It's often difficult to understand the global markets for critical minerals so The Gold Report narrowed it to three—lithium, cobalt and graphite—and brought in Simon Moores, managing director of London-based Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, and the firm's analyst, Andrew Miller, to provide insight into minerals that they say need to shed their labels as traditional commodities and embrace their future as niche, raw-material solutions for a growing list of technology manufacturers.

The Fraser Institute's 2015 Annual Survey of Mining Companies ranks Yukon first in mineral potential and ninth overall in global mining jurisdictions, points not lost on Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski.

When gold prices plunged in late 2013, gold producers took notice and developed mine plans that offered greater flexibility in troubled times.