Agenda

NOVEMBER 23, 2026

5:30-8:30

OPENING RECEPTION

MineConnect Roadshow & Opening Reception for The Ontario Critical Minerals Forum

Location: Chefs Hall (East Hall), 111 Richmond St W, Toronto

Hosted by:

MINE CONNECT logo with the slogan "Suppliers of Choice to the World."

DAY 1: NOVEMBER 24, 2026

8:30-8:40

TERRITORIAL WELCOME
Margaret Sault, Chief, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

8:40-8:45

CHAIR’S REMARKS
Adrienne Baker, Director, Energy and Mines

8:45-9:00

FEDERAL ADDRESS: ADVANCING CANADA’S CRITICAL MINERALS ADVANTAGE
Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Canada

9:00-9:10

KEYNOTE: PROGRESS AND NEXT STEPS FOR ONTARIO’S CRITICAL MINERALS STRATEGY
Hon. Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines, Government of Ontario

EXECUTING ONTARIO'S CRITICAL MINERALS ADVANTAGE

9:10-9:25

KEYNOTE: BUILDING THE NEXT PHASE OF ONTARIO’S CRITICAL MINERALS VALUE CHAIN
Marc Bédard, Chief Operating Officer, Custom Metallurgical Assets, Glencore Canada

9:25-10:10

Chair: Philipe Pourreaux, Partner, Value Creation, PwC Canada
Mark Selby, CEO, Canada Nickel
Linda Debassige,
Grand Council Chief, Anishinabek Nation
Alex Forstner,
Chief Technology Officer, Cyclic Materials
Alden  Greenhouse,
CEO, Avenir Minerals and Vice President, Critical & Strategic Minerals, Agnico Eagle Mines

Session Leader:

10:10-10:40

NETWORKING BREAK

NEW MODELS OF CO-DEVELOPMENT FOR CRITICAL MINERALS

10:40-10:55

RING OF FIRE UPDATE: FROM LONG-TERM POTENTIAL TO EXECUTION
Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation/Minister Responsible for Ring of Fire, Government of Ontario

10:55-11:40

Chair: Dennis Mahony, Partner, Torys LLP
Bruce Achneepineskum, Chief, Marten Falls First Nation
Luca Giacovazzi,
CEO, Wyloo
Lorraine Whitehead, Chief, Webequie First Nation
Hon. Greg Rickford,
Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation/Minister Responsible for Ring of Fire, Government of Ontario

Session Leader:

THE MIDSTREAM CHALLENGE

11:40-12:00

Mirco Wojnarowicz, CEO, Rock Tech Lithium
Allan Odawa, Chief, Red Rock Indian Band

12:00–12:15

Rahim Suleman, President and CEO, Neo Performance Materials

12:15-1:00

Chair: Marla Tremblay, Executive Director, MineConnect
Ian McCallum, Chief Operating Officer, Global Battery Materials
Paul Veldman,
CEO, BMI Group
Trent Mell,
CEO, Electra Battery Materials
Caleb Behn,
CEO, BC First Nations Energy and Mining Council

1:00 -1:05

SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS DECISION-MAKING ON CRITICAL MINERALS
Peter McPherson, Managing Partner, Apeiron

1:05-2:00

NETWORKING LUNCH


Sponsored by

FINANCING AND POLICY UPDATES

2:00-2:15

CANADA’S NEXT PHASE OF CRITICAL MINERALS INVESTMENT
Isabella Chan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Lands and Minerals Sector, Natural Resources Canada

2:15-2:30

DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL POLICY AND CRITICAL MINERALS
Christiane Fox, Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence

2:30-2:45

DE-RISKING CRITICAL MINERALS PROJECTS WITH EQUITY INVESTMENTS
Yannick Beaudoin, President & CEO, Canada Growth Fund Investment Management

2:45-3:05

Chair: David Rhodes, Managing Director, Endeavour Financial
Jamie Levy, President & CEO, Generation Mining

3:05-3:30

Chair: Adrienne Baker, Director, Energy and Mines
John Kwarta, Strategic Account Executive, Schneider Electric

3:30-4:00

NETWORKING BREAK

4:00-4:15

Trevor Walker, President and CEO, Frontier Lithium

4:15-5:00

Chair: Beth Borody, CEO, Maven Exploration
Stephen Saunders, Portfolio Manager & Economist, Orion Resource Partners
Sylvain Eckert, Partner, Infravia
Thomas Benjoe, CEO, Flowing River Capital
Laura Fernandez, Partner, Kinterra Capital

5:00-5:45

Chair: Priya Tandon, President, Ontario Mining Association
Zachary Mayer, Vice President, Sudbury Operations, Glencore
Paul Fowler, Executive Vice President, Magna Mining
Jeff Gaulin, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Vale Base Metals
David Galea, Vice President of Business Improvement, Impala Canada

6:00-6:05

NETWORKING DRINKS WELCOME

6:05-7:15

NETWORKING DRINKS

Sponsored by:

DAY 2: NOVEMBER 25, 2026

7:15-7:55

NETWORKING BREAKFAST

7:55-8:00

CHAIR’S REMARKS
Adrienne Baker, Director, Energy and Mines

THE NEW POLITICS OF CRITICAL MINERALS

8:00-8:15

Jonathan Fried, Senior Advisor, Albright Stonebridge Group

8:15-8:30

Darrell Bricker, Global CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs

8:30-9:15

Chair: Chris Benedetti, Managing Partner & CEO, Sussex Strategy Group
Melanie Paradis, President, Texture Communications
Sharan Kaur, Partner, Henley Strategies
Brad Lavigne, President & Partner, Counsel Public Affairs

9:15-9:35

CASE STUDY: ADVANCING THE KAPUKASING CRITICAL MINERALS PROCESSING HUB

Jeff Ivan, President & COO, KAP Minerals

9:35-10:20

Chair: Bryan Detchou, Senior Director, Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Tobias Abt, Manager- Raw Material Procurement and Strategic Market Development, Mercedes-Benz
Joel Karlsberg, Chief Procurement Officer, PowerCo Canada
Roman Shimonov, CEO, Roshel - Smart Armored Vehicles
Rajshekar DasGupta
, CEO, Electrovaya

10:20-10:50

NETWORKING BREAK

10:50–11:05

Rachel Doran, Executive Director, Clean Energy Canada

11:05-11:20

UNLOCKING INDIGENOUS OWNERSHIP IN MAJOR PROJECTS: THE CANADA INDIGENOUS LOAN GUARANTEE

Kristan Straub, CEO, Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation

ONTARIO’S NEXT GENERATION OF CRITICAL MINERALS PROJECTS

11:20–11:35

Paul Davis, Vice President of Exploration, EV Nickel

11:35–12:20

Chair: Steve Virtue, President and CEO, Ontario Prospectors Association
Scott McLean
, President and CEO, Transition Metals
Koby Kushner,
CEO, Libra Energy Materials
Kerem Usenmez, President & CEO, Volta Metals
Ryan McEachern,
Managing Director, Mining Suppliers Trade Association Canada (MSTA CANADA)

12:20-1:20

NETWORKING LUNCH

FROM PERMITTING REFORM TO PROJECT DELIVERY

1:20-1:35

CRITICAL MINERALS AND INFRASTRUCTURE: THE ROLE OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS OFFICE

1:35-2:05

Chair: Chris Powell, Senior Environmental Planner, Stantec
Terence Hubbard, President, Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
Susanna Laaksonen-Craig, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Government of Ontario
Drew Vanderduim, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Government of Ontario

2:05-2:20

Mark Selby, CEO & Director, Canada Nickel Company

2:20-3:05

Chair: Michael Fox, Founder, Indigenous Community Engagement (ICE)
Jason Batise, Executive Director, Wabun Tribal Council
Bobby Narcisse, Deputy Grand Chief, Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Delores Kakegamic, Chief, Sandy Lake First Nation
Kimberly Bressette, Chief, Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation

INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSMISSION: POWERING PROJECT DELIVERY

3:05-3:20

Travis Lusney, Director, Power Systems, Power Advisory
Greg Peniuk, Senior Manager, Planning and Analytics, Power Adivsory

3:20–3:35

Keegan Tully, Vice President, Business and Services, Ontario Power Generation

3:35-4:20

Chair: David Anonychuk, Senior Vice President - Advisory and Growth, North America, DRA Global
Anca Drexler, Chief Investment Officer, Building Ontario Fund
JP Gladu, Principal, Mokwateh and Member, Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC), Major Projects Office
Shane Tabobondung, Chief, Wasauksing
Duane Parnham, CEO, Critical One Energy

4:20-5:15

WRAP-UP DRINKS