Mining in Timmins

Home of the world's second largest nickel reserve and resource, with large-scale carbon capture storage potential.

Canada Nickel Company (CNC) is advancing the development of its flagship “Crawford” Nickel-Sulphide Project located in the emerging Timmins Nickel District of Timmins, Ontario. The Crawford Project is the world’s second largest nickel reserve and resource.¹

Once in production, it is poised to become one of Canada’s largest carbon capture and storage facilities.² The economic and realizable benefits of CNC’s Crawford Project also position it as a potential anchor for a Zero-Carbon Industrial Cluster in the Timmins region.³

According to CNC’s Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for the Crawford Project, it will have production of 1.6 million tonnes nickel, 24 kt cobalt, 490 koz palladium and platinum, 58 million tonnes iron, and 2.8 million tonnes chromium over a 41-year project life.⁴ CNC is positioning Crawford as a mine of the future by leveraging innovation to harness the project’s carbon capture and storage potential. Specifically, Crawford can capture and store 1.5 Mtpa of carbon during its 27-year peak period.⁵ It is also a net negative contributor of CO₂ over the project life, with 30 tonnes of carbon capture and storage capacity per tonne of nickel remaining, after accounting for the project’s footprint.⁶

Please visit canadanickel.com to learn more about CNC’s Crawford Project and its extensive exploration activity.

Located in the heart of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt; Timmins, Ontario is known to contain some of the world’s largest deposits of gold, silver, copper, and zinc. In fact, the Timmins-Porcupine Gold Camp is known as one of the richest gold districts in the world. Since gold was first mined in the area in 1910, Timmins has developed into a prominent global hub for metal and mineral mining and is renowned as one of Canada’s greatest goldfields.⁷

Timmins, Ontario, and its region, remain a key jurisdiction with rich geological potential demonstrated through increased exploration of gold, base metals, critical minerals and rare earth elements (REE’s).⁹

Timmins, Ontario is home Glencore’s Kidd Mine, which is known as the world’s deepest base metal mine that reaches 10,000 feet below sea level.¹⁰ This mine also has the world’s longest surface-to-bottom ramp, which is a testament to the innovation, skills, and expertise required to mine at these depths.¹¹ On average, the Kidd Mine produces 40,000 tonnes of copper and 70,000 tonnes of zinc annually.¹²

As a mining powerhouse, Timmins, Ontario has established a robust mining-driven ecosystem. This ecosystem is made up of a well-established and sophisticated mining supply and services industry that includes over 150 companies and a highly skilled, and experienced labour pool. Timmins businesses are capable of providing the following types of services for the mining industry:

• Consulting (I.e., geology, environmental, business, etc.)
• Technical GIS and mapping
• Geophysical exploration
• Drilling (I.e., surface, underground, heli-portable, etc.)
• Technical and scientific analysis (I.e., sample and core analysis at laboratories)
• Core storage (I.e., core shacks)
• Research and development (I.e., academic and applied research, prototyping, testing, validation, and demonstration)
• Manufacturing and metal fabrication
• Retail of mining-related equipment and consumables

Timmins is also home to Northern College, Collège Boréal, their university affiliates being Algoma University and Université de Hearst respectively, and other dedicated organizations that support the mining industry through specialized education and training opportunities.

Timmins, Ontario is well-serviced by an extensive network of major highways and secondary roads that provide easy access within the region and to nine U.S. border crossings within a day’s drive. Timmins also features a high quality and reliable freight rail transportation network operated by Ontario Northland that services industries in Northeastern Ontario and Western Quebec. This 1,100km (700mi) rail system provides efficient connections to other rail lines and destinations across Canada and the U.S.

The City of Timmins’ Victor M. Power airport provides a convenient gateway to regional, national and international markets to have access to corporate head offices for the sale of products and services. It’s less than a 90-minute direct flight to both Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in downtown Toronto and Pearson International Airport through Porter Airlines and Air Canada. There are also numerous daily flights to the James Bay Coast and other regional destinations.

At the end of 2024, Timmins had a total of 1 604 545 hectares of area covered by claims with the value of assessment work filed in 2024 over C$12.4 million dollars.  At least 30 individuals or companies held active permits for a minimum of 70 projects. Gold projects held the majority of active plans and permits in 2024, however, the District saw a significant increase in exploration activity for base metals, nickel in particular. There were 29 early exploration projects and 4 advanced exploration projects in the Timmins District that saw activity in 2024.¹³

Please review the Report of Activities 2024, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts for detailed information on the exploration activity in the Timmins District.

Timmins, Ontario is home to world-class infrastructure. Whether its access to competitively priced industrial lands, green power, alternative energies, or an extensive fibre optic network, Timmins is the ideal place to build, scale, and invest.

There is a selection of sites and properties that meet the needs of any mining supply or services company. Options range from City of Timmins Industrial Parks to private sector offerings that include serviced and un-serviced industrial lots. The City of Timmins Commercial and Industrial Community Improvement Plan (CIP) includes grants and other incentives to encourage the redevelopment of mining and brownfield sites while stimulating large-scale development.

Timmins is connected to Ontario’s clean energy system. Energy in Ontario is 90% emissions free and is generated from nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, natural gas, wind, and solar.¹⁴ Electricity in Timmins is distributed by Hydro One Networks Inc. and generated by Ontario Power Generation’s hydroelectric stations in Northern Ontario with support from its nuclear facilities in Southern Ontario. Alternative energies are also accessible in Timmins through the availability of natural gas, compressed natural gas, biomass, solar, and geothermal.

With access to a fibre optic backbone that connects the region to the world, Timmins has superior telecommunications infrastructure. The region is serviced by an extensive 2,200-kilometre long-haul fibre network with a coverage area that exceeds 200,000km² that includes the cities of North Bay, Sudbury, and Sault Ste. Marie. The network connects with Toronto via multiple fibre wavelength routes, enhancing both capacity and reliability.