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Canada Targets Fastest Mine Permits

Canada will lead the Group of 20 in permitting speed by issuing a “conditions document” within two years of a project being referred to the federal Major Projects Office, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Tuesday as the PDAC convention in Toronto wound down.

“From the time the project is referred to the MPO, you’ll get a conditions document within two years,” Hodgson said. “That’ll be the best in the G20.”

The acceleration is being driven by reducing duplication between provincial and federal processes, with Hodgson describing a redesigned approach as “one project, one review.”

You can read more on the matter here.

What’s going on?

• Trump Administration Secures Venezuelan Gold (theDeepDive)

• China Signals New Era of Slower Economic Growth (WSJ)

• Canada Refuses to Rule Out Military Role in Iran War as Conflict Enters Sixth Day (theDeepDive)

• Liberals to cut CBC by $192-million in 2026-27 (HT)

• DRC Coltan Mine Collapse Kills 200, Cause Debated (theDeepDive)

• Canada will soon release new electricity and nuclear strategy, minister says (Reuters)

• Green Canada Locks Marshall Uranium Deal As MAACKK Reverse Takeover Nears (theDeepDive)

• Carney won’t ‘rule out’ Canadian military involvement in Middle East (Globe)

• Churchill Port Signs Antwerp-Bruges Partnership For Trade, Pushes For New Cargo Routes (theDeepDive)

What’s the latest?

• Trade War: A U.S. trade court ordered refunds for companies that paid tariffs imposed under the IEEPA, after the U.S. Supreme Court (6–3) ruled the tariffs illegal because tariff authority belongs to Congress. Judge Richard Eaton said all affected importers are entitled to refunds, potentially covering over $130B collected. The Trump administration may appeal, and refunds could take time as customs reviews claims; interest may be included. The IEEPA tariffs have since been replaced by a temporary 10% global tariff (up to 15%, 150 days) that excludes CUSMA-compliant goods.

• Gas Prices: Middle East tensions pushed Brent crude above US$84 per barrel (up $10+ since the conflict began), raising gasoline prices across Canada. Halifax gas rose 8.9¢ to 147.7¢/L, Toronto reached $1.439/L, Ottawa may rise 6–9¢, and Lethbridge increased ~10¢ to about $1.25/L. Analysts warn a $20 oil increase could add ~20¢/L to gasoline and up to 35–40¢/L for diesel.

• Real Estate: Greater Toronto Area home sales totaled 3,868 in February, down 6.3% year-over-year, while the average price fell 7.1% to $1,008,968 and the benchmark price dropped 7.9%. New listings declined 17.7% to 10,705, with active inventory at 19,414 (−2.4%). The condo market saw the largest sales drop (−12%), and an estimated 100,000 buyers are waiting for prices to stabilize before entering the market.

• Markets: U.S. stocks dipped as rising oil prices tied to the Iran conflict pressured markets: S&P 500 −0.2%, Dow −452 points (−0.9%), while Nasdaq +0.1%. Brent crude rose 2.9% to $83.74 and U.S. crude +4.6% to $78.15, pushing U.S. gasoline to $3.25/gal (+9% in a week). Higher energy costs lifted the 10-year Treasury yield to 4.12% and may delay Federal Reserve rate cuts. Retail and airline stocks fell sharply, while Broadcom gained 4.8% after AI chip revenue jumped 74%.

• Tech: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticized rival Anthropic amid tensions with the U.S. government after the Pentagon labeled Anthropic a “national security supply-chain risk” and banned its technology. Soon after, OpenAI secured a new U.S. Department of Defense deal, though Altman admitted the timing looked “opportunistic.” OpenAI recently raised $110B at a $730B valuation and has ~900M weekly ChatGPT users with a $25B revenue run rate, while Anthropic’s ARR is about $19B.

Strongest Gold Bull Market in 30 Years

The stock market and stuff

• Endeavour Mining Rallies On Q4 2025 Financials Upswing (theDeepDive)

• George Weston Sees Q4 2025 Profit Drop Despite Sales Growth (theDeepDive)

• Nvidia stops production of chips intended for Chinese market (FT)

• Apple Enters Budget Laptop Market With $599 MacBook Neo (theDeepDive)

In the juniors

• Cabral Gold Reports Phase 1 Construction Is 54% Complate At Cuiú Cuiú Project (theDeepDive)

• Revival Gold Reports 4.2 g/t Over 25 Meters At Mercur (theDeepDive)

• New Found Gold Secures US$75M Loan Facility to Accelerate Queensway Project (theDeepDive)

FULL DISCLOSURE: Sage Potash is a client of Canacom Group, the parent company of The Deep Dive. Canacom Group is currently long the equity of Sage Potash. The author has been compensated to cover Sage Potash on The Deep Dive, with The Deep Dive having full editorial control. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security.