The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, April 17, edition that the federal government has launched its long-awaited indigenous loan guarantee program, a move advocates say will help Canadian critical minerals infrastructure get built more quickly, and facilitate increased direct First Nations ownership in resource projects. The Globe's Wendy Stueck and Niall McGee write that Ottawa's budget released Tuesday outlines a program that would provide up to $5-billion in loan guarantees and be "sector agnostic" -- meaning that oil and gas projects could be eligible. First Nations Major Projects Coalition director Niilo Edwards says the federal loan guarantee program will help Canada develop key infrastructure, including new mines. FPX Nickel chief executive officer Martin Turenne says the indigenous loan program is good news for the capital-starved Canadian mining sector. Vancouver-based FPX is developing a nickel project in British Columbia. He says, "If capital can flow from first nations partners to help support the development of the next generation of mining projects, and specifically critical minerals mining projects in Canada, I see that being very much of interest to the sector."