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For generations, Quebec has helped build Canada—through forestry and lumber, through agriculture, through hydro and aluminum, through aerospace and culture. Today, critical minerals are the next chapter in that nation‑building story.
In this episode of Disruptors: The Canada Project, John Stackhouse takes listeners to Quebec to meet former premier Jean Charest and Eric Desaulniers, founder & CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG). Together, they explore how a new graphite mine at Matawinie and an integrated refining plant at Bécancour aim to connect the full chain from rock to anode material in one province—and what that could mean for Canada’s role as a trusted supplier of critical minerals to its G7 allies.
The conversation comes as NMG’s Phase‑2 Matawinie Mine is referred to Canada’s Major Projects Office (MPO) and identified as a “Major Project of National Interest”—part of the federal government’s expanded list of nation‑building projects intended for regulatory fast‑tracking. John gets an inside look at what that actually means: how the MPO works with project sponsors, regulators and communities; how it’s designed to streamline complex approvals; and why tools like this matter for turning critical‑minerals deposits into long‑term economic strength.
From China’s dominance in graphite refining to Quebec’s push for all‑electric mining fleets powered by hydro, this episode looks at how Canada can move from “quarry” to strategic partner in a re‑wired global economy.
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