In the world of critical minerals, cesium rarely makes headlines—but Robin Dunbar, President and CEO of Grid Metals Corp. (TSXV: GRDM | OTCQB: MSMGF), is working to change that. “It’s a very exciting time for the company,” he said in an interview with InvestorNews.com host Tracy Hughes. “We’re currently drilling about 60 holes at Falcon West to put together a resource and define where the mineralization is and how big it is.”
Cesium, used in everything from atomic clocks to advanced electronics, is among the rarest elements on Earth—and one that China controls with near-total dominance. “Sinomine, the Chinese company that controls 85% of the world’s cesium market, has a Canadian operation at the Tanco Mine,” explained Dunbar. “That chemical plant is one of only two in the world outside of China.” For Grid, proximity is opportunity: “Worst case, we have a place to send material an hour away by truck,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of conversations with the Tanco and Sinomine people over the years about potentially processing material.”
That processing option is crucial as Western governments push to build independent supply chains for critical minerals. “There’s a real focus in Canada on how to create a North American supply chain,” Dunbar noted. “Our recent strategic investor is very interested in that—they’re an industry player.”
Grid’s Falcon West cesium project sits just outside Winnipeg, adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway—an advantage few explorers can claim. The project has already delivered eye-catching drill intercepts, including 2.2 meters at 15.0% Cs₂O and 3.2 meters at 4.6% Cs₂O. “What’s interesting is the cesium zone we’re drilling is almost right at surface,” Dunbar said. “When we go to mine it, it’ll be relatively inexpensive to extract because it’ll be like a quarry—near surface, no tailings, no big mill. You mine it, crush it, and use ore sorting to create a high-value concentrate.”
While Falcon West advances, Grid is also expanding its nickel ambitions through its Makwa project—a joint venture with Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TECK.A | TSX: TECK.B | NYSE: TECK). “We compare Makwa to the Ring of Fire’s Eagle’s Nest project,” Dunbar said. “We have nickel on surface, we’ve flown it, and now we’re drilling it. We think there are a lot of similarities between where we are in Manitoba and the Ring of Fire.” Under the agreement, Teck can earn up to a 70% interest by spending CAD$17.3 million on exploration and development.
For Dunbar, who has decades of experience in mining finance and exploration, the next few months will be decisive. “Right now, we have drills going at both projects,” he said. “We’re drilling about 60 holes at Falcon West before Christmas and about 2,500 meters at Makwa with Teck. We’re really at the discovery phase for both. This gives us a really good potential for a re-rating of the company’s stock.”
The company’s November 2025 update confirmed that both programs are fully funded, following a C$4 million financing led by a new strategic investor. “A big part of running small juniors is looking for opportunities, capitalizing on them, and then leveraging those opportunities,” Dunbar said. “We’ve got the properties, we’ve got them permitted—and now we’re letting our exploration team do their thing.”
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