YELLOWKNIFE, NT, June 26, 2026 /CNW/ - Canada is accelerating critical minerals development and building more resilient, diversified supply chains to create prosperity, jobs and enhance our national security. Central to this effort is the creation of the Canadian Digital Core Library (CDCL) — a national platform that will facilitate access to digitized drill core data from across the country. Drill cores provide valuable information about mineral deposits and the size, quality and economic potential of a mineral resource. This information is what allows Canada to identify strategic new mining projects across the country and mine the resources that underpin national defence, advanced manufacturing and the energy transition.

Today, at the 2026 Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced the CDCL's next steps.

Minister Hodgson highlighted newly signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon, which will work with the federal government to advance priority actions needed to achieve the CDCL's objectives, such as supporting drill core scanning in their jurisdiction, accelerating the availability of geoscience data in priority regions and co-developing sustainable digital library solutions with other jurisdictions and industry partners. The majority of public drill core in Canada is held by the provinces and territories, meaning that collaboration between the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments is essential to the successful development of the CDCL. Alongside contributions from industry, which also holds core repositories, these agreements mark a significant step forward in a new Team Canada approach to drill core data.

Minister Hodgson also announced up to $15 million for Creative Destruction Lab, a global not-for-profit network with expertise in advancing the commercialization of complex scientific and data-driven innovations, to develop the CDCL platform. Once operational, the platform will improve data accessibility, reducing exploration risk. This will allow us to accelerate investment and innovation across Canada's mining sector while supporting Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All by enabling the use of AI in priority sectors — including natural resources — to drive productivity and economic growth.

With core scanning to begin by September 2026, the Government of Canada is moving with speed to gain better insight into Canada's mineral resources — insights that will allow us to unlock our natural resource potential, drive economic growth and strengthen Canada's competitiveness in the race for secure critical minerals. 

Quotes

"Accessible data on the resources beneath our feet is the foundation of investment decisions in major projects that can unlock Canada's critical minerals potential. By working with provinces, territories, industry and post-secondary institutions, and by leveraging modern technology as we committed to in our new AI strategy, AI for All, we are making smart moves to create opportunities for Canadians across the country."

The Honourable Tim Hodgson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

"Critical minerals are essential to Canada's economic security, national defence and the transition to a prosperous, clean economy. By leveraging a true Team Canada approach and AI technology, the Canadian Digital Core Library is helping reduce exploration risk, build stronger supply chains and unlock projects that will lead to the creation of good, sustainable jobs for Canadians across the country."

Claude Guay
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

"Making geoscience data openly available through an AI-ready platform offers novel opportunities for innovators, explorers and builders. We are honoured to work with the federal, provincial and territorial governments, industry-leading resource companies and post-secondary institutions to develop the Canadian Digital Core Library platform."

Sonia Sennik
CEO, Creative Destruction Lab

Quick Facts

• Canada produces over 60 minerals and metals, including the 34 critical minerals identified on the 2024 Critical Minerals List, and has the potential to supply even more critical minerals to both domestic and international markets. 
• Drill cores are solid, cylinder-shaped samples of rock, sediment or soil collected to inform geological data about the composition of mineral deposits beneath the Earth's surface at different depths, which is used for mineral and energy exploration.
• Canada stores millions of metres of geological drill cores in government repositories across the country, making the collection one of the largest drill core libraries in the world. The Geological Survey of Canada holds over 80,000 metres of drill core. Many provinces and territories also have their own core libraries, adding almost five million metres to Canada's core catalogue. Laid out end to end, Canada's total drill core catalogue would extend across the country, from Vancouver to St. John's, nearly spanning the entire width of Canada.
• On March 2, 2026, Minister Hodgson announced the signing of a non-binding Declaration of Intent (DOI) between the Government of Canada, Creative Destruction Lab, Laurentian University and several major mining companies — Teck Resources Ltd., Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., BHP Investments Canada Inc., Hudbay, Anglo American PLC and Vale Base Metals — on the CDCL. Since then, Creative Destruction Lab has led collaboration to explore the development of the CDCL. This work included key actions such as national data platform design, analysis of existing models, design for AI readiness and analysis of current and emerging scanning technologies. This work, delivered entirely in-kind, has produced a selection of design recommendations to inform the next phase of the initiative: the collaborative design process.  
• Funding to Creative Destruction Lab comes from the $40-million investment announced by Minister Hodgson at the 2026 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention, underscoring the federal government's commitment to delivering this initiative.
• In July 2025, Canada and the Northwest Territories announced a pilot project to scan, digitize and analyze existing drill cores from the Northwest Territories Geological Survey's collection, serving as an initial model for how we can use cutting-edge techniques to highlight new areas of high-critical mineral potential.

Related Products

• Canada advances drill core scanning initiative at PDAC 2026 (March 2026)
• Canada and the Northwest Territories Partner on Innovative, AI-Based Core Scanning Initiative to Support Critical Minerals Development (July 2025)

Associated Links

• Canadian Digital Core Library
• Geological Survey of Canada
• National Geological Surveys Committee
• Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy
• Canada's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada