New, AI

New, AI-ready mine drill core library will ‘unlock’ Canada’s resource potential, says federal government

Published 6:47 pm Monday, September 21, 2026

By Kody Ferron Local Journalism Initiative Northern News Services

The newly created Canadian Digital Core Library (CDCL), is converting drill core samples into a digital record, which will be available through an AI-ready platform, says Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

The library’s first core samples, which came from the Northwest Territories, were scanned on Sept. 14 in Calgary.

A Sept. 21 news release says the library will “unlock [Canada’s] resource potential, attract investment and strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains,” enabling Canada to build a “strong, secure, and competitive economy.”

GNWT Industry and Investment Minister Caitlin Cleveland referenced the library in a statement following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s inaugural Toronto Investment Summit earlier this month.

“We are working to improve investment certainty by putting better information and better tools in the hands of explorers and investors,” Cleveland stated. “By turning geological information into accessible digital data that can be analyzed using new technologies, we can reduce exploration risk, identify new opportunities and help attract investment in responsible mineral development.

“As global demand for critical minerals grows, the Northwest Territories is ready to play a larger role in supplying the resources Canada and its allies need,” Cleveland added.

According to NRCan, the library will establish nation drill-core-data connectivity, begin scanning public geological samples, support provincial and territorial digitization initiatives, and will “build a scalable foundation for future expansion.”

NRCan says this is the first phase of the CDCL, which is intended to enable the integration of advanced technologies, such as high-resolution core scanning and artificial intelligence.

The federal government’s website states that NRCan is investing $40 million over two years in the library, starting in 2026-27.

NRCan is offering up to $5 million apiece for eligible geoscience data projects led by Canadian provinces and territories until March 31, 2028.