The federal government confirmed Friday that it has approved plans for the Crawford Nickel Project, a project estimated to add up to $70 billion to Canada’s GDP. The new mine, owned by Canada Nickel, was one of the special projects fast-tracked last November by the federal government as part of the response to the trade war launched by the United States. Located in the Timmins Nickel District in northeastern Ontario, Crawford is expected to be one of the world’s largest nickel sulphide projects and is designed to produce low-carbon nickel while incorporating proprietary carbon mineralization technologies capable of permanently storing carbon dioxide. “The federal government is working to ensure major projects get built that create high-paying jobs for Canadians and greater economic resilience for Canada, all while protecting the environment and upholding Indigenous rights,” said a July 31 news release from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. “Today, the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature issued her decision statement for the Crawford Nickel Project in Ontario, determining that the potential effects within federal jurisdiction are justified when taking into account the benefits this project will provide.” In its news release, Canada Nickel said Crawford will supply chromium and nickel sulphide in support of “critical supply chains in defence, aerospace, stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries, and advanced manufacturing.” “The Crawford Nickel Project also underpins Canada Nickel’s broader vision for the potential to establish a zero-carbon industrial cluster in northeastern Ontario, leveraging the company’s innovative carbon mineralization technologies and downstream processing opportunities.” The company has already signed agreements with First Nations in the area, including a $20 million equity investment by Taykwa Tagamou Nation – the largest known First Nation investment in a critical minerals project in Canada. The project is an open-pit nickel-cobalt mine and on-site metal mill, located 42 kilometres north of Timmins on Highway 655 near the Highway 11 intersection. It is one of the largest nickel deposits in the world and, once operational, would have a mine ore production capacity of 240,000 tonnes per day and a mill ore input capacity of 120,000 tonnes per day. The project would operate for about 41 years and create about 4,000 jobs. Federal approval will help Canada Nickel raise the remaining financing for construction costs, estimated at more than $2 billion. “The project will serve as an anchor of Canada’s global leadership in clean industrial materials and is expected to attract $5 billion in investment and could create 4,000 new careers, securing Canada’s place at the forefront of the clean economy,” said the release from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. “The proponent will still be required to obtain any necessary authorizations and permits.” Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel, welcomed the federal government’s decision. “Today’s decision recognizes the strategic importance of responsibly developing Canada’s critical mineral resources in partnership with all levels of government and Indigenous Nations while maintaining rigorous environmental standards,” Selby said. “I am very proud of our team, which completed this key federal permit in just four years and advanced Crawford from its fifth drill hole through feasibility study to today’s milestone in under seven years - substantially faster than typically required for large-scale projects.” However, Carol Anstey, Conservative shadow minister for Natural Resources, was less impressed. “Seven years. One project. Still zero shovels in the ground. That’s the Liberal record under the Impact Assessment Act,” Anstey said in a statement to CTV News. “Carney claims his government is building at speeds never seen before, yet it took seven years for a single project to receive approval, and construction still has not begun. Meanwhile, the same Liberal anti-development laws still stand in the way of mines, pipelines, LNG facilities and other major projects across Canada.”
