Sisson Mine Project
What’s Happening Now
On November 13, 2025, the federal government is referring the Sisson Mine Project to the Major Projects Office under its nation-building initiative. A number of other projects have been referred also. Some of these projects may end up being designated as a Project of Nation Interest, which can allow a project to move through the approval process more quickly. Projects referred to the Major Projects Office may also benefit from project management or assistance with financial investments.
It is still unclear if this will have any material impact on the existing agreements Wolastoqey communities have with the project for accommodations and conditions.
It’s important to note that the Sisson Mine Project already received federal and provincial approval. It is therefore unclear what this news means for the project and whether this will have any material impact on the existing agreements Wolastoqey communities have with the project for accommodations and conditions.
The six Chiefs will continue conversations with federal and provincial counterparts to gather more information about what this means and to ensure that Wolastoqey Rights are respected. The Wolastoqey Chiefs insist that all proper processes will be followed and the conditions upon which the mine was established will be maintained. This includes ensuring the EIA conditions put forth by the province are met along with the accommodations outlined in the agreements signed by our communities.
The provincial government has made public statements about potential jobs and economic impacts.
At this time, we are monitoring all new information, reviewing what this means for existing legal matters, and pressing governments to uphold Wolastoqey Rights at every step. As more details become available, we will share updates on this page so community members remain informed about what is happening and what it may mean for our territory.
History of the project
Discussions about developing a tungsten and molybdenum mine in the Sisson Brook area began in the late 2000s. A federal environmental assessment process began in 2011, with a provincial process following shortly after. The proposed open-pit mine sits in the heart of our Wolastoqey homeland.
The project received provincial environmental approval in 2015 and federal approval in 2017, allowing it to move forward under more than 40 environmental conditions. Despite these approvals, the mine did not proceed for several years due to global tungsten price instability and the company’s challenges securing investment.
Interest in Sisson resurfaced as tungsten and molybdenum were added to the federal government’s critical minerals list and global supply concerns increased.
In May 2025, the company announced approximately $20 million in U.S. Defense Production Act funding to support updated engineering work and a refreshed feasibility study. The federal government also recently committed additional funding tied to meeting technical milestones.
On November 13, 2025, the federal government announced that it is referring the Sisson Mine Project to the Major Projects Officeunder its nation-building initiative, potentially to be designated as a Project of National Interest, signalling new federal involvement intended to support financing, investment certainty, and international supply agreements. The company’s current publicly stated timeline anticipates a final investment decision around 2027, with construction to follow if approved.
Summary of the injunctions
In 2023, a court order (an injunction) was put in place at the Sisson Mine site because of protest activity. This order limits what people can do in and around the area. Police can arrest anyone they reasonably believe is breaking these rules.
The injunction says that no one — including Wolastoqey community members — can:
- Block people, vehicles, or equipment connected to the Sisson Mine from entering or moving through the Crown land where Sisson has mineral claims. This includes standing in front of vehicles to stop them from moving.
- Get within 30 metres of Sisson vehicles, equipment, or machinery in a way that stops them from working or being maintained.
- Put vehicles or objects on the land (or be on the land themselves) in a way that interferes with Sisson’s work. If this happens, Sisson can remove the objects, and police can remove people.
- Try to interfere with any fieldwork, drilling, or the equipment used for that work.
- Block or disrupt Sisson’s activities on the Crown land or on the roads leading to it. This includes stopping Sisson employees or contractors from entering or leaving, or threatening, intimidating, or assaulting anyone working for Sisson.
- Encourage or advise others to do any of these prohibited actions.
Updates from the Provincial Government
Update from the Province to Community Members – October 2025
Legislative Mentions
The Sisson Mine Project has been an ongoing topic of discussion in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. Below, we’ve compiled key exchanges from Question Period (QP) on various dates, where Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) raised questions and provided answers regarding the project.
For full Question Period Transcripts, visit the Legislative Assembly’s website.
Mr. Coon (Fredericton Lincoln, Leader, G): Thank you, Madam Speaker. In December 2015, the Gallant government issued an environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval for the Sisson mine. That was way back when Donald Arseneault was the minister for mines, if you can believe it. The approval was subject to 40 conditions to protect the environment, the second of which required construction to begin by 2020. Otherwise, the proposed open pit mine would have to undergo an updated environmental assessment. Why? The EIA would be out of date. This condition was not met, yet Minister Crossman of the Higgs government granted a five-year extension to 2025.
Well, here we are in 2025. Last Friday, the Minister of Environment in the Holt government granted a second five-year extension to 2030. This EIA is so out of date that it’s starting to smell, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
Can the minister say how New Brunswickers can take the EIA process seriously if conditions to protect the environment are simply ignored?
[Translation]
Hon. Mr. LePage (Restigouche West, Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation, L): Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I think the member opposite has misunderstood the principle of an environmental impact assessment. Every question and condition dealt with at the time is still relevant according to the new standards today. This is what we will do. We will wait for the developer’s response. Once the business has met the conditions we communicated, we will
deal with other potential conditions or impacts of the project. So, this is a living document. We expect that the business will at least meet the 40 conditions. That’s what we are looking for. Thank you.
[Original]
Mr. Coon (Fredericton Lincoln, Leader, G): I didn’t say it was dead, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I just said it smelled bad.
The proposed Sisson open pit mine and the artificial lake for mine waste would be located on land and waters to which the Wolastoqey Nation is currently asserting Aboriginal title in the courts. Back in 2017, a statement issued by the Wolastoqey Nation said that the Liberal government of the day made the approval of their new 10-year tax agreement conditional on the chiefs signing an accommodation agreement for the mine, rather than their plan to litigate against it.
Three years later, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act became Canadian law. It enshrined the principle of free, prior, and informed consent that, presumably, is not to be coerced. In light of the Aboriginal title court case and the enactment of the UNDRIP Act in Canada, can the Premier say where this leaves the accommodation agreement on Sisson with the Wolastoqey Nation?
Hon. K. Chiasson (Tracadie, Minister of Indigenous Affairs, L): Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The proponent knows full well that meaningful engagement and consultation with First Nations is a must if the Sisson mine project is to go forward. As you probably saw in the media yesterday, the First Nations are working with the proponent. Their main objective is to make sure that the 40 conditions that came out of that EIA are being met. There is capacity funding in place for First Nations to be onsite with the proponent. They are following it very closely. I’ve had a chance to speak with the chiefs and
the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick (WNNB). Again, they are very cautious with this project, but the objective is to really work together, to collaborate, and to make sure that the 40 conditions that came up in the EIA are met. Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
Mr. Austin (Fredericton-Grand Lake, PC): Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, we had a minister’s statement from the Minister of Natural Resources in relation to Sisson Brook and the economic benefit that this project will have for New Brunswick over the span of about 15 to 20 years.
What the minister did not mention was the potential we currently have with shale gas development and the natural gas that is under our feet as we speak. This, I might add, is a benefit that would completely dwarf any Sisson mine project, which would be good in the short term and in the long term.
Can the Minister of Natural Resources once again answer to this Legislature and to the people of New Brunswick? Will this government finally lift the moratorium on natural gas so we can actually develop our resources and have a future of prosperity in this province?
Hon. Mr. Herron (Hampton-Fundy-St. Martins, Minister of Natural Resources, L): Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker. A couple of things came from the question from the member opposite. My friend opposite flagged what the economic potential might be with respect to the Sisson mine. I didn’t have sufficient time to celebrate the fact that we have other opportunities in the province in terms of the Mount Pleasant mine and in Lake George. Mount Pleasant has indium. It helps your cellphone. You and I can text each other
that way. In Lake George, we have opportunities with antimony. In the Bathurst Mining Camp, we’re going to see some activity with respect to copper and zinc. I think the honourable member has signalled that he would need to see about four or five opportunities of the same nature as the Sisson mine in order to actually move the dial. Those are the four or five that we will see starting to have activity within the next 18 months.
Mr. Austin (Fredericton-Grand Lake, PC): Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I may not have been clear on my question, so let me be a little clearer. Right now, in this province, we have natural gas under our feet that would get a projected revenue of up to $20 billion plus in economic benefits to the province. It would bring our young people from Alberta and out West back home to have well-paying jobs. It would create a stable electricity market because NB Power could then utilize the natural gas that we actually have here and that we wouldn’t have to import at a higher cost. The benefits of natural gas development in this
province would absolutely revolutionize New Brunswick. It would chart a path and a vision forward that would make us the envy of Canada, so I will ask this very directly. The MP Wayne Long has told this government to start fracking. The federal government is talking about nation-building projects. There’s no greater one than natural gas. Will you lift the
moratorium on natural gas? Yes, or no?
Hon. Mr. Herron (Hampton-Fundy-St. Martins, Minister of Natural Resources, L): Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I would like to see support on both sides of this aisle for a pipeline that would go from Quebec to Fredericton. It would bring the assurance of gas supply to this marketplace, and that would unlock $3 billion in new private-sector investment. It would also potentially engage Repsol for another investment of $5 billion with respect to liquefaction.
Now, in order to make that happen, we need to make sure that we have gas in place within the next four or five years. The reason for that is that there is a fair amount of gas coming online in the Gulf Coast. Qatar could always ramp up capacity as well. Even if we had social licence to develop our natural gas here in New Brunswick, which we don’t, and even if we had a supply chain to actually develop our natural gas in New Brunswick, we could not do that within a four- or five-year time frame.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : I don’t have you on my list, but go ahead.
Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick (WNNB) is seeking proposals from qualified consultants or firms to undertake an Environmental Scan and Assessment related to the proposed Sisson Mine and broader mining-sector developments in New Brunswick. This work will help inform WNNB leadership and communities in evaluating potential impacts, benefits, and risk associated with critical minerals development.
Download the full RFP below.
Environmental Scan and Assessment: Sisson Mine and the Mining Sector in New Brunswick RFP