Wawa-news.com Local and Regional News
May 19, 2026
Saint‑Michel‑des‑Saints, Québec
In an increasingly divided and uncertain world, Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control. We are building a stronger, more independent, more resilient economy – an economy built on the solid foundation of strong Canadian industries and workers.
To that end, Canada’s new government launched the Major Projects Office (MPO) last year to get major infrastructure projects – new ports, mines, trade and energy corridors – built faster. In six months, Canada’s new government has referred 22 projects and transformative strategies to the MPO worth over $126 billion in investment, including Nouveau Monde Graphite’s (NMG) Matawinie Mine in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Québec.
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced that construction is starting on this transformative project just six months after its referral to the Major Projects Office. Once completed, the Matawinie Mine project will be the largest graphite mine in North America, and in the G7 – supplying up to 106,000 tonnes annually. Graphite is an indispensable component for electric vehicle batteries, energy storage systems, advanced manufacturing, and defence and aerospace technologies. With global demand rapidly outpacing supply, the Matawinie Mine will help position Canada as the reliable partner of choice for Asia, Europe, and beyond.
The Matawinie Mine will create more than 1,000 new jobs from engineering to the skilled trades, attract nearly $2 billion in investment into our economy, and support lower emissions.
NMG will integrate the mine with a battery material plant in Bécancour, Québec, becoming Canada’s first integrated graphite operation – from extraction to refinery. Both the Matawinie Mine and the processing facilities will operate primarily on Québec’s low‑cost, renewable hydroelectricity, enabling an all‑electric production model that significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional graphite supply chains. This integrated, low‑carbon approach will reduce reliance on higher‑emitting foreign sources.
By building more of the critical minerals value chain here at home, Canada will strengthen our battery and automotive sectors, reduce reliance on concentrated foreign sources of graphite, and position Canada as a reliable supplier of responsibly sourced graphite materials.
To ensure this transformative project was built, the MPO convened four federal departments and agencies to coordinate financing support, commercial arrangements, and permitting and approval processes, and secure offtake agreements for the company – including federal government stockpiling. This has helped the company reach a final investment decision less than six months after the project was referred to MPO. This is a nation-building project that will make Canada stronger – more secure, sustainable, and independent.
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