Canada invests $70m in Seymour Lake lithium project in Ontario
The lithium mine operated by Australia's Green Technology Metals could become the province's first lithium producer.
BHP announced Tuesday a three-year C$2.6 million ($1.9m) partnership with Indspire, a national charity in Canada that provides bursaries and scholarships to Indigenous students pursuing post-secondary education and training.
The partnership, the world’s biggest miner said, will enable Indspire to expand its Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program, which provides hundreds of students every year with post-secondary bursaries.
The funding will also support multi-year travel grants for two events for Indigenous students and educators – Soaring, Indigenous Youth Empowerment Gathering and the National Gathering for Indigenous Education.
The investment aligns with BHP’s Indigenous peoples policy, social value framework and its aspirations in Canada to have 20% Indigenous representation across the operational workforce once the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan begins production in 2026.
“BHP’s expanded commitment to Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures bursaries and scholarships program is a meaningful commitment to empowering First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students across the country to achieve their educational goals,” Indspire CEO Mike DeGagné said in the statement.
“Their support for Soaring and the National Gathering will help us to create even wider circles of community, shaping meaningful change from the classroom to the boardroom,” he said.
“The work Indspire is doing to break down barriers and create new opportunities for Indigenous students in Canada is critical to a more inclusive, equitable and successful future for all,” Caroline Cox, BHP’s chief legal, governance and external affairs officer, added.
The next phase of the program will launch in November and run through to 2025.
