Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government has referred five resource and energy developments to the new Major Projects Office (MPO) for potential fast-track approval, including a major nickel–cobalt mine and mill proposed north of Timmins, Ont., Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday.
The Crawford Nickel Project — the Ontario development included in the group — would involve construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of an open-pit nickel-cobalt mine and on-site metal mill 42 kilometres north of Timmins. As proposed by Canada Nickel Company, the mine would produce 240,000 tonnes of ore per day, with a mill capacity of 120,000 tonnes per day, and operate for roughly 41 years. Ottawa describes the project as a future source of “high-quality, low-carbon nickel” needed for batteries and green steel.
Carney said the Crawford project and four others are “transformational” and align with federal efforts to boost Canada’s global competitiveness. The MPO, established in August and formalized in legislation passed earlier this year, is responsible for coordinating regulatory and financial support for projects designated as being of national interest.
The other developments referred to the office are the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project in Nunavut, Quebec’s Nouveau Monde Graphite Phase 2 expansion, the Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas project in northern British Columbia, and Northcliff Resources Ltd.’s Sisson tungsten–molybdenum mine in New Brunswick.
Carney highlighted each project’s strategic purpose. The Ksi Lisims LNG project is expected to produce 12 million tonnes annually for Asian markets, with emissions the government says will be 94 per cent below the global average. The Iqaluit hydro development, already supported by federal engineering and design funding, would reduce the city’s reliance on diesel and become Nunavut’s first 100 per cent Inuit-owned hydro facility.
Sisson, which already holds federal and provincial approvals, hosts large tungsten and molybdenum deposits and is in the pre-construction phase. Carney said the mine would strengthen Canada’s position as a “reliable supplier” of materials used in steelmaking, defence and protective equipment.
Northcliff Resources has recently received financial support from both Ottawa and Washington. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the company US$15 million in May to bolster North American tungsten capacity, and Natural Resources Canada approved up to $8.214 million in August for feasibility and engineering updates.
Andrew Ing, Northcliff’s chair, president and CEO, said the Sisson project’s referral to the MPO is a key step toward building a “resilient supply chain of critical minerals” for digital technologies, clean energy systems and aerospace applications.
Alberta did not receive a project designation in Thursday’s announcement. Carney said discussions with the province are continuing under what both governments describe as a memorandum of understanding.
