Ontario's Minister of Mines is "relatively certain" U.S. tariffs will be imposed next week.
If that happens, George Pirie, who is also the Timmins MPP, said the mining sector should be "relatively OK."
"We'll continue to mine gold. We'll continue to mine the base metals. We'll continue to explore for the base metals," he said after announcing the latest round of Critical Mineral Infrastructure Fund cash.
On Jan. 20, president-elect Donald Trump is being sworn into office. For weeks, he's threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods heading south of the border.
The critical minerals mined in Timmins and across Northern Ontario are a central part of Fortress Am-Can, Premier Doug Ford's plan to renew a strategic alliance between Canada and the United States.
Because Canadian mines are producing the minerals needed for electric vehicle batteries and new military technology, Ford wants an Am-Can Mineral Security Alliance to build out the supply chains on both sides of the border.
Working together, said Pirie, is "absolutely required" for American and Canadian economies.
"We have to be working with the United States. The United States has to be working with us. The real target should be the Chinese, not Ontario, not Northern Ontario, not Canada," he said.
Pirie said the U.S. has one small nickel deposit, which is processed in Sudbury.
"The contracts that Vale has, within those contracts, they can pass off those tariffs to customers, or ... they could decide to supply elsewhere," he said.
"So I feel relatively confident that we're OK here in Northern Ontario because of the fact that we'll continue to have strong economies."
As for when the writ will drop on the next provincial election, Pirie said that's up to the premier.
For now, he said the province is bracing itself by working to ensure the tariff's impacts are mitigated.
"The first approach, and the best approach, is this Am-Can Fortress. President-elect Trump ... he's an individual that is a specialist on dividing and conquering. And collectively as a population, we have to be united. Our response has to be united on this across Canada, and we can do it," he said.
"I know the people in Timmins can respond in a united fashion."
