Rare Earth Elements in Ontario: Geology, Apatite Deposits, and Strategic Importance

 

This article explores the geology and geographical distribution of rare earth elements in Ontario, highlighting key apatite deposits and Canada’s strategic position in the global critical minerals market.

 

Ontario rare earth elements are critical minerals hosted in pegmatites, phosphate minerals such as apatite, and specialized igneous systems within the province’s Precambrian bedrock. On the Dark Star claim in the Bancroft area, while examining its pegmatites and vein dykes you will certainly find apatite and monazite, both of which carry the much sought after rare earths.

 

Find an apatite crystal, there are many of them in the calcite of the Bancroft areas vein dykes and within those crysttals there are also the typical apatite rare earth elements. Reading on I will explain why Canadian REEs are becoming strategically vital to global supply chains and I will also reveal something of the possible alliances of mutual benefit to the west. At this time everyone is scrambling for a "piece of the pie", but who will mine these rare earths ethically and according to the cultural norms that we are comfortable with?

 

Why Rare earth elements have become so important

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Rare earth elements (REEs) have become one of the most strategically important mineral groups in the modern world and Ontario rare earth deposits are a resource hitherto unrecognized by prospectors and mining companies. From electric vehicles and wind turbines to advanced electronics, optics, and defense systems, REEs underpin much of today’s technology. Yet despite their importance, global supply chains remain fragile and heavily influenced by China. North western Ontario is a vast untapped plain of land, which though outside of the regular field collecting context for amatuer rockhounds, it remains the "field of play" for mining companies whom refer to this space as the "Ring of Fire'.

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China primarily holds abundant reserves and dominates the processing of both Light Rare Earths (LREEs) like Neodymium (Nd) and Praseodymium (Pr) for magnets, and crucial Heavy Rare Earths (HREEs) such as Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb), essential for high-tech and green energy applications, controlling over 85% of global processing capacity for many key elements. Major deposits in china come from carbonatite sources (Bayan Obo, Maoniuping) for LREEs, and ion-adsorption clays for HREEs, giving them a near-monopoly on the supply chain

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While all REEs are present in various deposits across Ontario, the main focus of advanced projects includes: 

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• Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs): These are the most abundant and form the majority of the resources in many deposits. Minerals containing LREEs, such as bastnaesite and monazite, are key components in some Ontario projects.

• Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs): Ontario also has resources containing valuable HREEs, which typically command higher prices due to their scarcity in global supply. Yttrium is found in significant concentrations in some areas, and dysprosium and terbium are high-value components in project resource estimates. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ontario—is uniquely positioned to become a secure, ethical source of REEs. For Dark Star Crystal Mines, operating on an active Ontario mineral claim, these developments are not theoretical—they are visible in the rocks themselves. There are rare earths on the Dark star property, though we question their abundance and concentration. We are by no means Ontario's answer to supply, but for rockhounds we believe there is the possibility of finding interesting rare earth ores for their mineral collections.

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What Are Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Why They Matter in Ontario

 

Learn what rare earth elements are, their key applications, and why Ontario’s deposits are strategically important for Canada and the global market.

 

Rare earth elements consist of the lanthanide series (elements 57–71), plus scandium and yttrium. They are commonly grouped into:

 

• Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs)

• Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs)

 

HREEs are typically more valuable due to their scarcity and specialized industrial uses.

Despite the name, rare earth elements are not actually rare in Earth’s crust. Cerium, for example, is more abundant than copper. The challenge lies in finding REEs concentrated enough to be economically extracted, and then refining them in a way that is environmentally and politically acceptable.

 

Most REEs are recovered as byproducts of other mining activities, including phosphate, uranium, iron, and niobium extraction—an important point when evaluating Ontario’s mineral potential. China seems oblivious to the by product contamination, responsible mineral extraction is the last thing on their minds, but Greenland has taken their environment seriously, they've taken a strong stance against pollution.

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Apatite in Ontario: A Primary Host Mineral for Ontario Rare Earth Elements

 

Apatite is one of Ontario’s most important minerals for rare earth element extraction, hosting valuable deposits critical for technology and clean energy.

 

Apatite is one of the most important REE-hosting minerals in Ontario and across the Canadian Shield. During crystallization or later hydrothermal alteration, apatite can incorporate a wide range of trace elements through atomic substitution—sometimes involving nearly half the periodic table.

There are two primary mechanisms by which rare earth elements enter apatite:

1. REE³⁺ and Na⁺ substituting for Ca²⁺

2. REE³⁺ and Si⁴⁺ substituting for P⁵⁺

The end member of the second substitution pathway is britholite, a mineral heavily enriched in rare earth elements.

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This is particularly significant because apatite is already mined globally for phosphate fertilizer. The ability to extract both phosphate and rare earth elements from the same ore body dramatically improves mining economics, making apatite-bearing pegmatites and vein systems increasingly attractive.

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Ontario Rare Earth Minerals and Related Deposits Found Across Ontario

 

Explore the distribution of rare earth minerals in Ontario, including key sites and the types of REEs that make the province a strategic resource hub.

 

North Western Ontario hosts a diverse range of REE-bearing minerals, most notably:

 

• Monazite – a phosphate mineral rich in heavy rare earths, commonly found in placer deposits due to its high density

• Bastnäsite – a fluorcarbonate mineral that concentrates light rare earths and contains less thorium, making it preferable for industrial processing

• Xenotime – an important source of yttrium and heavy rare earth elements

These minerals are found in association with pegmatites, alkaline intrusions, vein systems, and historic mine tailings throughout the province.

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At Dark Star Crystal Mines, rare earth elements occur naturally on our Ontario claim, most visibly in the form of monazite. If you are prospecting in Ontario you might be surprised by the common appearance of rare earths in the south.  It is an ore of the rare earths that comes together in stubby brown crystals during crystal formation.Our apatite crystals also display rare earth spectral signatures, particularly neodymium and praseodymium. While these occurrences are not currently economic for industrial extraction, they clearly demonstrate that REEs are widespread in Ontario’s mineralized terrain. For rockhounds and crystal collectors it saves a trip to the far north to expand their collections.

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Ontario’s Geological Features and Strategic Advantage in Rare Earth Mining

 

Ontario’s unique geology, rich in pegmatites and apatite-hosted REEs, gives Canada a competitive edge in the global rare earth supply chain.

 

As rare earth expert Jack Lifton has pointed out, the real challenge with REEs is not geology—it is economics and processing. While places like Greenland and Ukraine are often highlighted in the media, many of those deposits are decades away from production, assuming they ever become viable. 

On April 30, 2025, the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government signed a landmark framework agreement to establish the United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. President Trump framed the deal as "payback" for U.S. aid, initially seeking $500 billion in resources as compensation for past military support. However, the final version focuses on future projects rather than direct repayment for prior aid.

 

Ontario, by contrast, already has:

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• Established mining infrastructure

• Active mineral claims

• Proximity to U.S. manufacturing

• A stable regulatory and political environment

 

In light of recent actions, the question now becomes, do old agreements and alliances still stand, or will the United States approach this more from the perspective of economic imperialism.

The Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario has become a focal point for critical mineral exploration, with tens of thousands of active claims. REEs are often found alongside metals already being mined, allowing for value-added recovery rather than greenfield development.

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Rare earths are embedded in modern manufacturing. A Toyota Prius contains roughly 16 kilograms of rare earth elements, including lanthanum in the battery and neodymium in permanent magnets—the same element found in apatite from Eastern Ontario’s historic phosphate mines.

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How China Dominates the Global Rare Earth Supply Chain

 

China controls the majority of rare earth production worldwide, highlighting the strategic importance of developing Ontario’s domestic REE resources.

 

China currently dominates the global REE market, accounting for approximately 70% of mined rare earths and nearly 90% of refined products. Much of this dominance comes from recovering REEs as byproducts of massive iron ore operations, particularly in Inner Mongolia.

 

However, China’s extraction methods have caused severe environmental damage, especially through in-situ leaching techniques that leave landscapes chemically destroyed for generations. Ironically, China now imports a significant portion of its own rare earth needs, revealing internal supply pressures.

This reality has accelerated Western interest in secure, transparent, and environmentally responsible REE sources, where Canada stands out.

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​Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy: Ring of Fire and Rare Earth Development

 

Ontario’s Ring of Fire and broader critical minerals strategy aim to strengthen Canada’s rare earth production and secure supply chains for high-tech industries.

 

Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy (2022–2027) identifies Ontario rare earth elements as essential to economic growth, national security, and the energy transition. Ontario is a central pillar of this strategy.

The Ring of Fire region alone contained over 26,000 active mining claims as of 2022. Elsewhere in Ontario, REEs occur in areas such as:

• Elliot Lake (see below)

• Sturgeon Falls

• Kapuskasing

• Lackner Lake

• The Ontario–Manitoba border, including the Carb Nb/REE magnetic anomaly, which shows significant lanthanum and cerium enrichment

Lanthanum commonly makes up around 25% of total REE content in host minerals, making these deposits particularly relevant.

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Elliot Lake’s Mineral Evolution: From Uranium to Rare Earth Elements

 

Elliot Lake, historically a uranium mining hub, is now emerging as a significant source of rare earth elements, including apatite-hosted deposits.

 

Elliot Lake is best known for its historic uranium mining, but it has also emerged as a promising rare earth locality. Elliot Lake, Ontario, hosts significant, historically mined uranium deposits. From the 1950s to the 1990s it was a world leader in uranium production. This same rock that was being mined for uranium also contained valuable Rare Earth Elements (REEs), primarily yttrium, found within minerals like monazite in quartz-pebble conglomerates. 

 

The mineralization in Elliot Lake is stratabound in ancient riverbed deposits (paleoplacers), with different reefs (Lower, Intermediate, Upper) showing varying concentrations of REEs and uranium, with the Upper Reef being noted in 2007 for high REE content and the Lower Reef for high uranium. These deposits, once the backbone of a major uranium production area, are now being re-evaluated for their substantial REE potential, with modern exploration confirming their richness.

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This mirrors China’s iron ore model, where rare earths are recovered as a byproduct—only in Ontario, this can be done under far stricter environmental and regulatory standards. We are bound by an ethic for responsible mineral extraction.

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Canada, Greenland, and Denmark: Strategic Rare Earth Partnerships

 

Collaborations between Canada, Greenland, and Denmark aim to secure rare earth resources and reduce global dependence on concentrated suppliers.

 

Canada, Greenland, and Denmark are increasingly aligned around responsible rare earth development between them. Greenland hosts vast undeveloped REE resources, (potentially 42 Mt of REOs), currently it produces little, but it is poised to become a major player as projects like Tanbreez advance with significant investment from US and EU-backed entities. Canada brings mining expertise and processing potential, and Denmark provides geopolitical stability and access to European markets. Due to their similar philosophies around indigenous populations and the environment, Canada, Greenland and Denmark are well suited to being partners - culturally there are similarities.

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​It now appears (2025) that the sharks are circling. The superpowers all want a piece of the pie. The Chinese see Greenland's potential as breaking their monopoly on rare earths. Like the US, their involvement in Greenland centers on securing access to its rich mineral and potential new Arctic shipping routes, but it has faced significant political hurdles and Western/Danish scrutiny, leading to stalled or abandoned projects.

 

The halted Kvanefjeld (Kuannersuit) project in Greenland highlighted the importance of environmental responsibility and local consent. This potentially emerging alliance between Canada and Greenland prioritizes sovereignty, sustainability, and long-term supply security, rather than the rapid exploitation that is desired by the core economies. The Kvanefjeld project faltered because of a recently enacted law banning mining in Greenland from deposits with uranium levels above 100 parts per million (ppm). It was enacted by the Inuit Ataqatigiit party after winning the 2021 election on an anti-mining platform. The concern was of radioactive tailings blowing over a nearby town - short term gain for long term consequences.

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U.S. Interest in Greenland and Arctic Rare Earth Minerals

 

The United States has expressed strategic interest in Greenland’s rare earth resources, reflecting global competition for critical minerals.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement that the United States would acquire Greenland “one way or another”, casts an ominous shadow over the democracy and territorial integrity that has long been valued in the west; this on the heels of trump wanting to buy Greenland in 2019.  Mette Frederiksen,  Prime Minister of Denmark called the idea of the U.S. "buying" Greenland "absurd" and emphasized that "Greenland is not for sale".

 

This underscores the strategic value of Arctic minerals and with climate change, the emerging landmasses from under Greenland's great ice sheets. While widely criticized, the comment reinforced the urgency for Canada, Greenland, and Denmark to define their own path forward—based on cooperation, not coercion.

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Challenges and Technological Innovation in Ontario’s Rare Earth Element Sector

 

Ontario’s rare earth sector faces challenges in extraction and processing, but technological innovation is unlocking new opportunities for sustainable REE development.

 

Ontario’s rare earth deposits are geologically complex, requiring advanced separation and processing technologies. However, innovation is accelerating:

• Ucore (Kingston, Ontario) is developing advanced REE separation technologies

• Canadian research labs have created lower-temperature extraction processes that reduce environmental impact

• Old mine tailings are being re-evaluated as valuable REE resources

These advances position Ontario not only as a source of rare earths, but as a leader in next-generation mineral processing.

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Common questions about Rare earth elements

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1. What are rare earth elements?

Rare earth elements are a group of 17 chemically similar metals that include the 15 lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium, and are essential for modern technologies.

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2. Are rare earth elements actually rare?

No—most rare earth elements are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust, but they are rarely found in highly concentrated, economically mineable deposits. In Elliot Lake they come in a 12 foot thick layer of conglomerate above the uranium strata, in the Bancroft area they are found in the vein dykes.

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3. What are rare earth elements used for?

REEs are critical for electronics, electric vehicles, wind turbines, defense systems, medical imaging, and clean energy technologies, especially for making strong permanent magnets.

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4. Where are rare earth elements found?

They occur globally in minerals such as bastnäsite, monazite, xenotime, and apatite, with major deposits in China, Canada, Australia, the United States, and Greenland.

 

5. Why are rare earth elements strategically important?

Rare earth elements are strategically important because China controls much of the global mining and processing supply chain, making REEs vital to national security, energy independence, and advanced manufacturing.

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Conclusion: Rare Earth Elements, Crystals, and Ontario’s Mineral Future

 

Ontario’s rare earth deposits, crystal-rich geology, and strategic initiatives position the province to play a critical role in the global minerals market.

 

Ontario’s rare earth potential is real, measurable, and already visible in the province’s pegmatites, apatite crystals, and historic mine workings. With strong geology, active mineral claims, and growing government support, Ontario is poised to become a cornerstone of the Western rare earth supply chain.

That said, the energy transition depends on more than rare earths alone. Copper, nickel, lithium, graphite, and phosphate are equally essential—and North Western Ontario hosts many of them in the "Ring of fire". The Bancroft area is also rich in rare earths, but the deposits thus far are too small in size to mine at a serious level. Ontario's rare earth elements need to be found in vast deposits that justify the set-up of a modern rare earth mine. It takes years and millions of dollars to prepare such an extractive venture.

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At Dark Star Crystal Mines, we see this reality firsthand. The crystals collected on our claim tell a broader geological story—one in which Ontario’s mineral wealth extends far beyond aesthetics and into the future of global technology.

 

Ontario doesn’t just have rare earth elements.
It has the mineral resources, the knowledge, and the responsibility to develop a process of responsible mineral extraction.

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Last updated 2026

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