From my vantage point (frozen in Corner Brook) it seems like governments are looking hard at their countries’ supply chains. We now live in a world where it can take several months to get a new vehicle, or a sofa delivered. Likewise, the only deflation being reported is that of the United States popping Chinese spy balloons.

What we might be witnessing is the start of a new commodities cycle. I don’t know the specific micro-economic or political drivers behind these decisions, but I tend to believe that, as a society, we may be moving toward sourcing our supply chains locally, or from jurisdictions we trust and over which we have some control.

From discussions with clients, and within the community, I understand that the mining and energy sector is picking up steam here in Newfoundland & Labrador. Subsequently, for the first time in many years, I’m getting enquiries about junior mining stocks. If this commodity bull market were to take hold, not only could it be beneficial to portfolios, but to the province as a whole.

Junior mining stocks are among the most volatile investments one can make. So, a word of caution on such investments, should you choose to make investments on your own, as there is still great uncertainty, both at home and on the global stage, when it comes to the mining and energy sector. When mining stocks move, they can move fast, but they can do so in either direction. A couple of years ago I had lunch with a client looking for advice on what to do with his shares of a rare-earth minerals stock that had shot up in value 400% during the “Game Stop / Robin-Hood” fiasco on Wall-Street. By the time he finished his Big Mac, the value of his stock had fallen by over $100,000. Looking back on it now, I really should have paid for his lunch. That was one expensive trip to McDonald’s.