Coalition to oppose N.B. mine project being considered for fast-track approval

The Sisson Mine is seen in central New Brunswick. (CTV Atlantic/ Laura Brown)

FREDERICTON — A dozen organizations have formed a group to oppose a key New Brunswick mining project included on Ottawa’s list of crucial nation-building projects.

The Stop Sisson Mine Coalition, made up of non-profits, First Nations, community groups and farmers, says the proposed tungsten and molybdenum mine would create environmental waste and degrade water quality for years to come.

In a public letter to Premier Susan Holt released Tuesday, the coalition says “the project presents unacceptable environmental, public health, and economic risks to New Brunswick” and should be stopped.

“Coalition members believe New Brunswick can pursue economic development without creating permanent environmental liabilities and long-term risks for future generations,” the coalition’s members wrote to Holt.

Last November, the $580-million Sisson Mine was added to a list of projects for fast-track approval by the federal government because of their importance to the economy and national security.

The project, if built, would be one of the largest tungsten mines in the world. Tungsten is a critical mineral used for cutting tools, armour-piercing ammunition and protective equipment.

Both tungsten and molybdenum -- used to strengthen steel and used across defense, chemical processing and other sectors -- are among critical minerals Ottawa considers important to Canada’s economic security.

In 2013, Northcliff Resources first proposed the mine in Sisson Brook, N.B., but progress stalled after a drop in global mineral prices. China’s dominance in global tungsten supply has revived North American interest in the project.

Last year, the project received more than $20 million from the U.S. Department of Defense and $8.2 million from the New Brunswick government for a feasibility study.

Premier Susan Holt, responding to the letter, said there are First Nations, developers, communities and New Brunswickers who want more good-paying jobs and to see the province’s resources used to generate income for health care and education.

“We are talking to First Nations, to community groups, to the local municipalities and local service districts at every step of the way,” Holt told reporters Tuesday at the legislature.

“And as the project advances, milestone to milestone, we continue to extend those communications and those conversations with the folks who are all really interested in the development of the system mine.”

But the potential negative impacts to the environment from the proposed open-pit mine have those part of the coalition worried.

Grand Chief Ron Tremblay of Wolastoqewi First Nation, a member of the coalition, told The Canadian Press his community’s opposition to the mine was the “most crucial fight we have -- or resistance we have -- towards any development.”

The Sisson Mine’s planned tailing pond is the largest danger to the water supply because there’s a danger it could collapse and release its contents, Trembley said by phone.

Tailing ponds are human-made reservoirs used to store byproducts from the mine extraction, including trace chemicals, sand, clay and water used in processing the minerals.

“This is a huge possibility and it’s not the question of if it will, but when it will breach,” Tremblay said.

“With the climate change, and the increasing of storms and rain and snow and the severe weather systems ... it’s a very high possibility that these will breach.”

Allyson Heustis with the Noshawk Watershed Association, another member of the anti-mine coalition, said the potential environmental damage isn’t worth jobs that may not come as promised.

“It’s not going to be 500 new jobs for folks who are currently unemployed or seeking work in New Brunswick,” Heustis said by phone.

“It’s going to be specialized positions -- they will likely bring folks in from out of province to do the work.”

The tungsten and molybdenum would be extracted from deposits in the Nashwaak River watershed, located north of Fredericton.

Heustis noted Northcliff Resources still needs to meet 40 conditions listed as part of an environmental impact assessment.

“Twenty-eight of those need to satisfied before the proponent can get a shovel in the ground to officially start the excavation and building process of the mine. So, as of right now, none of those 28 have been completed to our knowledge.”

The Sisson Mine project is currently undergoing a feasibility study expected to be completed within a matter of weeks that will help determine next steps.

A final investment decision could be determined next year, say officials, with the mine fully operational by 2030.

Eli Ridder, The Canadian Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2026.