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Canada Announces Significant Funding to Unlock More Critical Minerals Development in Northern British Columbia and the Yukon

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VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 20, 2024 /CNW/ – Investments in critical minerals infrastructure are essential to enable Canada to seize the generational opportunity of the transition to a low-carbon economy and capitalize on our rich mineral resources. Canada is well positioned to be a global leader and first-class producer of a wide variety of critical minerals that are essential to power the clean economy and, in turn, create good jobs and support economic opportunities across critical mineral value chains — from upstream exploration and extraction to downstream processing, manufacturing and recycling.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, with the Honourable Josie Osborne, British Columbia’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, and the Honourable Ranj Pillai, Premier of the Yukon, announced up to $60 million in funding, pending final due diligence from the Natural Resources Canada, for two critical minerals infrastructure developments in B.C.’s Golden Triangle and the Yukon. This funding would be provided through the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF).

Galore Creek Mining Corporation (Galore Creek) is planning to construct a 43-kilometre access road to support the development of its copper mine located in Tahltan Territory in northwest B.C. The Galore Creek deposits contain over 12 billion pounds of copper and, once in production, will significantly increase Canada’s annual copper supply. The construction of the Galore Creek Access Road would link the mine project to existing road infrastructure, provide ground access to proposed mill and processing facilities, and provide the electricity transmission corridor allowing the Galore Creek mine to operate using BC Hydro’s low-emission electricity grid. Road improvements are integral to advancing critical minerals development in B.C.’s northwest, in partnership with First Nations. Pending final due diligence, Natural Resources Canada has conditionally approved an investment of up to $20 million under the CMIF for this project. 

The Government of Yukon is seeking to undertake pre-feasibility activities to advance a 765-kilometre, high-voltage transmission line network that would connect the Yukon electrical grid to the North American grid in B.C. This regional project has proposed energy infrastructure located in two priority regions for critical minerals development — Yukon’s Cassiar and Tanana regions and B.C.’s Golden Triangle. The transmission line could support projects producing critical minerals such as cobalt, copper, molybdenum, nickel, platinum group metals, tungsten and zinc in the Yukon and northern B.C. Pending final due diligence, Natural Resources Canada has conditionally approved an investment of up to $40 million under the CMIF for this project.

The Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund is a key program under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy to address infrastructure gaps and enable sustainable critical minerals production and connect resources to markets through various clean energy, electrification and transportation infrastructure projects. Future funding decisions for projects under the CMIF to further critical minerals infrastructure development are also expected in the coming months.

These projects — which benefit from close collaboration under the B.C. and Yukon Regional Energy and Resource Tables — are, in addition to the recently announced Northwest BC Highway Corridor Improvements Project, key to facilitating critical minerals development in the Golden Triangle and Yukon. B.C.’s Golden Triangle has considerable mineral potential and holds approximately 75 percent of Canada’s known copper reserves. Copper is crucial in various industrial processes and a fundamental component in electrical wiring, electronics and renewable energy systems, including solar panels and wind turbines.

Critical minerals are essential components in products used for clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles, electrical transmission lines and batteries. B.C. and the Yukon’s mining sectors provide many of the building blocks of clean technologies needed to fight climate change and build a clean economy. Across the country, clean energy solutions are providing enormous economic opportunity for Canada.

Quotes

“These two projects, under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy’s flagship program, will develop the necessary infrastructure to access and transport our rich critical mineral resources in northern B.C. and the Yukon. Developments like these help mines get built faster, and they are a key element in seizing the generational opportunity before us. These investments are needed to support critical minerals development in the region, improve community access and safety, and create good mining jobs across British Columbia and the Yukon.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“B.C. has the critical minerals that Canada and the world needs to build a clean economy. We have a generational opportunity to create good jobs, not only in northwest B.C. but also in communities across the province that supply and provide services to our mining sector. That’s why we are working with Canada and First Nations on key infrastructure upgrades needed to unlock billions of investments in new critical mineral mines like Galore Creek and provide new opportunities for people and communities.”

The Honourable Josie Osborne
B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation

“The Grid Connect Project is more than an energy initiative: it presents a transformative opportunity for all Yukoners. By delivering clean, affordable and reliable clean energy, this project will not only power our homes but also drive economic and social growth. I thank our partners in British Columbia and the federal government for their collaboration on this important project, which will positively impact our northern communities. This is a proud milestone for our government on the path toward a more sustainable energy future.”

The Honourable Ranj Pillai 
Premier of the Yukon

“This project will connect Canada’s two most western jurisdictions, helping bring the Yukon on to the North American power grid. It marks a significant step in our shared journey to build a more connected and resilient energy landscape for Yukoners while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I extend my deepest thanks to everyone whose hard work and determination made this vision a reality. I look forward to seeing how it will enhance clean energy in the Yukon, help protect our incredible natural landscapes and fuel new opportunities for economic growth.”

The Honourable John Streicker
Yukon’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources

“We’d like to thank Minister Wilkinson and the Government of Canada for their contribution to developing the Galore Creek Mine and, by extension, Canada’s critical minerals industry. Canada’s support for Galore Creek represents confidence in our project, our owners, the relationships we have fostered with the Tahltan Nation and our commitment to responsibly developing a world-class copper–gold mine.”

Rob Mean
General Manager, Galore Creek Mining Corporation

“Galore Creek has the potential to significantly increase Canada’s production of the copper needed for the energy transition and global development, generating jobs and economic activity, in alignment with Teck’s focus as a Canadian-based energy transition metals company. This investment by the Government of Canada will support the development of infrastructure needed to advance critical mineral projects and strengthen the nation’s mining sector.”

Jonathon Price
President and Chief Executive Officer, Teck Resources Limited

“Newmont is a 50/50 partner of the Galore Creek Project with Teck Resources. Galore Creek stands as Canada’s largest undeveloped copper project, poised to play a crucial role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. As global demand for copper surges, we will soon face a supply deficit that underscores the project’s significance. The investment through Canada’s Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund in a vital road for Galore Creek will help unlock the project and the broader region’s substantial critical mineral potential in northwest B.C.”

Bernard Wessels
Managing Director North America, Newmont Corporation

Quick Facts

Canada has developed its own critical minerals strategy with the aim of advancing the development of these resources and related value chains to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy and support advanced technology and manufacturing.The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy addresses five core objectives:supporting economic growth, competitiveness and job creation;promoting climate action and strong environmental management;enhancing global security and partnerships with allies;advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples; andfostering diverse and inclusive workforces and communities.Canada’s whole-of-government approach to critical mineral development is collaborative, forward-looking, iterative, adaptive and long-term. The initiatives presented in the Strategy will be implemented and refined in collaboration with provincial, territorial, Indigenous, industry and other Canadian and international partners.The CMIF is a key program under the Strategy to support enabling clean energy and transportation infrastructure projects necessary to increase Canada’s supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals.The CMIF supports strategic priorities such as decarbonizing industrial mining operations, strengthening supply chains through transportation infrastructure and advancing economic reconciliation by supporting the participation of Indigenous Peoples in infrastructure and critical minerals projects.In addition, the federal government is helping to develop Canada’s abundant critical minerals through NRCan’s Regional Energy and Resource Tables. These regional tables are joint partnerships with individual provinces and territories — in collaboration with Indigenous partners and with the input of key stakeholders — to identify and accelerate shared economic priorities for a low-carbon future in the energy and resource sectors.

Associated Links

Canadian Critical Minerals StrategyGovernment of Canada Launches $1.5-Billion Critical Minerals Infrastructure FundCanada and B.C. Invest in Infrastructure Upgrades to Support Critical Minerals Development in Northwest B.C. and Create Jobs Across the ProvincePrograms and funding for critical minerals projectsRegional Energy and Resource TablesGalore Creek Mining Corporation

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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Marquis Who’s Who Honors Rupin Chothani for Engineering Leadership

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UNIONDALE, N.Y., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marquis Who’s Who honors Rupin Chothani for his leadership in engineering and project management. With more than two decades of professional experience to his credit, Mr. Chothani leverages a unique expertise in fire and petrochemical solutions to find success in his field. As project manager, project engineer and proposal manager at Technip Energies N.V., Mr. Chothani ensures effective results.

Drawn to Engineering

Coming from a family of engineers, Mr. Chothani was naturally drawn to the profession. This inclination was reinforced by comprehensive aptitude and attitude tests administered at the age of 14, which highlighted his strengths in engineering and architecture. Ultimately, this direction reinforced his determination to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

By 2003, Mr. Chothani earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mumbai. After a brief role as a junior manufacturing engineer at Artech Cooling Tower Pvt. Ltd., he completed a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bridgeport in 2006. In addition to these degrees, Mr. Chothani later achieved AutoCAD certification.

Following his graduation in 2006, Mr. Chothani joined CB&I Lummus / ABB Lummus Heat Transfer (now Lummus Technology) as a thermal engineer. Though his work at Lummus Technology lasted only three years, Mr. Chothani was greatly influenced by mentor figures at the company. These mentors, including Ken Catala, Peter Harvard, Chin Dang and Miller Alanath Carter, provided essential guidance.

Building a Family

In December 2008, Mr. Chothani married his wife, Cathy. Along with his son and daughter, his family has contributed richly to his success in engineering and they continue to inspire him to excel. In addition to their support, Mr. Chothani recognizes that there is no alternative to hard work and dedicated learning.

From Lummus Technology to Technip Energies N.V.

Following his work at Lummus Technology, Mr. Chothani worked with Maco Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. By 2011, he joined Complete Heat Transfer Solutions – Environ Energy Systems as a thermal and mechanical engineer. By 2013, Mr. Chothani became a part of Technip Energies N.V. as a furnace mechanical engineer. By 2023, he added to this role and became a project manager, project engineer and proposal manager at the company.

In his current role at Technip Energies N.V., Mr. Chothani is responsible for a variety of essential duties. He manages and executes on engineering projects for ethylene cracking furnaces and heaters, and oversees proprietary technologies. Additionally, he actively coordinates with procurement, logistics, mechanical engineering and process engineering teams to ensure effective results.

Plans for the Future

Moving forward, Mr. Chothani hopes to advance his project management skills, particularly within the firejet industry. At the same time, he aims to share his knowledge of the industry with the next generation of professionals. Outside of his professional ambitions, Mr. Chothani intends to prepare his children to find success, inspiring them and their peers with hands-on experiments and full-day events.

About Marquis Who’s Who®:

Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

Marquis Who’s Who
Uniondale, NY
(844) 394 – 6946
info@marquiswhoswho.com
www.marquiswhoswho.com

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COALITION OF INDEPENDENT INTERNET PROVIDERS ASKS CRTC TO FIX ERRORS IN WHOLESALE FIBRE RATES

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Coalition of competitive ISPs say current fibre rates make competition impossible and threatens to harm millions of Canadian consumers

CHATHAM, ON, July 23, 2026 /CNW/ — A coalition of independent internet service providers (the Coalition) led by TekSavvy Solutions Inc. (TekSavvy) today applied to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to review and vary Telecom Order 2026-77, which set final wholesale rates for fibre internet services. In that decision, the CRTC approved wholesale rates for fibre internet services that are higher than the retail prices charged by the large carriers. This makes competition impossible, as independent providers are forced to either sell at a loss or set prices above the large carriers, leaving millions of Canadian consumers without competitive options for essential internet services.

The application identifies key errors that led the CRTC to approve severely inflated final wholesale rates, which make it economically impossible for independent providers to compete. The Coalition argues that the CRTC’s incorrect rates negate the very purpose of Canada’s wholesale framework, which is to foster competition in retail broadband markets. Specifically, the Coalition asks the CRTC to make three key changes to Telecom Order 2026-77:

Eliminate one cost factor that is inconsistent with the CRTC’s established costing principles, which artificially increased fibre wholesale rates by an estimated 25% to 30% (the Adjustment Factor).Reduce another element of the costing that is inflated above reasonable levels: The Coalition calls on the CRTC to reduce the markup applied to wholesale fibre services from 30% to 15%, reflecting declining costs, operational efficiencies, and the need to support competition.Correct technical errors relating to certain wholesale fibre speed descriptions.

“Canadians were promised greater competition for fibre internet services, but these rates make competition impossible.” said Andy Kaplan-Myrth, TekSavvy’s Vice President of Regulatory and Carrier Affairs. “The CRTC must correct these errors to ensure its wholesale rates promote broadband competition that challenges the market power of monopoly incumbents, lowers prices, and increases consumer choice.”

About the Coalition

The Coalition consists of competitive telecommunications providers and industry associations advocating for fair wholesale access to fibre networks and a competitive broadband marketplace that delivers affordable, high-quality Internet services to Canadians, including: TekSavvy Solutions Inc., BC Broadband Association (“BCBA”), Canada-Wide Internet Service Providers Association (“CanWISP”), Fibernetics Inc., ISP Telecom Inc., National Capital FreeNet Inc., Novus Entertainment Inc. and Purple Cow Internet Inc.

About TekSavvy Solution Inc.

Based in Chatham, Ontario, TekSavvy is Canada’s largest independent telecom service company. TekSavvy has been proudly delivering award-winning services and fighting for consumers’ rights for nearly 30 years. TekSavvy is committed to providing quality competitive choice and closing Canada’s digital divide.

SOURCE TekSavvy Solutions Inc.

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Monk Launches Voice Collections, Bringing AI Phone Calls and Callbacks to Accounts Receivable

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Monk’s collections agent, Julia, can now place outbound collection calls and answer inbound AR questions from a dedicated business number, so finance teams can use the channel that collects best without adding headcount.

Multimedia: Watch Voice Collections in action: https://youtu.be/w09PoN1yACE 

NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Monk, the AI-native accounts receivable platform, today launched Voice Collections. Its collections agent, Julia, can now place outbound collection calls and answer inbound customer questions about invoices and payments from a dedicated phone number for each organization. The feature brings the phone, long the most effective collections channel and the hardest one to scale, into Monk’s Intelligent Collections.

Roughly $10 trillion sits in unpaid invoices worldwide, and the average invoice now takes 59 days to clear (Allianz). Most accounts receivable runs on email, and most of it waits. More than half of B2B invoices in the United States are overdue at any given time, and 92% of businesses are typically paid after their due date (Chaser, 2026). Phone calls recover overdue invoices two to three times better than email (Dunwise), yet 91% of finance teams still rely on email as their main follow-up channel and only 56% use the phone, because calling every overdue account by hand does not scale and a single human dunning call can cost $12 to $18 (HighRadius).

Voice Collections gives teams that coverage. Julia can call on the accounts a playbook flags for phone follow-up, and answer when a customer calls the same number back to ask about an invoice, a payment, or a bank detail. Businesses that follow up on 100% of overdue invoices are 76% more likely to be paid within a week (Chaser), and a voice agent is what makes full coverage possible.

Monk’s collections agent is already proven on the accounts it handles by email. Across Monk’s first 100 customers, Julia reaches customers with a 24% higher response rate than standard dunning and resolves 88.2% of collections with zero human intervention. Voice extends that reach to the phone.

“For years the assumption was that customers would not talk to an AI on the phone,” said George Kurdin, Founder and CEO of Monk. “The evidence now points the other way. People engage with a good voice agent, and in AR the phone was always the channel that collected best. We built Voice Collections so finance teams can finally use it at the scale email gave them.”

That assumption is worth retiring. In a University of Chicago Booth field study of roughly 70,000 interviews, people interviewed by a voice AI agent were 12% more likely to receive an offer, 18% more likely to start, and 17% more likely to still be there after 30 days, and 80% chose the voice AI over a human when given the choice. The setting was recruiting rather than collections, but the finding travels: given a capable voice agent, people lean in rather than hang up. A call also does something email cannot, which is secure a verbal promise to pay in the moment.

Built for finance, with the phone agents kept with strict guardrails

Voice in finance has to be constrained, and Monk designed Voice Collections around that from the start. The agent is read-only on the phone. It answers questions, confirms details, and routes the next step. It will not rewrite an invoice, change a payment status, or accept a sensitive payment change by voice.

The agent is also reference-based. If a caller asks about an invoice, Julia asks for both the company name and the invoice number before looking anything up, and it will not search broadly from a single detail. Every inbound and outbound call is kept in the collection record alongside the email history, so a callback is part of the same thread the team already sees, and anything that needs judgment escalates to a person.

“Voice in finance has to be careful by design,” said Joe Zhou, Co-Founder and CTO of Monk. “Julia will not browse across accounts or move money over the phone. A caller has to bring the company name and invoice number before it confirms anything, and every call lands in the record. In finance a 1% mistake is still unacceptable, so we built for that first and added the reach second.”

Teams run autonomous collections on Monk

Monk runs collections for finance teams at companies like Unify, Pump, Siro, and Elate, and Voice Collections extends what those teams already do by email onto the phone.

“We chose Monk to help automate our collections, a process previously demanding several hours a week of manual, one-off outreach,” said Will Stewart, Head of Finance and BizOps at Unify. “Today, our Monk agent is always running in the background and I have a single dashboard to manage AR from.”

At Pump, which manages volume across more than 1,500 customers, Monk has helped collect over $10 million in recent months.

Voice AI is now infrastructure

The timing reflects how far voice AI has come. It has moved from demo to infrastructure: Vapi has processed more than 1 billion calls, Bland handles over 3.5 million calls a week, and ElevenLabs raised a $500 million round at an $11 billion valuation in early 2026. Monk builds Voice Collections on that foundation and adds the part finance actually needs, which is the AR context, the controls, and the audit trail.

Voice Collections is available now as an opt-in feature. Monk configures the dedicated number and call behavior with each organization before turning it on in Collections. See it in action: https://youtu.be/w09PoN1yACE.

About Monk

Monk is the AI-native accounts receivable platform that helps finance teams turn revenue into cash. Its agent, Julia, runs collections, cash application, and forecasting as one connected system. Monk resolves 88.2% of collections with zero human intervention, reaches customers with a 24% higher response rate than standard dunning, reduces DSO by more than 40%, automatically matches 80% of incoming payments with a full audit trail, and gives finance teams back roughly 26 hours a month. Teams onboard in under a week and see results in their first month. More than $1.5 billion in receivables is managed on the platform, including for customers like Profound and ElevenLabs. Monk has raised $25 million and is based in New York.

Media contact
Kendall Warson
kendall@monk.com
+1 415-827-6585

Sources: Chaser 2026 Accounts Receivable research; Dunwise dunning research; HighRadius collection call cost analysis; University of Chicago Booth field study on AI in recruiting; voice AI figures compiled by Enterprise DNA; Federal Reserve data; Allianz Worldwide DSO survey.

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SOURCE Monk

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