Is Quebec Holding the Key to North America's EV Future?

Canada opens public review on PMET's Shaakichiuwaanaan project, the Americas' largest lithium pegmatite deposit, with comments open until May 28

7 May 2026

Canada's Biggest Lithium Bet Goes to Public Vote.

Deep in Quebec's Eeyou Istchee James Bay region, a deposit that could reshape North America's battery supply chain is facing its most consequential test: public scrutiny.

Federal regulators have opened mandatory consultations on PMET Resources' Shaakichiuwaanaan project, home to the Americas' largest documented lithium pegmatite deposit. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, filed March 31, 2026, was declared complete by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. The public has until May 28 to weigh in.

The numbers behind the project are staggering. Spanning the consolidated CV5 and CV13 deposits, Shaakichiuwaanaan holds 84.3 million tonnes of probable reserves, with a consolidated resource of 108.0 million tonnes indicated and 33.4 million tonnes inferred. At full production, it would generate up to 800,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate annually, feeding battery-grade lithium directly into the electric vehicle and energy storage markets. Nearby access to Hydro-Quebec's renewable grid keeps operating costs competitive.

Getting here took four years of geological work, baseline studies, and sustained dialogue with local communities. The regulatory path forward is structurally unusual: the federal review runs jointly with the Cree Nation Government through a formal joint assessment committee, making Indigenous communities active decision-shaping partners rather than passive consultants. A parallel provincial review adds a second track running simultaneously.

PMET is moving fast. The company is targeting shovel-ready status by end-2026, with a final investment decision expected in 2027. An updated feasibility study covering lithium and tantalum, alongside a parallel study on the full CV5 and CV13 resource, is due in Q4 2026.

Comments can be submitted through the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry at reference number 89271. For a continent scrambling to build a homegrown battery supply chain, Shaakichiuwaanaan just got one step closer to becoming a cornerstone of it.