

"Mineral exploration is where B.C.'s resource economy begins," said Jagrup Brar, B.C. Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals. "It supports good jobs, advances reconciliation with Indigenous communities, and underpins the minerals we need for new technology, infrastructure, and economic growth. Minerals for Tomorrow helps shine a light on the people and early-stage work that make responsible resource development possible."

B.C. hosts 19 of Canada's 34 critical minerals, and is a global hub for both mineral discovery and exploration technology. Yet declining investment, increasing regulatory uncertainty, and restricted access to land threaten the future pipeline of discoveries Canada will need in the decades ahead.

Minerals for Tomorrow calls for a renewed national focus on supporting responsible mineral exploration by:

• Improving permitting certainty
• Protecting access to land for early-stage exploration
• Recognizing exploration as a strategic national priority
• Strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities
• Encouraging public understanding of where the materials that build modern life come from.

"Junior mining companies assume the earliest and highest-risk stages of mineral exploration, often years before a project even has a name or a defined development pathway, and those early discoveries are what sustain the broader mining pipeline," said Malcolm Dorsey, President, CEO and Director of Vancouver-based Torr Metals. "When early-stage exploration slows, future mine development is inevitably delayed. Minerals for Tomorrow recognizes that Canada's critical-minerals objectives cannot be achieved without a strong and supported junior exploration sector."

The campaign includes a dedicated website, original storytelling, educational resources, and public-facing explainers that highlight the essential role mineral exploration plays in securing Canada's future.

"Minerals for Tomorrow is about making sure Canadians understand what's at stake, and why supporting responsible exploration now is essential to the future we want to build," Stone said. "To that end, AME is calling on all Canadians to tell the people they elected that Canada's economic future isn't up for negotiation, and that responsible mineral exploration means good jobs, young talent that stays in our communities, and entrepreneurs who build the future of Canada. Because tomorrow belongs to the countries that have the courage to explore today."

About AME

AME champions mineral exploration as the foundation of Canada's economic independence. We connect exploration to mineral development, clean technology, and national security. Through member advocacy, we ensure exploration remains central to Canada's sovereignty and economic future.

Learn more, sign up for updates, and get involved at mineralsfortomorrow.ca.

Media Contact:

Kathleen Reid[email protected]604-724-1242

Find the Minerals for Tomorrow media kit here.

SOURCE AME

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