You said Vital was holding off completion of its facility "until Ucore LA was ready to take the concertrate". That is false. Vital already had an earlier offtake agreement with REEtec in Norway. Vital, apparently did not want to put all their rare earth concentrate "eggs" in the REEtec "basket", and so they also made an offtake agreement with Ucore.
REEtec has projected completion of its rare earth oxide production facility in Norway to be Mid 2024, but I can find no info that proves their technology's performance stats, nor any information about progress in construction.
This is where things could get interesting. Vital's rare earth concentrate facility needs to be wed to a rare earth oxide facility that has proven production capability and can be up and running fast.
It is clear, as you pointed out, that the Canadian government could/will move to fund the completion of Vital's facility, but it would only make sense to do so if an oxide producing facility is simultaneously going to be online--and guaranteed to process it.
What would make sense for the Canadian government to do in this case? Concurrently fund remaining construction of Vital's separation facility AND fund a Canadian Strategic Metals Complex (preferably a brownfield in Saskatchewan).
Maybe we find out on Monday. I know Pip has his fingers crossed.
:0
P.S. An oldie (last year's PDAC), but a goodie: