Nova Scotia, Canada, at PDAC 2026: Advancing Responsible Mineral Development

The annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention brings the global mineral exploration and mining community to Toronto each year. It’s where projects move forward, investors assess opportunities and jurisdictions demonstrate how they enable responsible resource development.

In recent months, I’ve written about Nova Scotia’s growing role in global critical mineral supply chains and the steps taken to reinforce its position. At PDAC 2026, that discussion continues with a focus on one clear priority; advancing mining projects toward development and delivery.

Global demand for responsibly sourced critical minerals continues to rise, driven by advanced manufacturing needs and growing emphasis on supply chain resilience and security. Today, jurisdictions are evaluated not only on geological potential, but also on permitting efficiency, transparency, and policy consistency.

Regulatory Reform

In January 2026, Nova Scotia introduced further reforms to streamline its permitting system, building on measures launched over the past year to improve how mineral development proposals move through the provincial review process.

Following the introduction of NovaMINE, the province’s online mine-permitting portal, recent actions include:

• Streamlined environmental review processes and updated approval pathways for metal mining
• Refinements to phased industrial approvals to improve efficiency and certainty
• Creation of a dedicated Large Industrial Files Team (LIFT) within the Department of Environment and Climate Change
• Elimination of permits associated with low-risk activities

Administrative reforms to reduce bottlenecks while maintaining environmental safeguards

Together, these changes reduce administrative burden, eliminate unnecessary steps, and provide greater predictability for operators and capital partners.

Investment Pathways

Nova Scotia’s critical and strategic mineral resource base, including lithium, rare earth elements, copper, graphite, and gold, is well established. The focus now is advancing viable mining projects toward construction and operation.

Opportunities include:

• Equity participation or acquisition of existing assets and exploration projects
• Greenfield mining project development
• Historic mine tailings reprocessing
• Mining technology and mineral processing

Connect at PDAC

Nova Scotia’s strategic and critical minerals opportunity is translating into action.

At Invest Nova Scotia, I work directly with mining companies, investors, and technology providers to identify opportunities, navigate provincial processes, and build connections across government, industry, academia, and communities.

If you’re attending PDAC 2026, let's connect to discuss what faster, clearer permitting and project-ready opportunity looks like in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Connect with Heather Hennigar, Investment Attraction Executive.