2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario

May 21, 2025

Ministers Bethlenfalvy, Lecce, Rickford, and Quinn announced our government’s plan to build a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy by supporting the creation of a made-in-Ontario critical minerals supply chain that includes new resources and opportunities for Indigenous equity partnerships.

News Release
EN: Province Investing $3.1 Billion to Support Indigenous Partnership in Critical Mineral Development | Ontario Newsroom

FR: La province investit 3,1 milliards de dollars à l’appui des partenariats autochtones pour la mise en valeur des minéraux critiques | Salle de presse de l’Ontario

Key Messages

As part of our Plan to Protect Ontario, we are taking bold action to build a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy.
Our government is continuing to build a made-in-Ontario critical minerals supply chain that includes new resources and opportunities for Indigenous equity partnerships — helping lay the foundation for a more secure and more prosperous future while ensuring indigenous communities benefit from critical mineral development.
These measures include nearly $3.1 billion in loans, grants and scholarship that would support Indigenous participation, partnership and ownership in Ontario’s critical mineral supply chain.
Our government is tripling the total amount of loan guarantees through the Indigenous Opportunities Financing to $3 billion and expanding eligibility beyond the electricity sector to include eligible projects in mining and critical minerals, resource development, energy, pipelines and other sectors, to support investments by Indigenous communities in Ontario’s growth.
To help Indigenous communities and organizations benefit more from mineral exploration and mine development, our government is also investing $70 million in the Indigenous Participation Fund – allowing Indigenous communities to leverage economic opportunities through increased participation in Ontario’s growing minerals sector.
Finally, to help equip First Nation students for careers in resource development, our government is investing $10 million in a new scholarship, giving them access to the tools and training they need to be leaders and innovators in the sector.