July 24, 2025 — In Quebec’s sub‑arctic taiga, the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach has done more than permit a mine on its ancestral land—it has bought into the metal that could lighten every jet, satellite, and electric vehicle now on drawing boards around the world. Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSXV: SCD), which is advancing the Crater Lake deposit as what it calls “the world’s leading primary source of scandium,” confirmed last week that the community‑controlled Taasipitaakin Trust invested C$334,000 for 16.7 million units—enough for a 5% equity stake in the junior miner.
“It’s a very important milestone that we just reached,” CEO Guy Bourassa told InvestorNews host Tracy Hughes. The transaction caps a year‑long courtship that began with an April 2024 pre‑development agreement, paused for a band‑council election, and resumed only after newly elected leaders had, as Bourassa put it, “the time that they need to understand what you’re about, what scandium is all about, why should it be moved out of the earth.”
The answer, he argued, lies in aluminum. “When you explain that it completely transform[s] aluminum and [is] strong as steel and as resistant as titanium… you can help the world reduce its GHG,” he said. Quebec already smelts more aluminum than any other North‑American jurisdiction; adding a whisper of scandium creates alloys that are lighter, corrosion‑proof and electrically conductive—attributes coveted by aerospace primes, automakers, and, increasingly, defense contractors.
Such commercial promise helped persuade Naskapi Elders and youth alike that equity, not just royalties, offered the surest path to “jobs and a say in the development of a project.” “We were able to strike an initial deal for 5% of the company and we’re very, very glad,” Bourassa said, noting that the structure echoes Washington’s own decision this year to take a direct stake in MP Materials Corp. (NYSE: MP).
The partnership extends beyond rocks and shares. Three years ago, Scandium Canada began working with McMaster University to design scandium‑aluminum powders for 3‑D printing. “We have now decided to put a division specifically on developing and commercialization,” Bourassa revealed, citing early demand for extrusions, welding wire and additive‑manufacturing feedstock that could underwrite a future construction decision at Crater Lake.
For the Naskapi, the investment is a bet on both geology and leadership. “They haven’t just invested in an exploration company,” Hughes observed. “They’ve invested in a CEO who has a track record of taking exploration companies to production.” Bourassa, who once shepherded Nemaska Lithium from concept to construction, seemed unfazed by the parallel: “We are definitively very, very active, strongly active on this as we speak,” he said, moments after recalling the community meeting where he described scandium’s potential to “bring something good” to humanity.
Whether the next milestone arrives in a boardroom, a pilot plant, or the vast spruce‑lined corridor north of Schefferville, both partners now hold an equal incentive to reach it—one share certificate at a time.
To access the complete interview, click here
Don’t miss other InvestorNews interviews. Subscribe to the InvestorNews YouTube channel by clicking here
About Scandium Canada Ltd.
Scandium Canada (TSXV: SCD) is a public company whose ultimate goal is to bring the world’s leading primary source of scandium into production, enabling the development and commercialization of aluminum-scandium (Al-Sc) alloys. The Corporation is leveraging its Al-Sc alloy development division and the development of its Crater Lake mining project to meet the growing need for lighter, greener, longer-lasting, high-performance materials. The Corporation aims to become a market leader in scandium, while committing itself to building a more responsible economy through innovation and agility.
To learn more about Scandium Canada Ltd., click here
Disclaimer: Scandium Canada Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorNews Inc.
This interview, which was produced by InvestorNews Inc. (“InvestorNews”), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all material information concerning the Company, including important disclosure and risk factors associated with the Company, its business and an investment in its securities. InvestorNews offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.
This interview and any transcriptions or reproductions thereof (collectively, this “presentation”) does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to subscribe for or purchase any securities in the Company. The information in this presentation is provided for informational purposes only and may be subject to updating, completion or revision, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any information herein. This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.
Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. This presentation should not be considered as the giving of investment advice by the Company or any of its directors, officers, agents, employees or advisors. Each person to whom this presentation is made available must make its own independent assessment of the Company after making such investigations and taking such advice as may be deemed necessary. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on SedarPlus.ca and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.
Leave a Reply