Mining company Glencore celebrated a significant milestone this week in Greater Sudbury. On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other dignitaries were on hand outside Craig Mine to help mark the occasion. “The mining sector is critical to our plan to protect Ontario,” Ford said. Zachary Mayer from Glencore Sudbury said they were marking the completion of the mine shaft to access the ore body. “The shaft, built from the bottom of the old Craig Mine, fully connects surface to the Onaping Depth deposit and provides the infrastructure we need to support underground mining,” Mayer said. Glencore said the completion of the mine shaft is a critical step towards production ramp-up. The $1.8 billion project should be completed in 2027, extending the production life and output of Craig Mine. “Even amongst global upheaval and uncertainty, there’s hope, there are jobs, there’s opportunity on the horizon,” said Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Mines and Energy. Onaping Depth is located at the 2,600-metre level of Craig Mine and is the deepest Glencore has ever mined in Greater Sudbury. To put that to scale, the depth equals five CN Towers on top of one another. Once operational, the mine will be a new source of high-grade nickel and copper, critical minerals the world needs. “It represents the kind of long-term investment and confidence that underpins Canada’s critical minerals advantage and certainly Ontario’s,” said Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. Lecce said the project helps secure the province’s role in the global critical minerals market. “It’s an honour to be here with you today to celebrate the good work we are doing together, with all levels of government to unleash the potential of Canada,” he said. “To fight back -- more than in rhetoric but through policy -- that actually gets these minerals out of the ground.” Ford said projects such as Onaping Depth give him confidence as Canada faces a trade war from the United States. “Despite the challenges we face from south of the border, I’ve never been more optimistic about our future,” he said. “We have everything we need to protect Ontario right here at home. We have the resources, we have the talent, the knowledge and the world-class workers to stand up to any threat and win any fight.” Once operational, Onaping Depth is expected to produce up to one million tonnes of nickel every year.
