It is another beautiful fall October morning in St. Lewis, a small community of less than 200 people nestled within Fox Harbour on the southeast coast of Labrador. The weather is calling for little wind, clear skies, and 12 degrees. The Search Minerals (SMY-V) exploration crew, led by Dr. Randy Miller, is preparing their equipment and tools for a full day of channel cutting on the company’s Fox Meadow rare earth element prospect.
For nearly 16 years, Search Minerals Inc. has been unlocking one of Canada’s most significant critical-mineral discoveries – a 64-kilometre district-scale belt of rare earth element (REE) mineralized prospects stretching from St. Lewis to Port Hope Simpson on the southeastern coast of Labrador. Search is at the forefront in the planning and development of Canada’s next REE mining project as the world races to secure the critical minerals and materials needed to support the energy transition. The company has a proven resource base to become the upstream provider of the REE critically needed for magnet production and downstream use in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and electronics.
A foundation of discovery
At the heart of this story is Dr. Randy Miller, Search Minerals’ vice-president of exploration and chief geologist, and one of Canada’s foremost experts on rare earth geology. His early fieldwork, mapping, and interpretation defined what is now known as the Port Hope Simpson – St. Lewis REE Belt (Fox Harbour Domain), establishing southeast Labrador as a globally recognized rare-earth element district. From the Foxtrot, Deep Fox, and Fox Meadow discoveries, Dr. Miller’s disciplined approach to geoscience revealed a rare combination of simple mineralogy, predictable geological continuity, and unique geochemistry.
“After we had initially mapped and explored this belt, we realized the Fox Harbour volcanic rocks contained an almost continuous zone of REE-mineralized rocks unlike anything else worldwide,” says Dr. Miller. “The consistency of grade, structure, and mineralogy means we can develop it efficiently and responsibly, and that’s something else that makes it a unique project.”
From exploration to economics
Search engaged SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. who completed the 2022 preliminary economic assessment (PEA), validating years of geological and metallurgical work. The study outlines a robust open-pit mining scenario centered on the Deep Fox and Foxtrot deposits with a view to producing a high-grade concentrate rich in the magnet associated elements neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), and terbium (Tb).
Highlights from the report note that the Deep Fox Deposit includes 5.1 million tonnes (Mt) indicated resource at average grades of 394 ppm Pr, 1,469 ppm Nd, 202 ppm Dy, 34 ppm Tb, and 3.3 Mt tonnes inferred resource at average grades of 366 ppm Pr, 1,381 ppm Nd, 198 ppm Dy, and 33 ppm Tb. The Foxtrot Deposit includes 10.0 Mt tonnes indicated resource at average grades of 366 ppm Pr, 1,368 ppm Nd, 176 ppm Dy, 30 ppm Tb, and 3.0 Mt tonnes inferred resource at average grades of 371 ppm Pr, 1,384 ppm Nd, 177 ppm Dy, and 30 ppm Tb.
“Our focus from the beginning is a culture of disciplined execution,” says Joseph Lanzon, CEO and director of Search Minerals. “After 16 years of exploration and testing, we’re now moving on to environmental assessment, permitting and detailed engineering, and supports. This project is more than building the mine, it is important market opportunity and paramount in building out Canada’s rare earth element market and supply chain, and to support its clean energy future.”
A partnership rooted in respect for the community
Search Minerals’ approach to development has always recognized that lasting success in Labrador must include Indigenous and local voices. Its partnership with the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC), an organization representing the Southern Inuit of Labrador is more than symbolic. NCC is an equity partner in the company, with a board seat, and a key part of the company’s project oversight, environmental planning, and community engagement and benefits.
“Our partnership with Search Minerals is grounded in trust and transparency,” says Diane Poole, NCC member and company director. “This is about building opportunities for NunatuKavut communities, ensuring responsible development, and securing a future where our people share directly in the benefits of the resources from our lands.”
Search Minerals and NCC have established a community-company coordination committee (C4) to facilitate communication, provide a framework to plan and co-manage the environmental work, and ensure the integration of community priorities into the overall mine development process. As employment, training, and procurement opportunities advance, so will strong and regular collaboration with St. Lewis, Port Hope Simpson, and Mary’s Harbour, the three municipalities within the project area that the company depends on to anchor local opportunities to participate.
On October 8 to 9, 2025, Search Minerals Inc. was honoured to host Mayor Helen Poole of St. Lewis and Mayor Alton Rumbolt of Mary’s Harbour at our headquarters in St. Lewis during a series of management and staff meetings. Their participation provided an invaluable opportunity to exchange perspectives on the local impact and long-term benefits of our Critical Rare Earth Element (CREE) projects. The two mayors noted, “Our towns recognize the potential of this project to create lasting economic and social benefits for our region. We appreciate Search’s openness and ongoing engagement, and we look forward to working together to ensure that residents and businesses are part of this opportunity as the projects move forward.”
Advancing with confidence
Following a comprehensive restructuring and successful TSX-V reinstatement in June 2025, Search Minerals has re-emerged with strengthened governance, renewed investor confidence and a clear path forward. The company is balancing science and traditional knowledge, community engagement, and practical local support to advance Canada’s critical minerals strategy and REE prospects.
About Search Minerals Inc.
Search Minerals (TSX-V: SMY | OTCQB: SHCMF) is a Canadian-based rare earth element exploration and development company advancing its Deep Fox and Foxtrot projects in Labrador’s 64-kilometre REE district. The company’s focus is on producing a high-value REE concentrate for the magnet metals essential to the clean-energy transition, guided by its partnership with the NunatuKavut Community Council and the local communities of St. Lewis, Port Hope Simpson, and Mary’s Harbour. For further information, please visit www.seaerchminerals.ca and join our mailing list at info@searchminerals.ca.
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