Quebec won't fund Outaouais graphite mine due to local resistance
Company testing site for key battery material has not said what happens next
Two Quebec cabinet ministers have announced that the province will not provide funding for a proposed graphite mine north of Gatineau, citing a lack of local support.
Lomiko Metals, a British Columbia-based company, has been testing graphite samples at its La Loutre site near Duhamel. According to the company’s website, the site has demonstrated "excellent graphite properties" suitable for battery production.
However, many residents in the area have opposed the project for years, fearing it could harm outdoor recreation and local businesses. Additionally, no environmental assessment has been conducted at the site.
While La Loutre has received financial backing from both the Canadian and U.S. governments due to its potential role in supporting the transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles and reducing fossil fuel emissions, Minister Responsible for the Outaouais Region, Mathieu Lacombe, stated on Monday that it does not have the province’s support.
"This is a project that needed government backing to move forward, and today I'm telling you it doesn’t have it," Lacombe said in French during an announcement in Gatineau. Lacombe, whose Papineau district includes Duhamel, added, "I think this will reassure citizens who oppose the project. It might be a good project, but it’s not in the right location."
The project lacks what is known as "social acceptability," a term Premier François Legault emphasized in 2022, meaning community approval is essential for any mining project in Quebec.
Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina confirmed that Lomiko Metals’ funding request to Investissement Québec would be denied due to the absence of public support.
Lomiko Metals has not responded to Radio-Canada’s interview requests, and it remains unclear what the company’s next steps will be or what impact this will have on a planned referendum on the project in November 2025.
Both the mayor of Duhamel and the leader of a local anti-mining group expressed relief over the province’s decision. "For the people I spoke to, I can tell you there were tears," said Louis Saint-Hilaire, president of the Regroupement de protection des lacs de la Petite-Nation.
