At PDAC 2026 in Toronto, InvestorNews host Tracy Hughes spoke with Ali Haji, CEO and Director of American Tungsten Corp. (CSE: TUNG | OTCQB: TUNGF), as the company closed an oversubscribed financing and accelerated toward what it says will be a defining milestone in the North American critical minerals sector.“We announced $20 million the morning of PDAC,” Haji said. “We had interest for about $55 million… we decided to go with $35 million and then took down the over-allotment option to bring us to $40 million.” The financing, completed March 18 with participation from Stifel, Canaccord, and other institutional partners, significantly strengthened the company’s shareholder base.Investor interest, Haji explained, is rooted in both timing and geology. The company’s IMA project in Idaho is positioned as a potential first mover in a tightening tungsten market, with grades of approximately 0.65% at the mine and 0.25% in tailings—figures that exceed global averages.“It’s a brownfield project with significant prior drilling,” he said, noting that recent work has confirmed high-grade tungsten alongside silver and molybdenum credits. “That silver kicker… in excess of one ounce per tonne… puts us in an exciting position.”The company is targeting its first tungsten concentrate sale before the end of 2026, with commercial production at IMA expected in 2027. “We will be the first producer of concentrate in the United States,” Haji said.Beyond organic development, American Tungsten has begun executing on a broader consolidation strategy. Its minority investment in Viking Mines—initiated at A$750,000 and now valued at roughly four times that—reflects a focus on high-grade, low-capex assets that can be brought online quickly.“We recognize the value of smaller projects coming online… to really make an impact in the supply chain in the United States,” Haji said, adding that the company is evaluating opportunities to integrate feedstock into a planned processing hub in Idaho.The backdrop to this strategy is a rapidly tightening global tungsten market. With China historically responsible for roughly 85% of supply and increasingly retaining production domestically, Western markets are facing structural shortages.“Tungsten is not just a defense metal,” Haji said. “It’s used in automotive, nuclear, microchips, wind power… the demand base is far broader than many people realize.”Even so, defense applications remain central to the narrative. Known for its extreme hardness and high melting point, tungsten has become increasingly strategic amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.Despite a surge in prices—rising sharply over the past year—Haji emphasized that the company’s economics are not dependent on elevated pricing. Internal studies suggest profitability at significantly lower price assumptions, supported by byproduct credits.“Grade is king,” he said. “Higher grade translates to higher margins and a quicker path to production.”Looking ahead, the market is focused on near-term catalysts, including an updated resource estimate, a preliminary economic assessment, and a potential TSX Venture Exchange uplisting. Haji is also scheduled to speak at the upcoming Critical Minerals Institute Summit V in Toronto on May 13-14, where supply chain security and pricing dynamics are expected to dominate discussion.For a sector long defined by offshore dependence, American Tungsten is positioning itself at the intersection of geology, geopolitics, and capital—where execution, not narrative, will ultimately determine who leads the next phase of North American supply.

At PDAC 2026 in Toronto, InvestorNews host Tracy Hughes sat down with John Slaven, CEO of MineSense Technologies Ltd., to discuss a technology that is quietly reshaping how value is extracted from existing mines—one shovel at a time.In an industry long defined by averages, estimates, and delayed feedback loops, MineSense is introducing something far more immediate: real-time ore intelligence at the point of extraction.“Our sensors are mounted directly onto large mining shovels,” Slaven explained. “As material is loaded onto haul trucks, we measure the copper grade instantly. That allows operators to decide—right then—whether that material goes to the mill as ore or to the waste pile.”The implications are profound. In a sector where discovering and permitting new deposits is increasingly difficult, MineSense is focused on maximizing what already exists. By identifying ore and waste in real time, mining companies can significantly increase recovery rates without expanding their footprint.“Finding new deposits is hard,” Slaven said. “But if you can extract more value from the ore you’re already mining, the benefit is immediate—and substantial.”That value proposition is resonating. MineSense is now deployed at approximately 16 mine sites globally, working with many of the world’s largest mining companies. The company has achieved roughly 30% revenue growth in recent years, a reflection of growing industry adoption.But the technology is not limited to major operators. “We can scale down to a single shovel,” Slaven noted. “Even smaller operations can benefit—whether it's a shovel or a front-end loader managing material.”The business model is equally pragmatic: MineSense sells the hardware—its ruggedized sensors—and generates recurring revenue through data services and ongoing support. In an environment where equipment faces constant impact from heavy rock, durability is critical, and continuous maintenance ensures reliability.Looking ahead, copper remains the company’s primary focus, particularly in open-pit operations. But expansion is already underway. “Nickel is a natural next step, and we’re also looking at bulk materials like iron ore,” Slaven said. “We’re investing heavily in R&D to ensure we can achieve the level of precision required across different commodities.”Perhaps the most compelling insight emerging from MineSense’s technology is not just operational—but geological.“What’s fascinating is the variability within an ore body,” Slaven said. “Traditionally, we rely on drill holes spaced tens of meters apart and build models from that. But now we’re seeing granular, real-time data that reveals just how much variability actually exists.”That shift—from estimation to measurement—has the potential to influence not only day-to-day operations, but also long-term mine planning, resource modeling, and downstream processing.For Hughes, the takeaway was clear: “Bringing new meaning to data mining,” she remarked. In an era where critical mineral supply is under pressure and efficiency is paramount, MineSense’s approach represents a quiet but powerful evolution—transforming every shovel into a decision-making tool, and every load into an opportunity to unlock more value.

At PDAC 2026 in Toronto, momentum around Canada’s Yukon was difficult to ignore—and few stories captured that shift more clearly than Stakeholder Gold Corp. (TSXV: SRC | OTCQB: SKHRF). Sitting down with InvestorNews host Tracy Hughes, President and CEO Christopher Berlet outlined a company positioning itself at the center of a rapidly reawakening gold district.The catalyst, he explained, is not theoretical. The recent acquisition of the Coffee deposit by Fuerte Metals Corporation—and the release of robust project economics despite arsenic constraints—has reframed how the White Gold District is being valued. “It’s going to be a fantastic, very profitable gold mine,” Berlet said, pointing to the broader implications for nearby projects. “It’s really helping the district get the recognition it deserves.”Stakeholder Gold’s land package sits directly in the path of that recognition—and, increasingly, in the path of infrastructure. The company strategically staked along a planned road corridor now backed by approximately $70 million in expected construction spending. In a region where access has historically defined success or failure, that shift is material.“We staked along that route intentionally,” Berlet said. “That’s going to have material advantages for us.”With permits in hand, the company is preparing to launch a multi-target drill program in late April or early May, with results expected by July. The campaign will test several zones, including the Sky Gold and East Gold targets—both structurally significant—as well as the Loki Copper zone, a 2.5-kilometer intrusive system that has already yielded some of the district’s strongest copper values.What stands out, Berlet noted, is both scale and continuity. The Sky Gold Zone extends nearly three kilometers along strike, with widths of 20 to 25 meters, supported by two subparallel structures roughly 600 meters apart. Equally important, the system appears free of arsenic—a differentiator in a region where metallurgy can complicate project economics.“All the same indicator minerals are there—lead, molybdenum, tellurium, and gold—and no arsenic,” he said. “If these zones carry one gram per tonne or better, we believe we could be demonstrating another meaningful discovery.”With a Class I permit in hand, Stakeholder Gold is preparing to launch an initial 2,000-meter drill program across roughly eight kilometers of targets. Fully funded and organized, the project is, as Berlet put it, “ready to roll.”Unusually for a junior explorer, Stakeholder Gold is also advancing a parallel revenue stream through its quartzite operations in Brazil. Its flagship material—marketed as “Taj Mahal” quartzite—is already attracting strong demand, with customers prepaying for supply across North America and Europe.“Our strategy is working,” Berlet said. “We expect real cash flow this year, which will support the company while we pursue discovery.”The macro backdrop for gold, he added, remains supportive, driven by persistent global uncertainty and renewed interest in hard assets. At the same time, Canadian policy appears to be shifting in favor of resource development, with infrastructure investment and First Nations collaboration reinforcing the Yukon’s standing as a top-tier jurisdiction.“It’s a great place to operate,” Berlet said. “There’s momentum—from government, from industry, and from investors.”For Stakeholder Gold, the near-term path is clear. Infrastructure is advancing, capital is in place, and drilling is imminent. In a district once defined by promise, the next phase may be defined by results.“The real catalyst,” Berlet said, “is discovery.”