Nova Scotia Updates Critical Minerals Strategy

Sep 18, 2025 - 8 months ago

Nova Scotia has expanded its focus on critical and strategic minerals to create jobs, attract investment and help advance the move to clean energy.

The Department has added four more minerals to its critical minerals list and created a new list of four strategic minerals.

“This update shows that we are moving forward to unlock the full potential of Nova Scotia’s abundant natural resources,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources. “We’ve lifted blanket bans and we’re targeting minerals that are in great demand for the clean energy transition in Canada and around the world. We’re also focusing on minerals that will help us grow our economy and create good-paying jobs for Nova Scotians.”

Critical minerals are used in areas such as clean energy, defence and healthcare. These additions to the critical minerals list bring the total to 20:

high purity silica used for solar panels and semiconductors
silver used for solar panels and thermoelectric devices
tellurium used for solar panels and thermoelectric devices
uranium used for nuclear energy and health applications.

The strategic minerals are:

aggregate used for construction of roads, buildings, concrete and landscaping
gold used for electronics, dentistry and finance (as currency or investment)
gypsum used for drywall, plaster, cement and agriculture (as a soil conditioner)
potash used in fertilizer and industrial applications.

This update further aligns Nova Scotia with the Canadian critical minerals list and will help unlock the province’s full natural resource potential.

Source: Province of Nova Scotia