Canadian Mining Industry
Canadian Mining Industry
Canadian Mining Industry
2024
CANADIAN MINING INDUSTRY FACTS AND FIGURES
Contents
1 Executive Summary
6 SECTION 1
The Canadian Mining Industry: Contribution to the Economy
20 SECTION 2
The Activities: Production, Processing and Transportation
32 SECTION 3
The Money: Reserves, Prices, Financing, Exploration,
Investment and Fiscal Policy
47 SECTION 4
The People: Safety, Employment and Costs
58 SECTION 5
Clean Technologies, Climate Change and Innovation
70 SECTION 6
The World: International Market Activities and Developments
81 Annexes
Annex 1: Producing Mines in Canada, 2022
Annex 2: Canadian Production of Leading Minerals by Province and Territory, 2022
Annex 3: Canada’s World Role as a Producer of Certain Important Minerals, 2022
Annex 4: Mineral Production of Canada, 2012-2022
Annex 5: Canadian Reserves of Selected Major Metals, 1978-2022
Annex 6: Employment and Annual Compensations in the Canadian Mining,
Smelting and Refining Industries, 2009-2022
Annex 7: Total Compensation Per Job, by Select Canadian Industrial Sector,
2009-2022
Annex 8: V
alue of Domestic Exports of Minerals and Mineral Products, by
Commodity and Country of Destination, 2022
Annex 9: Value of Imports of Mineral and Metal Products, by Commodity and
Country of Import, 2022
Customers buying mining products from Canada can have every confidence that they were
mined responsibly, to the world’s highest standards, and with fewer greenhouse gas emissions
than anywhere else in the world.
The current state of mining and the Canadian economy is strong. In 2022, mining, quarrying
and oil and gas extraction made up 7.8% of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP). The sector
made up a larger portion of Canada’s economy than finance, construction, transportation or
retail trade.
The mining sector consists of extraction, mining services, primary metal/mineral manufacturing
and downstream metal/mineral manufacturing. Each of these areas saw substantial increases in
contribution to Canada’s GDP in 2022.
• Mining services contributed $10.1 billion to GDP, an increase of 50% from 2021.
There were more than 200 operational mines in Canada in 2022 – producing diamonds, gold,
coal for steel, potash, iron ore and other critical components for the global economy.
Canada produces more than 60 minerals and metals through its mining activities. The total
value of Canadian mineral production in 2022 was $74.6 billion, up from $58.6 billion in 2021.
This growth was led by the increase in production values for nonmetals and coal. The total value
of mineral and metal production has quadrupled since 2000.
Canada is among the top producers of metals and non-metallic minerals in the world. It is the top
producer of potash, second largest producer of niobium and uranium, and third largest producer
of precious diamonds and palladium (by metal content).
In addition to extracting minerals from the ground, Canadian mining companies also process
minerals by smelting and refining. As the industry changes, the quantity and value of refined
metal production in Canada has become irregular due to the depletion of reserves and greater
dependence on imported concentrates.
In Canada, freight rail is primarily handled by two Class I railways. Communities and businesses
are often captive to a single railway serving their location. Railways use this power to set
prices, including fuel surcharges, which have increased 24% since 2010, while fuel costs have
decreased 17%.
Canada must support mineral production by building infrastructure – transportation, energy and
communication. New infrastructure will help Canada’s extraction, processing and manufacturing
industries by providing the resources that the industry needs, reliably and at a reasonable cost.
The people of mining are diverse: they come from all corners of the country and all educational
backgrounds. The mining industry directly employed 420,000 people in 2022 and indirectly
employed another 274,000 for a total of 694,000 people. This represents one in 30 employees in
the Canadian labour force. The minerals industry is an important employer of Indigenous peoples,
providing jobs to 11,300 people in 2020.
The mining industry is justifiably proud of its safety record. Rates of injury have declined
substantially since 2011.
The mining industry supports a successful, safe, highly-paid, and technically adept workforce.
Mining is critical to the environment. Climate change is the critical issue facing the globe over the
next century. Minerals and metals will help the world transition to a low-carbon future. Electricity
networks that provide clean energy, electric vehicles, wind energy, photovoltaic solar cells, and
battery storage all require mined materials. Clean technologies trade the use of fossil fuels for
materially intensive construction.
Canada fulfills the need for critical minerals using less carbon intensity than most competing
mining jurisdictions. We have one of the world’s cleanest electricity grids, with 82% of power
from renewable or non-emitting sources. As a result, Canadian mineral products have among the
lowest carbon intensity in the world.
The economy of the future needs minerals and metals from Canada. To provide the resources
that are required, Canada must create a more efficient investment and regulatory environment.
Given the increasing demand for critical minerals to achieve global carbon reduction, we need to
bring new mines into production in the years ahead. This will require a regulatory regime that does
not create barriers in mine development, but actively encourages them to proceed.
Investment in mining flows in both directions: Canadian mining companies hold assets in 96
countries and have increased direct investment abroad to $106.1 billion. Foreign direct investment
in Canada has also reached new highs: in 2022, it was $65 billion, which made up 5.1% of
Canada’s inbound foreign direct investment.
Free trade, investment and taxation agreements help facilitate the trade of mining products and
investment flows. They reduce barriers for investment, enhance transparency and advance
cooperation. Investment agreements, complete with dispute resolution mechanisms, provide
mining investors with greater certainty over the investments that companies make in foreign
jurisdictions. Part of maintaining Canada’s global leadership requires ensuring that Canadian
mining and supply sectors have access to modern and comprehensive trade and investment
vehicles to meet the world where they do business.
Continued growth in the mining sector is critical for both the Canadian economy and the
environment. A strong mining industry means safe, well paid jobs for hundreds of thousands of
people, and the production of the minerals and metals with high environmental and high labour
standards. Canada’s trading partners and allies will increasingly rely on us to for a secure and
stable supply of minerals and metals, and it is the responsibility of government and industry to
work together to deliver the mined materials required for the green economy of the future.
Mining is a critically important part of Canada’s economy. The industry employs people from coast
to coast to coast in mineral extraction, smelting, fabrication and manufacturing. In 2022, the mineral
industry was directly responsible for 420,000 jobs. A further 274,000 people were employed
indirectly, through jobs providing equipment, technology and services to the sector. Proportionally,
the mining industry is the largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples.
Today, our sector is being called upon to help address the greatest crisis of our time, climate
change. Minerals and metals play an essential role in the energy transition: without mining there
are no electric vehicles, no wind farms, solar panels or nuclear energy, and no transmission lines.
The International Energy Agency expects that demand for clean energy will require at least 71%
more critical minerals than are currently produced.
Customer interest in Canada’s metals and minerals is high due in large part to our clean energy
grid, strong regulatory system and leadership in the environment, in social responsibility and
corporate governance. Companies buying mining products from Canada can have every
confidence that they were mined responsibly, to the world’s highest standards, and with fewer
greenhouse gas emissions than anywhere else in the world.
To meet the increased global demand for minerals and metals, the mining industry needs a highly
skilled and diverse workforce. This is an area of struggle for our sector, which continues to be
predominantly white and male. While we have made progress in Indigenous inclusion, women,
individuals of diverse racial, ethnocultural, national backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender
identities continue to be underrepresented. Long-term social and demographic challenges
mean that the sector will need a robust response to ensure continued growth. Fortunately,
industry strategies, including through Towards Sustainable Mining, and buttressed with strong
government support, are being implemented to take on these challenges more aggressively than
ever before.
There were over 200 operating mines in Canada in 2022, producing everything from diamonds
to coal to iron ore. Spending on exploration has recently increased to $4.1 billion, targeting
precious and base metals, including those identified as “critical minerals” by Canada. Taking
resources from initial discovery to production in a timely manner is critical to ensuring Canada’s
role in global value chains for batteries and other green economy staples.
At present, from initial discovery to first production, the average mining project in Canada takes
more than 17 years, a massive impediment to our ability to be the mining powerhouse the world
needs. Reducing the time it takes for a project to be approved in Canada is essential.
Along with these issues, the report describes our industry’s successes, challenges and
opportunities for growth. I hope you enjoy reading it and find it a useful resource.
Yours,
Pierre Gratton
Mining is also one of Canada’s most important industries and a major job creator in communities
across the country.
Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction contributed 7.8% of this value as shown in Figure 1.
In 2022, the sector made up a larger portion of Canada’s GDP than finance, construction,
transportation, or retail trade.
$161 Billion
Mining (including milling) and quarrying,
and oil and gas extraction
$1,904 Billion
All other industries
Figure 1: The Contribution of Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction to Canada’s GDP in 20222
1 From Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, Canada, quarterly, Statistics Canada Table 36-10-0104-01.
2 From Canada’s Real Gross Domestic Product by Industry, Statistics Canada, Table 36-10-0434-01. In this figure, GDP is
presented in basic prices in 2012 constant dollars. GDP is the total monetary value of all goods and services produced in Canada,
and constant 2012 dollars are used by Statistics Canada to measure the economic growth of various industries with the effect
of price variations removed. Because the GDP values are deflated to 2012 dollars, the total value of GDP varies from the nominal
value in current dollars.
9.5%
9.0%
8.5%
8.0%
7.5%
7.0%
6.0%
6.5%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Figure 2: Contribution of Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction to Canada’s GDP Since 20113
Excluding oil and gas, mining’s contribution to GDP can be separated into four components:
extraction, services, primary manufacturing, and downstream manufacturing. The gross value
added for each category is shown in Figure 3.
50
$45 Billion
40
$30.4 Billion
30
$ Billions
$23 Billion
20
$10.1 Billion
10
0
Extraction Services Primary Downstream
Manufacturing Manufacturing
3 Statistics Canada. Table 38-10-0285-01 - Natural resources satellite account, indicators, annual. This table also forms the basis of
discussion of GDP contributions of extraction, services, primary manufacturing, and downstream manufacturing, below.
4 Statistics Canada. - Natural resources satellite account, indicators, annual.
$11.1 Billion
Coal
$23.3 Billion
Metallic minerals
$10.7 Billion
Non-metallic minerals
Primary manufacturing for metals includes smelting and refining activities. Primary
manufacturing for non-metals includes manufacturing using lime, cement, concrete, and glass.
In 2022, the gross value added by primary manufacturing was $23 billion.
$5.2 Billion
Miscellaneous metal
products
$18.2 Billion
Tertiary metal
products
Real gross value added in extraction, services, primary manufacturing, and downstream
manufacturing increased from 2021 to 2022. Real gross value added in the sector since 2011 is
presented in Figure 7.
35
Extraction
30
25 Downstream Manufacturing
$ Billions
20
Primary Manufacturing
15
10
Services
5
Figure 7: Real Gross Value Added, Mining Sector, Constant 2012 Dollars5
5 Statistics Canada. Table 38-10-0285-01 - Natural resources satellite account, indicators, annual.
Mining of industrial minerals like salt, gypsum and limestone takes place across the country.
Some mine types, however, are found primarily in one area. For example, the Northwest
Territories is the country’s dominant source of diamonds. Ontario and Quebec lead in the
production of gold. Alberta is home to Canada’s oil sands sector. Saskatchewan produces
all of Canada’s uranium and has enormous potash reserves. British Columbia is prominent in
steelmaking coal production. Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec produce virtually all of
Canada’s iron ore.
Figure 8 illustrates the geographical location of Canada’s mining clusters and active mineral
development regions. Details for individual mines are presented in Annex 1.
The total value of mineral production in Canada in 2022 was $62 billion. That value represents a
35% increase since 2012.
British Columbia is Canada’s largest exporter of metallurgical coal, its leading producer of copper,
and the only producer of molybdenum in the country. It also produces gold, silver, lead, and zinc
and more than 30 industrial minerals7. Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction accounted for
5.4% of British Columbia’s GDP in 20228.
In British Columbia, 3,700 suppliers to the mining industry provided more than $2.9 billion worth
of goods to the mining industry9. Mining suppliers are found in every area of BC, from traditional
mining communities like Kamloops and Prince George to BC’s urban centres. Suppliers in
Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby combined generated $561 million in revenue.
Vancouver is a global centre of expertise in mineral exploration. There are more than 1,100 global
exploration companies headquartered in Vancouver. The mining sector in Vancouver includes
support services like geological research, business administration, finance, engineering, and
environmental consulting.
Both the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Institute of Technology offer
mining engineering programs. BCIT also offers a mineral exploration and mining technology
program.
Almost 12% ($2.08 billion) of Canada’s mineral development expenditures were in British
Columbia in 2022. Exploration spending was $579 million, deposit appraisal expenditures were
$388 million, and mine complex development was $1.1 billion10.
Twenty-six of the top-spending off-mine-site exploration and deposit appraisal projects tracked
by Natural Resources Canada (“Canada’s Top 100 Projects”) are in BC, primarily in base metals11.
There were two mine development projects underway in 2022: pre-commissioning for the
Premier Gold Mine and site preparation for the Blackwater Gold project.
6 Preliminary data for 2022 for British Columbia (and other provinces) from Statistics Canada and Natural Resources Canada table
Canada, Value of Mineral Production by Province and Territory, Excluding Coal, 2012 And 2022 (preliminary)
7 Clarke, G., Northcote, B., Corcoran, N.L., Heidarian, H., and Hancock, K., 2023. Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2022: A
summary. In: Provincial Overview of Exploration and Mining in British Columbia, 2022, British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines
and Low Carbon Innovation, British Columbia Geological Survey Information Circular 2023-01, pp. 1-48.
8 Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0400-01, Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by industry, provinces and territories,
percentage share
9 Data for 2018 from Benefits of British Columbia’s Mining Supply Chain by the Mining Association of British Columbia.
10 Natural Resources Canada, based on the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Survey of Mineral Exploration, Deposit Appraisal and
Mine Complex Development Expenditures.
11 Natural Resources Canada’s Top 100 Projects data set. The data set covers the top-spending off-mine-site exploration and
deposit appraisal projects in Canada.
The minerals industry in Alberta is a major part of its economy. The Western Canada Sedimentary
Basin contains metallic and industrial minerals in addition to oil, gas, and coal.
Saskatchewan is the world’s largest potash producer and has almost half of the world’s potash
reserves. It is home to the world’s largest uranium mine and is the world’s second largest primary
uranium producer. Saskatchewan also produces gold, coal, sodium sulphate and clays.
Manitoba has four operating mines, primarily producing copper, zinc, gold, cesium, and nickel.
Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction accounted for 25% of Saskatchewan’s GDP, 27%
of Alberta’s, and 2.6% of Manitoba’s.
The University of Alberta’s mining engineering program is among the largest in the country by
undergraduate enrolment, and the University of Saskatchewan offers a mining engineering
option. Two colleges in Alberta and five in Saskatchewan offer mining/petroleum technology
programs.
Twelve of Canada’s top 100 exploration projects are in the Prairies. Five of those are uranium
projects, with the others being in base metals, diamonds, lithium, precious metals, and rare
earth elements.
Ontario
Ontario produced $13.5 billion of minerals and metals (excluding coal) in 2022.
There are 35 mines in Ontario, producing gold, base metals, platinum and palladium, iron,
and industrial minerals. Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction contributes about 1% to
Ontario’s GDP.
Toronto is the global centre of mining finance. Between the TSX and the TSX Venture, Canadian
exchanges have more than 1,150 mining issuers with a combined market capitalization of more
than $500 billion. The fact that Canada is a key player in mining finance means that professional
services related to mining and mining finance have had a chance to develop around the
exchanges.
Mining engineering programs are offered at Laurentian University, Queens University, and the
University of Toronto. Cambrian College, College Boreal, and Northern College offer mining
technology programs. Western University offers a graduate diploma in mining law, finance,
and sustainability.
Sixteen of Canada’s top 100 exploration projects are in Ontario. Twelve of these projects
are concentrated on precious metals, two on base metals and two on lithium.
12 Some information collected by Statistics Canada is commercially or personally sensitive. To reduce the risk of revealing this type
of information, the agency uses “suppression techniques,” i.e., the removal of data points that can directly or indirectly reveal
information about a respondent. This sometimes results in aggregate statistics being unavailable, as in this case.
Quebec had 22 producing mines in 2022, concentrated in three regions: gold mining in Abitibi-
Témiscamingue, iron mining on the North Shore, and gold, base metals, diamonds, and iron
mining in Nord-du-Québec. Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction contributes 1.6% to
Quebec’s GDP.
McGill, Laval and Polytechnique Montréal offer mining engineering programs. Six colleges in
Quebec offer mining/petroleum technology programs.
Twenty-two of Canada’s top 100 exploration projects are in Quebec. Fifteen of these projects are
concentrated on precious metals, three on base metals, three on lithium and one on graphite.
Atlantic Region
Nova Scotia produced $337 million of minerals and metals (excluding coal) in 2022, New
Brunswick produced $314 million, and Prince Edward Island produced $3 million. Newfoundland
and Labrador produced $5.1 billion of metals and $10 million of aggregates in 2022; its non-metal
production value was deemed confidential by Statistics Canada.
There are 13 operating mines in Newfoundland and Labrador, producing iron ore, nickel, copper,
cobalt, gold and building materials like sand. There are ten mines in operation in Nova Scotia,
producing gold, coal, salt, and gypsum. Primary production from mines in New Brunswick mines
included peat, sand and gravel, and salt, along with zinc, lead, and silver. Mining in Prince Edward
Island is concentrated on sand and gravel.
Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction were responsible for 33% of Newfoundland and
Labrador’s GDP, and less than one percent of the GDP of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and
New Brunswick.
Nine of Canada’s top 100 exploration projects are in the Atlantic region, primarily in
Newfoundland and Labrador. Eight of the projects are for precious metals, and one is for uranium.
The North
Nunavut produced $2.6 billion of minerals and metals (excluding coal) in 2022, and Yukon
produced $491 million. The Northwest Territories produced $2.2 billion of non-metals in 2022,
but production value for metals was not yet available in late 2023. Statistics Canada deemed the
value of aggregate production in the Northwest Territories confidential.
Mining is the largest economic driver in Canada’s North. Mining, quarrying and oil and gas
extraction were responsible for 15% of the GDP in the Yukon, 22% of GDP in the Northwest
Territories, and 41% of GDP in Nunavut. The mines operating in the Northwest Territories and
Nunavut are the largest private sector contributors to each territory’s economy. For example, in
the Northwest Territories, diamond mining ($1.2 billion in 2022) was a larger industry than public
administration ($800 million), construction ($328 million) or retail trade ($163 million)13.
13 From the Government of the Northwest Territories 2022 Socio-Economic Agreement Report for Mines Operating in the
Northwest Territories.
Fifteen of Canada’s top 100 exploration projects are in the North. Seven of the projects are for
precious metals, six are for base metals, one is for diamonds, and one is for uranium.
INDIRECT EFFECTS
Resource wealth has built communities and infrastructure across the country. Mines create jobs
and make direct payments to government through taxes and royalties.
But the mining industry’s economic impact far surpasses its direct contribution to the GDP.
For example, mining accounts for approximately half of Canada’s rail-freight revenues and
tonnage annually, typically exceeding $6 billion in expenditures. Organizations such as CN
Rail, CPKC, and the Ports of Montreal, Quebec and Vancouver rely on a vibrant mining industry.
Specialist firms, including those in the legal, environmental, taxation, engineering, and other fields,
support the industry’s many requirements to locate, develop, construct, operate and reclaim a
mine. These supply relationships are mutually beneficial.
Clusters of expertise, like those in finance, geology and exploration noted above, create
opportunities for other companies outside the mining sector.
As a leading producer of responsibly sourced mineral and metal products globally, Canada has an
opportunity to become the world’s leading supplier of inputs, specifically critical minerals, integral
to a lower carbon economy. In order to achieve this goal, Canada must be able to build new mines
and infrastructure, develop new mines in the North, and embrace innovation.
Mining projects are subject to comprehensive provincial regulatory frameworks that are unique
to each province, covering the full life cycle of a mine, from exploration through development,
operation, closure, and reclamation. These frameworks consider environmental effects and
potential impacts on Indigenous peoples, incorporate Indigenous engagement and consultation,
and include environmental protection regulations and permits of general application, as well as
regulations and permits specific to mining.
Mining projects can also be subject to federal requirements: the Impact Assessment Act, the
Fisheries Act, the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, and the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent
Regulations. All mines must comply with relevant general federal legislation such as the
Explosives Act, the Species at Risk Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, and the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act. Uranium mines are further regulated by the Canadian Nuclear
Safety Commission.
The aggregate of these provincial and federal requirements results in duplication of effort and
even some conflicting requirements. Limited coherence and coordination are an ongoing issue,
leading to uncertainty, increased costs, and lengthy permitting processes for the mining industry.
The federal Impact Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act, the Canadian Navigable Waters Act were
amended in 2019 and implementation of the changes remains incomplete. Further legislative
changes are expected following the opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada that parts of the
Impact Assessment Act are unconstitutional. While the Mining Association of Canada (MAC)
welcomed the improved clarity on boundaries of federal constitutional authority in undertaking
impact assessment of activities in provincial jurisdiction, it called for the transition to another
legislative framework to be quick and well-planned to mitigate uncertainty for investors.
• identify areas that are already regulated, and not require extensive studies that duplicate effort,
Northern Mining
The future of Canada’s mining industry lies increasingly in the North with its abundance of
minerals and metals. Strategic policy decisions are needed to help overcome both acute and
longstanding challenges of infrastructure deficit and a lack of policy cohesion.
The infrastructure deficit in Canada’s North makes it one of the most expensive places to mine
in the world. The mineral-rich Slave Geological Province, home to three diamond mines, has no
railway, no highway, and no power grid. As a result, any development requires costly winter roads
and air transportation for access. This means only the rarest and highest quality deposits of
precious metals and diamonds are economically feasible to mine. A substantial investment in the
region’s infrastructure could improve the prospects of mines in the area.
The Mining Association of Canada and mineral industry partners undertook extensive research on
how remote and northern mining costs compare to those in the south. This research indicates it
costs 2-2.5 times more to build the same precious or base metal mine in the North and 60% more
to operate. Most importantly, 70% of this cost differential derives from the infrastructure deficit.
Strategic investments in energy infrastructure, such as the Taltson and Kivalliq Hydro grids, the
British Columbia/Yukon power grid interconnection, and promising emerging technologies
like off-grid small modular reactors are all essential to reducing northern reliance on costly and
higher-emitting fossil fuels.
The Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link is an Inuit-led project that will deliver renewable energy and
broadband service to underserved remote communities while enabling the region’s mining sector
to flourish. The Hydro-Fibre Link project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to decarbonize
communities and industry in Nunavut, improve quality of life and connectivity, and create new
economic opportunities long into the future. The benefits from this project will be enormous for
the environment and for the economies of Nunavut and Canada and would work to solve two
persistent problems at once.
Gold, diamond, and iron ore mining are excellent examples of the driving force the mining
industry plays in supporting Indigenous reconciliation in remote regions. In Nunavut and the
Northwest Territories, the mining sector is the largest employer of Indigenous peoples and the
largest business partner to Indigenous firms. Cultivating relationships with local communities,
establishing meaningful partnerships, constructing mines and training local workforces has taken
decades of work.
Better policy cohesion is required in the critical minerals, climate, Indigenous reconciliation, and
clean technology spaces to ensure the prosperity that mining has brought to Canada’s North,
and the future Canada needs the North to play, isn’t compromised. Infrastructure development,
improving the impact assessment and regulatory processes, and providing greater support
for operations in the North will do much to ensure our industry is well positioned to provide the
minerals and metals needed both within Canada and around the world.
Innovation
Canadian mining companies are global leaders in innovative practices. Innovation by the
industry has led to improved environmental performance, lower air emissions, reduced energy
use, improved worker health and safety, improved recovery rates, greater efficiency, and
reduced costs. The industry will need to continue improvements in all areas, which will require
collaboration between the industry and government.
ReThink Mining (i.e., the Canadian Mining Innovation Council or CMIC), the Clean Resources
Innovation Network (CRIN), Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), the Centre for
Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) and COREM are helping to lead the way with research on
topics including small modular reactors, carbon capture and storage, and mineral processing.
• $40 million to CEMI in July 2021 for the Mining Innovation commercialization Accelerator,
In 2022, CMIC won the $5 million grand prize in Natural Resources Canada’s Crush It! Challenge
with its entry, CanMicro. The goal of the challenge was to find innovations in the crushing and
grinding of rocks (“comminution”), one of the most energy-intensive processes in mining. CanMicro
combines microwave-assisted comminution and multi-sensor ore sorting to selectively break
particles and sort waste from desired minerals, reducing crushing and grinding requirements.
CanMicro exceeded Challenge guidelines, reaching over 35 percent energy savings across several
commodities. It was selected from an initial field of 65 applicants and six finalists.
The Mining Association of Canada continues to partner with ReThink Mining, the organization
that facilitated the creation of the Towards Zero Waste Mining (TZWM) strategy focused on the
sector’s energy, water, and environmental footprint. ReThink Mining is funded by its members
and project-specific partnerships, with very limited government funding. Its current portfolio of
technology development projects is valued at approximately $57M, of which less than 2.5% is
provided by government programs.
The Activities:
Production, Processing
and Transportation
Canada’s strength in mining rests on its ability to extract and process minerals and metals
competitively and to transport products efficiently to and from domestic and international
markets. Production, processing and transportation are the foundation that allows the industry
to stay globally competitive and expand its Canadian investments.
MINERAL PRODUCTION
Canada is among the top producers of metals and non-metallic minerals in the world. It is the top
producer of potash, second largest producer of niobium and uranium, and third largest producer
of precious diamonds and palladium (by metal content). Minerals and metals where Canada is
among the top three producers are shown in Figure 9.
6 Million
China
5 Million 71 ,000
Russia
16 Million Brazil 1,500
Canada (#1) Others
6,500
Canada (#2)
13 Million
Others
14,105
Others
40,430,841
Others
39,116,970
Russia
5,613 21,819
Namibia Kazakhstan
17,615,490
7,351 Canada (#3)
Canada (#2)
22,877, 732
Botswana
88,000
Russia
15,000 80,000
Canada (#3)
South Africa
27,000
Others
Canada produces 60 minerals and metals and is among the top ten producers in the world for 26
of those. These materials are obtained from open pit or underground mines. The mined products
are often transferred to concentrators, where the mined ore is converted to usable raw material
through crushing and concentrating the ore.
After decreases in nonmetals and coal in 2020, all mineral production elements increased in 2021
and again in 2022. The total value of Canadian mineral production in 2022 was $74.6 billion, up
from $58.6 billion in 2021. This growth was led by the increase in production values for nonmetals
(up 68% over 2021) and coal (up 85% from 2021). The total value of minerals production has
quadrupled since 2000 as shown in Figure 10.
40 Metals $37.8B
35
30
25
$ Billions
20 Non-Metals $24.2B
15
10 Coal $12.7B
14 Sources: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); bp Statistical Review of World Energy; World Nuclear Association (for uranium);
Kimberley Process (for diamonds)
15 Sources: Natural Resources Canada; Statistics Canada. Data for 2022 are preliminary. This table includes the production of coal
but excludes the production of petroleum and natural gas. Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. As of 2017, Statistics
Canada is no longer conducting the monthly survey of cement, and values are no longer included in Canada’s mineral production.
Cement production has also been excluded from 2000 to 2016 values for comparability.
Since 2012, production quantity of at least five of the top ten minerals and metals has declined.
An increase in most commodity prices means that only stone has seen a decline in the value
of production.
Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy identifies six minerals as initial priorities: lithium, graphite,
nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements. Canada did not produce any lithium or rare earth
elements in 2022. For the other four minerals, production is down since 2012 and Canada’s rank
as a world producer is static or declining. Changes between 2012 and 2022 for the priority critical
minerals
50% are shown in Figure 12.
20%
-30%
-40%
-38% -39%
-42%
-50%
Lithium Graphite Nickel Cobalt Copper Rare Earths
16 Sources: Natural Resources Canada; Statistics Canada. For metals, the quantity refers to the recoverable metal in concentrates
shipped. The quantity of potash reported for 2013 has been converted from K2O to muriate of potash (MOP). As of 2019, iron ore
only includes “Iron Ore Concentrates”, since “Iron Ore agglomerates” is suppressed by the source.
17 From the USGS National Minerals Information Centre’s Commodity Statistics and Information. Using mineral commodity
summaries for the relevant years.
• Smelting, which removes metal from ore by heating it, often in the presence of other materials
to oxidize or reduce the target metal.
• Secondary smelting, which is similar, but uses recycled material as a feedstock rather than
mined ore.
r: refinery
s: smelter
ss: secondary smelter
p: plant
c: conversion facility
r: 1
s: 2 r: 1
ss: 1 p: 1
p: 1
r: 1 r: 1
r: 5 r: 4
s: 2 s: 9
ss: 2 ss: 2
p: 2
c: 1
Figure 13: Non-Ferrous Smelters, Refineries, Plants and Conversion Facilities in Canada18
Canada’s integrated smelters and refineries were originally built near mines, which were mostly
inland, without access to affordable marine transport. As local ore reserves become depleted
and the production of base metal concentrate declines, these smelters and refineries must move
from integrated production to the more expensive custom treatment of concentrates imported
from other countries.
As another method of addressing declining local ore reserves, Canada’s refineries and smelters
are using more secondary raw materials and scrap feed. This re-use of materials helps with
sustainability but is more expensive than using raw mined materials.
18 Source: Natural Resources Canada. Includes all operations that produced in 2022.
1,286
Tonnes
Tonnes
Tonnes
Tonnes
Tonnes
Zinc
640,718
648,619 (-1%)
Tonnes
2012 2021
The quantity and value of refined metal production in Canada have become irregular due to the
depletion of reserves and greater dependence on imported concentrates. Figure 14 shows the
production volumes for refined metals in 2012 and the most recent year available. Of the seven
metals assessed, four are produced at levels higher than a decade ago, and three have less
production in the most recent year measured.
19 Sources: Natural Resources Canada; Statistics Canada, Table 16-10-0019-01.
Mines and production facilities are often far from the manufacturers and consumers that will
use what they produce. Mining products are bulky, heavy and must travel long distances over
inhospitable terrain. Some mines are far outside Canada’s main transportation networks and
require transportation of goods by air, water or temporary ice roads.
As a result, Canada’s logistics supply chain is critical to the flow of mined and refined products
to both domestic and international markets. Canada’s strength in mining rests on its ability to
produce and process minerals competitively and to transport products efficiently to and from
domestic and international markets.
Rail
For more than a decade, crude and processed mineral products have made up more than half
of the total freight volume transported by rail in Canada. In 2022, the total freight volume was
283.6 million tonnes, of which 132 million tonnes was crude minerals, and 28.3 million tonnes was
processed mineral products. This means that crude and processed minerals made up more than
56% of the total freight volume in Canada.20
Costs for shipping by rail have increased substantially since 2019 as shown in Figure 15. The
Federal Rail Service Price Index tracks price changes for the mainline freight rail industry. Costs
are compared to a reference year (2018), which is assigned a value of 100.
150
Metals and minerals
140 140.7
Index, 2018 = 100
130
120
Freight Rail Services
Price Index
110 130.8
100
90
Jan 2019 May 2020 Sep 2021 Feb 2023 Jun 2024
20 Statistics Canada. Total freight volume reflects revenue freight, which refers to a local or interline shipment from which earnings
accrue to a carrier. Total crude minerals include coal, but not oil and gas.
21 Statistics Canada, Freight Rail Services Price Index, monthly, Table 18-10-0212-01
In Canada, freight rail is primarily handled by only two Class I railways: CN and CPKC. Of the
$16.5 billion in total industry revenues in 2021, CN and CP were responsible for more than 93%.
Communities and businesses are often captive, served by only one of these companies, which
gives rail customers little or no competitive choice, and gives the railways market power over
their customers.
Both CN and CPKC charge customers fuel surcharges in addition to regular carload rates.
In recent years, these fuel surcharges have increased substantially as shown in Figure 16.
1.0
CN
0.8
USD per mile per car
0.6
0.4
CP
0.2
0.0
Fuel surcharges are based on benchmark costs for diesel for both railways. When the price
of highway diesel exceeds a set rate per US gallon, the railways charge an additional per-mile
per-car rate to shippers.
The increasing fuel surcharges do not take into account substantial improvements in efficiency
by the railways.
Road
Trucking also plays an important role in moving mining products. Trucks move mining products
from mines to production facilities and customers, and deliver mining supply inputs to mine sites,
such as fuel for operations. Mining sites that do not have access to rail rely on truck and marine
shipping for these essential materials.
22 From the United States Department of Agriculture’s Railroad Fuel Surcharges data set. Fuel surcharges are per mile per car in US
Dollars.
120
110
General freight trucking,
local
100
90
Jan 2019 Feb 2020 Mar 2021 Apr 2022 May 2023
These increased costs put pressure on all producers of goods. The mining industry is particularly
vulnerable to these increases in costs because of the high volume and long distances required to
ship its products, and because of the need for transportation of essential supplies to mines.
Marine
Mining is among the largest customers of Canadian ports. The Port of Montreal handles large
volumes of mineral products. Total dry bulk mined products accounted for approximately 3.8
million tonnes in 2022, or 46% of the port’s dry bulk cargo shipments for the year. Inbound bulk
shipments arrive by ship are transported by rail or truck to the region’s smelting and refining
facilities, and outbound products include iron ore and metal wastes being shipped for processing.
On the container side, the port moves metallurgical steel and mineral products, which together
accounted for 2.5 million tonnes of goods moved, or roughly 18% of total container volumes23.
Steelmaking coal accounts for 17% of the total overall volume of goods handled at the Port of
Vancouver annually, which moves shipments to China, Japan and other Asian markets. Fertilizer
potash represents another 7% of the port’s volume, and minerals, metals and ores another 9%.
All told, mining products account for 66 million tonnes, or roughly 46% of the port’s volume24.
23 Port of Montreal historical data tables: containerized cargo and dry bulk cargo.
24 Using Principal Commodities, All Cargo table from the Port of Vancouver’s 2022 Statistics Overview.
6,000
5,000
4,000
Points
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index measures the cost of shipping goods around the
world. Throughout 2020 and into 2021, bulk freight prices soared to levels not seen in more than
a decade. Prices have declined since their high point in 2021 but were still about 35% above 2019
levels in 2022 as shown in Figure 18.
LOOKING FORWARD
Mineral Production
Canada’s mineral production industry faces challenges: Canada is no longer a top producer of
minerals critical for a low-carbon economy like copper and nickel, and many minerals are not
even being produced at the level they were a decade ago. A decrease in mineral exploration
and investment is responsible for part of this decline in production. Canada should be the top
jurisdiction in the world to invest and explore.
25 Using data for BDI Baltic Exchange Dry Index BDIY:IND from investing.com
Finally, strong fiscal policy is a requirement for competitiveness in the global mineral industry.
Incentives, competitive taxation levels, and efficient and reliable securities regulations are critical
for positively influencing investment in Canada’s mineral sector.
Mineral Processing
The competitiveness of Canada’s mineral-processing industry depends on its ability to secure
reliable sources of feedstock from domestic mines. Transportation costs have increased
dramatically in recent years, making it expensive to import feedstock from abroad. If the
processing industry is to remain competitive, enhancing domestic levels of mineral production
through investment in exploration and mine development is essential.
Canada’s processing facilities operate in a global market, where China and other countries are
expanding their capacity with new facilities and competing fiercely for raw materials. The cost
of electricity is also a factor in some Canadian jurisdictions. Given the energy-intensive nature
of mineral processing, high-power-cost jurisdictions dampen the competitiveness of existing
operations and deter future investment.
Finally, the age of some Canadian operations, and their ability to meet potential regulatory
requirements, also affects their viability.
In the face of these factors, the downstream Canadian mining industry risks being left behind.
The projected need for large volumes of minerals and metals, specifically critical minerals, means
that demand both domestically and globally will be high. With among the lowest carbon intensity
nickel production in the world, Canada must signal that it no longer takes its smelting and refining
industry for granted, nor the extractive supply chain that supports these critical mineral assets.
Action to protect its competitiveness is essential to the low-carbon economy both in Canada
and abroad.
Supply Chain
A robust, dependable supply chain with stable prices is a significant determinant for mining
industry investment given the volume of mineral and metal products transported in Canada.
Natural disasters, labour disputes, and pandemic related disruptions have all had a negative
impact on Canada’s logistics network. The global supply chain is also strained from sharp swings
in consumer demand during the pandemic and the knock-on impacts to land, air and sea freight.
The costs to Canada of uncertain supply chains are high: reputational damage as a reliable trade
partner; additional operational costs to businesses; and reduced confidence in Canada as a
destination for business investment for supply-chain reliant businesses, such as mining. While
the government is seized with economy-wide supply chain challenges, concrete solutions, such
as legislative fixes to longstanding mining industry recommendations to address transportation
network challenges, (see Rail section below) remain elusive.
The result of the lack of competition is railway market power that is exercised through railway
internal/operational decisions that result in rail shippers paying excessive rates and receiving
variable and inadequate service.
High fuel surcharges do not consider increased rail efficiencies over the past decade. Net CN
and CPKC gains from excess fuel charges amounted to almost $900 million in the decade before
2022. CN and CPKC fuel surcharges outpace increases in their respective fuel costs by 40%
(CN) and 31% (CPKC).
Canadian miners need a reliable, efficient partner in the rail industry that works hard to reduce its
costs, and passes part of the savings on to its customers rather than considering the money as
windfall profits.
Marine Shipping
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations’ Special Agency responsible
for the safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment. As a signatory to the
IMO’s conventions, Canada’s domestic maritime shipping policies tend to move in tandem
with those of the IMO. The Canadian mining industry is committed to upholding the highest
environmental protection standards pertaining to shipping in the marine environment.
MAC appreciates the constructive and solutions-oriented engagement our industry has had
with Transport Canada, who lead and coordinate Canada’s delegation to the IMO, on a range of
marine issues, including most recently support from department and Canadian delegation to
oppose a proposal by the Australian delegation to amend the current individual schedule for Coal
in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code.
Canada’s opposition was based on a specific technical problem related to the correct
assessment and identification of the self-heating hazard of coal (while being shipped in bulk via
marine vessel), the basis for the Australian proposal. Canada was not alone in this position at the
IMO meeting, and a decision on the proposal was delayed with more study and discussion to be
undertaken by an IMO technical committee.
As a regular observer on Canadian delegations to IMO, MAC appreciates Canada’s reputation for
excellence and collaboration at the IMO, and attributes this to the hard work and expertise of our
diplomats and technical experts in these areas.
CANADIAN RESERVES
Mineral resources of metals, non-metals and precious stones are present across the country.
The process of determining whether it is economic to extract these resources begins with
exploration.
There are specific names attached to mineral resources, depending on the level of confidence
with which they are known. Mineral resources may be inferred, indicated or measured in
increasing levels of confidence and measurement. Indicated and measured resources can be
converted into probable or proven reserves depending on the confidence that a qualified person
has in the estimates, and on the factors that affect the costs of extraction. A diagram of the
relationship between resources and reserves is presented in Figure 19.
Mineral reserves decrease through mining activities but can increase through exploration and the
development of new technologies.
26 Based on definitions and Figure 1 from the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves by the Canadian
Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions.
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
-20% -9%
-40%
-60%
-57% -57%
-80% -71%
-100%
-97% -91%
Copper Nickel Lead Zinc Molybdenum Silver Gold
Figure 20: Proven/Probable Mineral Reserve Changes in Canada from 1997 to 202227
Figure 20 shows percentage change in proven and probable reserves from 1997 to 2022. In the
past 25 years, there have been marked declines in Canadian mineral reserves in all major base
metals except gold (see also Annex 5). The most dramatic declines have been in lead, down by
97% from its 1997 level; and zinc, down by 91% since 1997.
Consistent investment over time and access to large tracts of land to explore are needed to
reverse the long-term decline in proven and probable reserves. Identifying new reserves to
be mined and then used in the economy requires investment in both exploration and mining
development.
New technologies may also be helpful in increasing reserves. Libraries of core samples
containing many years of data can be re-evaluated by new algorithms aided by artificial
intelligence to identify potential resources that were originally missed. Increasingly sophisticated
methods for modelling the size of resources can also increase reserves. Because the economic
viability of extraction is an important part of the calculation of reserves, extraction costs are
important inputs. More efficient methods of extraction can increase reserve size when costs are
reduced, and it becomes economical to extract larger amounts of ore.
27 Canadian reserves are estimated by Natural Resources Canada and l’Institut de la statistique du Québec (Quebec) from
information contained in annual and other corporate reports. Reserves reported here include only metal contained in material
that is classified by companies as “proven reserves” or “probable reserves” at producing mines and in deposits that are firmly
committed to production. Data from 2022 is preliminary.
The goal of exploration is to locate mineral resources that may become reserves. Technological
advances in surveying, airborne technologies and down-hole seismic imaging have enabled
companies to find deposits with less environmental impact and more success than ever before.
Increasing reserves over the long term, however, requires ongoing investments in exploration.
• Deposit appraisal expenditures: Spending on activities that bring a delineated deposit to the
stage of detailed knowledge required for a production feasibility study.
Spending on exploration and deposit appraisal fell to $2.2 billion in 2020, as a result of low
commodity prices and the pandemic. After increases in mineral and metal prices and a lessening
of pandemic impacts, exploration spending rose 17% to $3.6 billion in 2021 and a further 8% to
$4.1 billion in 2022.
Precious metals attracted most of Canadian exploration spending in 2022, accounting for 66%
overall (see Figure 21). High gold prices have driven interest in precious metals exploration
investment. If inflation continues above historical levels, the “safe-haven” status of gold may mean
a continued focus on precious metals.
From 2012 to 2022, base metal exploration’s share of total investment increased from 16.3% to
24.5%, and the absolute value of dollars increased from $633 million to $996 million. Uranium
exploration spending increased slightly over the decade, from $205 million to $232 million. Most
other targets also saw a decrease in the value invested in exploration between 2012 and 2022.
2,500
$2.6B
2,000
$ Millions
$1.2B
1,500
$633M
1,000
$359M
$314M
$262M
$238M
$231M
$205M
$217M
$72M
500
$75M
$40M
$47M
$20M
0
Precious Base Uranium Other Nonmetals Coal Diamonds Iron ore
metals metals metals (excluding
diamonds)
Figure 21: Mineral Exploration And Deposit Appraisal Expenditures in Millions of Dollars, By Target, 2012,
2022
Spending on exploration for the 31 minerals on Canada’s Critical Minerals List has increased
in recent years, based partly on the anticipated demand from the transition to cleaner energy
and on Canada’s new Critical Minerals Exploration Tax Credit. Battery minerals and metals, in
particular, have seen substantial increases in exploration spending. Spending on copper, nickel
and zinc was responsible for most of the exploration expenditures, but cobalt, graphite and rare
earth elements saw sizeable percentage gains over the period.
600
2020 2021 2022
500
400
$ Millions
300
200
100
0
Cobalt Graphite Potash Rare Earth Zinc Lithium Uranium Nickel Copper
Elements
28 From NRCan’s Canadian Mineral Exploration Information Bulletin (June 2023). Data for 2022 are preliminary.
Global spending on exploration declined slightly in 2023 to $12.8 billion. Global exploration
spending remains substantially below the peak of US$20.5 billion in 2012. Expenditures on
exploration around the world are forecast to be approximately the same in 202429.
5,000
Canada, $4.4B
Australia, $3.7B
4,000
$ Millions
3,000
2,000
1,000
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Mineral and metal prices have varied dramatically during the pandemic years. Quick changes in
demand and supply chain challenges meant that price volatility was the norm.
29 Sean DeCoff, S&P Global Market Intelligence. CES 2023 – Monetary tightening weighs down exploration activity.
https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/research/ces-2023-monetary-tightening-weighs-down-
exploration-activity.
30 Canadian data from Natural Resources Canada, based on the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Survey of Mineral Exploration,
Deposit Appraisal and Mine Complex Development Expenditures. Australian values from Australian Bureau of Statistics, 8412.0
Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia Table 2. Mineral Exploration, (Other than for petroleum) - Expenditure and metres
drilled. Dollar values converted to C$.
Figure 24: 2022 Minimum and Maximum Monthly Prices for Selected Metals31
In 2022, prices for metals varied substantially from their monthly minimum to their monthly
maximum (see Figure 24). While gold prices were relatively stable, other metals like nickel and iron
ore changed dramatically over the year.
Iron Ore, 828%
1,200% Gold, 567%
Uranium, 465%
Copper, 451%
1,000% Silver, 397%
Nickel, 345%
Zinc, 293%
800%
Aluminum, 85%
600%
400%
200%
0%
-200%
2001 2006 2011 2016 2021
Over the longer term, metals prices have increased from recent lows. Figure 25 illustrates the
strong growth in mineral prices from 2000 to 2007, the dramatic decline for most metals in late
2008, the rebound of prices through 2011, and the subsequent downward pressure on many
minerals and metals during the early to mid-2010s. Recent years have shown a robust increase in
these metals relative to the baseline.
Demand for mineral and metal products is likely to increase over the medium to long-term at
an accelerating rate. The transition to a lower carbon future will result in increasing demand for
battery minerals and metals, including copper, nickel, lithium and cobalt. Increasing geopolitical
tensions and their implications for supply-chains mean that there is increasing desire to keep
inputs to critical manufacturing capabilities close to home.
31 Price data from Cameco (uranium) and Market Insider (all other metals).
32 Price data from Cameco (uranium) and Market Insider (all other metals).
At the end of 2022, 1,157 of the firms listed on the TSX and TSX-V were mining companies.
Together, they had a combined market value of $520 billion and raised $7.6 billion in equity.
TSX-listed mining companies mainly deal in gold, copper, uranium, silver, diamonds, zinc, nickel,
lithium, iron ore, zinc and molybdenum. Listings of mining companies on both exchanges have
been relatively steady in the past five years, but are down almost 30% over the past decade, as
shown in Figure 26.
1,200
Number of Issuers
900
600
300
0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Canadian exchanges have traditionally been the most desirable location for initial public
offerings for mining companies. In recent years however, the Australian Securities Exchange has
increasingly been a destination for IPOs as shown in Figure 27.
33 Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange. The MiG Report, December 2022. https://www.tsx.com/resource/en/2952
34 From Market Intelligence Group reports by TSX and TSX-Venture Exchanges. Using December monthly reporting for years
2013-2022.
100
80
IPOs
60
40
ASX, 55
TSX & TSX-V, 52
20
0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Canada’s pre-eminence in the world of mining finance should not be taken for granted.
The Canadian exchanges give mining companies access to capital while offering investors a
regulated market for venture investments. The ecosystem of businesses that support mining
finance in Canada form a beneficial cluster that creates benefits for the sector and the whole
economy.
Global Financing
Global financing for the mineral sector, that is, both equity and debt raised by the industry across
the word, contracted substantially in 2022, from US$65 billion in 2021 to US$42 billion. Equity
financing was down by half from US$34 billion in 2021 to US$17 billion. Debt finance was also
down, from US$31 billion in 2021 to US$25 billion in 2022. According to the Prospectors and
Developers Association of Canada, the “increase of interest rates by central banks and growing
concerns for [the] global economy are likely the key factors behind the decline of availability of
both equity and debt capital, as high interest rates and economic uncertainty are expected to
reduce the valuations of mining stocks and to discourage companies from issuing new debt.”36
35 Using Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on the Australian Securities Exchange for mining and materials companies from S&P
Global Market Intelligence and IPOs, qualifying transactions, reverse takeovers and “other” transactions from the TMX Market
Intelligence Group reports for each year for TSX and TSX-V.
36 From Mineral Finance 2023: Shifting Tides Within the Mineral Industry by the Prospectors and Developers Association of
Canada.
At their high point in 2011, expenditures were roughly equal between senior ($2.178 billion)
and junior ($2.049 billion) companies. At their recent low point in 2016, junior companies were
responsible for less than 40% of the $1.6 billion total. Preliminary figures for 2022 indicate that
junior companies spent about 57% of the $4.067 billion total. Intended spending for 2023 sees a
drop in total spending to $3.7 billion, of which 54% will be by juniors.
While proportions vary year to year, each party is projected to account for roughly 50% of
expenditure over the long term.
5,000
Junior Senior
4,000
Millions of C$
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18 ‘19 ‘20 ‘21 ‘22 ‘23
Figure 28: Mineral Exploration and Deposit Appraisal Expenditures, By Company Type, 2007 - 202337
37 Natural Resources Canada, based on the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Survey of Mineral Exploration, Deposit Appraisal and Mine
Complex Development Expenditures. Data for 2022 are preliminary, for 2023 intended.
Capital investment in primary metal manufacturing has also seen recent increases, while
fabricated metal product manufacturing and non-metallic mineral product manufacturing have
remained steady.
20,000
Stage 1 - Total Mineral Stage 3 - Non-Metallic Mineral
Extraction, $15.8B Product Manufacturing, $579.9M
Stage 2/3 - Primary Metal Stage 4 - Fabricated Metal
Manufacturing, $3.1B Product Manufacturing, $1.3B
15,000
Millions of C$
10,000
5,000
0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Although capital spending covers all stages of the industry, 90% is typically invested in extraction
and smelting/refining. Within Stage 1 (mining and quarrying), approximately two thirds of capital
spending goes towards construction and one-third towards machinery and equipment. In Stage
2, primary metal manufacturing, the ratio is reversed, with about one-fifth of spending directed to
construction and the rest to machinery and equipment.
Despite increased volatility, commodity prices have seen steady year-over-year increases since
their low point in 2016. Increases in investment to meet projected demand have been evident
in recent years, although the extent to which capital investment will rebound after years of low
growth remains uncertain.
38 Statistics Canada. Table 34-10-0035-01 Capital and repair expenditures, non-residential tangible assets, by industry and
geography (x 1,000,000). Data for 2022 is preliminary, for 2023 is intended.
Over the last 15 years, several Canadian senior mining companies have been acquired by
multinationals, resulting in fewer head offices in Canada. Canada’s share of global production
for critical minerals and metals has been decreasing, with other jurisdictions capturing greater
market share of growing global demand. Capital investment continues to be substantially below
its level a decade ago.
One way to spur investment is through tax credits. Canada’s 2022 Fall Economic Statement
introduced the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit, offering Canadian businesses a 30
percent refundable rate for adopting clean technology. In Budget 2023, the federal government
extended the eligibility of the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit to further boost the
growth of Canada’s expanding clean technology sector.
Budget 2023 proposed a new clean technology manufacturing refundable tax credit equal to 30
percent of investments in new machinery and equipment used for manufacturing or processing
essential clean technologies and critical minerals.
An overarching objective of these tax credits is to accelerate mining projects into production,
increasing the availability of critical minerals essential for the low-carbon economy. This is
important in a North American context, where the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act offers
incentives to promote its own domestic production of minerals. The attractiveness of these
incentives could redirect capital towards the U.S., reducing opportunities for Canadian miners.
Canada must establish streamlined procedures and transparent eligibility criteria for businesses
that want to access investment tax credits. The credits should also be flexible enough to move
with innovation in the industry as the landscape of clean technology and mineral extraction
continues to evolve.
MAC recommends the following set of principles for the development of investment tax credits,
ensuring they remain flexible and effective:
• Eligible activities should include recycling activities associated with the six priority critical
minerals to comprehensively address their entire value chain.
• Eligibility of all extracting and processing equipment associated with the six priority critical
minerals should be clearer. MAC recommends that any property included in Class 41, 43, or 53
in Schedule II of the Income Tax Regulations and used entirely or substantially in the extraction,
processing, or recycling of these minerals should qualify for the credit.
Timely Rebates
Given the long construction timeline for new mines, Canada must establish a prompt and
uncontested rebate process. Previous investment tax credits like the Scientific Research and
Experimental Development tax incentive have had protracted waiting periods for cost verification
and slow rebate processing.
The typical construction cycle for most mining operations is 2 to 3 years after permitting. As a
result, delays in the rebate process compromise the intent of the tax credits – to provide financial
assistance with the initial capital outlay associated with new mine construction.
All investment tax credits should serve as incentives for the mining industry to engage in
decarbonization efforts that go beyond what is currently outlined as clean technology property in
the proposed draft legislation or budget announcements.
Rising prices may help to spur investment in exploration and development, but there is strong
global competition for investment dollars, and Canada’s economy is dependent on foreign direct
investment. Investment tax credits are an important tool to spur investment, but the correct
design is extremely important.
The stakes are high. If Canada loses its investment competitiveness, this will translate into
an increasing amount of exploration and mining investments flowing offshore, job losses,
deteriorating trade balances and a weakening of our overall economic strength, including on key
policy objectives such as establishing a battery and electric vehicle supply chain.
The strength of the mining industry is its people, and its challenge is to make the sector more
representative of the Canadian workforce at large. The industry will require at least 100,000 new
employees over the next decade, and increasing the proportion of women and visible minorities
will be key to meeting that challenge.
Canada’s miners can be proud of their record of accomplishment in Indigenous employment: the
industry is, proportionally, the largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Total employment increased to 11,300 people in 2020. However, given the proximity of many mining
operations to Indigenous communities, even higher participation rates should be achievable.
SAFETY
Safety comes first in mining. Canadian mining companies work hard to create a positive safety
culture with employees, contractors and communities. The results of this dedication to safety can
be seen in the decline in rates of injury across the industry over the past decade.
Between 2012 and 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, the rate of fatal injuries
per 10,000 employees fell from 3.5 to 2.7, a decline of 23%. Non-fatal injuries fell over the same
period from 315 to 269 per 10,000 employees as shown in Figure 30.
300 3.5
250 3.0
200 2.5
2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
39 From industry-specific data from the National Work Injury/Disease Statistics Program (NWISP) of the Association of Workers’
Compensation Boards of Canada and Statistics Canada’s Employment by Industry, Annual, Table 14-10-0202-0
400
Thousands of Jobs
200
Primary Manufacturing
100
Services
Extraction
0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Employment by subsector and product group is shown in Figure 31. About half of all employment
in the sector is in downstream manufacturing: metal products like steel pipe, cutlery, cable, and
more. Primary manufacturing makes up 22% of employment in the sector, and extraction makes
up 19%. Services is the smallest subsector, at 9% of the sector’s overall employment.
Unemployment remains low in the Canadian economy, but the unemployment rate for the mining
sector is even lower. In December 2022, the unemployment rate for mining and quarrying was
3.9%, for support services in mining it was 2% and for primary metal manufacturing it was 1.4%41.
These low rates, below the national average for all industries, mean that the industry has begun to
exhaust its labour pool.
The tight labour market is an increasing challenge for mining employers: it drives up recruitment
costs and wages and increases the need for competitors to inefficiently poach talent from each
other. These employment trends require solutions to build a more sustainable, competitive and
diverse labour market that is better able to respond to the short-term needs of the industry.
New Workers
The tight labour market is a critical impediment at a time when the mining industry needs new
workers. The 2023 edition of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council’s (MiHR) Canadian
Mining Labour Market Outlook estimates that the Canadian mining industry will need to hire
between 100,000 and 220,000 people over the next decade as shown in Figure 32. These new
hires are required to replace retirees and fill new positions to meet baseline production targets.
200,000 35,033
41,524
150,000 23,818
25,921 143,530
Employees will be required in a variety of jobs across the sector – from trades to production
occupations to human resources. The MiHR baseline scenario breaks down the requirements by
occupation as shown in Figure 33.
60,000
New Hires Required, 2023-2033, Baseline Scenario
51,497
50,000
40,000
32,404
30,000
20,033
20,000 16,074
13,127
8,905 9,528
10,000
6,653
42 Mining Industry Human Resources Council. 2023 Canadian Mining Outlook. Table 8.
43 Mining Industry Human Resources Council. 2023 Canadian Mining Outlook. Table 9.
Youth Attitudes
MiHR commissioned a survey of young Canadians that asked the question “How likely, if at all,
would you consider working in these sectors?” The survey was first conducted in 2020, with
a follow-up in 2023. Results for responses “probably would,” “definitely would,” and “might
consider” are shown in Figure 34.
80%
2012 2023
66%
66%
66%
64%
64%
64%
63%
63%
70%
53%
60%
51%
51%
50%
46%
43%
50%
37%
34%
34%
40%
31%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Health care Arts/Culture Transportation Construction Mining
Tech Finance Manufacturing Oil and gas
In 2023, mining was the lowest rated occupation, with only 34% indicating an openness to work
in the sector. This was a slight increase from 2020, when only 31% responded positively. The
top reasons given by those who said they did not want to work in the industry were that it is “too
dangerous” or “too physically demanding.”
Mining Education
MiHR also notes that fewer people are enrolling in and graduating from mining-related
engineering programs. From 2015 through 2020, enrollment declined in all three types of
engineering most closely associated with mining. Materials and metallurgical engineering
enrollment declined by 7% from 2015 to 2020, to 934; mining or mineral engineering declined by
41% to 831, and geological engineering declined by 29%, to 556 as shown in Figure 35.
44 Mining Industry Human Resources Council. Perceptions and Interest in a Mining Sector Career. October 2023.
900
600
300
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
The requirements for new employees, the low rate of interest from youth, and the declining
number of graduates lead to a new set of challenges: small numbers of inexperienced workers
replacing skilled and experienced older ones, particularly in trades and production occupations.
This places additional onus on industry to work collaboratively with government and educational
institutions to ensure that new entrants to the industry have the skills required for high-demand
jobs within mining.
Women in Mining
The mining industry has historically been a male-dominated sector. Mining companies across the
country increasingly have women occupying senior leadership roles and working at the site level,
but there is still significant work to be done to achieve levels of female participation in the industry
that more closely resemble those of the overall Canadian workforce.
45 From Canadian Engineers for Tomorrow: Trends in Engineering Enrolment and Degrees Awarded 2020 by Engineers Canada. Link.
Appendix A, Table U.1.
15%
10%
5%
0%
According to Canada’s most recent census data, women’s representation has increased in
mining-related employment. From 2011 through 2021, the proportion of women in all stages of
the mining process has increased, as shown in Figure 36. While this improvement is encouraging,
women are less than 20% of the workforce in all mining-associated sectors.
The Canada Business Corporations Act and annual reporting for listed firms on the TSX both
require the production of data on women on corporate boards and in executive roles. Osler,
Hoskin & Harcourt LLP reviews and summarizes these disclosures every year to produce a report
on diversity in Canadian business. The percentage of women directors and board members have
both increased since 2020, to 25% for directors and to 17% for executives.
46 From National Household Survey (2011) Table 99-012-X2011034, Census 2016 Table 98-400-X2016364, and Census 2021 Table
98-10-0448-01.
20%
15%
10%
Figure 37: Women in Executive and Director Roles in the Mining Industry47
The industry is making continuing efforts to increase the proportion of women in mining, but
success will require efforts at both recruitment and retention.
Visible Minorities
Racialized groups make up more than a quarter of Canada’s labour force. Statistics Canada
expects that immigration will remain the main driver of Canada’s population growth over
the coming decades, continuing a trend that began in the early 1990s. By 2041, a quarter of
Canadians will be part of a visible minority group, and one in four will have been born in Asia or
Africa48. It will be critical for the mining industry to recruit new Canadians and visible minorities to
fill the expected hiring requirements of the next decade.
In 2016, just over 20% of the Canadian workforce were visible minorities. In 2021, that percentage
had increased by more than five percentage points to almost 26%. The share of the mining
workforce made up of visible minorities has also increased but is still substantially below the
labour force percentage.
47 Andrew MacDougall, John M. Valley, Jessie Armour, Aliza Zigler. Report: 2023 Diversity Disclosure Practices – Diversity and
leadership at Canadian public companies. Previous year data sourced from the 2022 report and 2021 report.
48 Statistics Canada Daily Bulletin: Canada in 2041: A larger, more diverse population with greater differences between regions.
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Total Mining and Support Non-metallic Primary Fabricated
Workforce quarrying activities mineral metal metal
(except oil for mining product manufacturing product
and gas) manufacturing manufacturing
Wages
The Canadian mining industry has some of the highest wages and salaries of all sectors in
Canada (see Annexes 6 and 7 for details). The average total compensation per job in the
mining industry in 2022 was $137,451, which surpassed the average for workers in forestry,
manufacturing, finance and construction. The average total compensation per worker in mining,
smelting and refining was $65,000 more than the average for all jobs in Canada. This gap has
been consistent for more than a decade, as shown in Figure 39.
120
$ Thousands
90
60
30
2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
49 Statistics Canada (2016 Census Table 98-400-X2016360, 2021 Census Table 98-10-0592-01).
50 Statistics Canada Table 36-10-0489-01 and Table 36-10-0489-05. Natural Resources Canada. “Total compensation per job” is
the ratio between total compensation paid for all jobs and the total number of jobs.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Proportionally, the mining industry is the largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples in
Canada. Total employment of Indigenous peoples increased between 2011 and 2020, from 9,100
to 11,300 as shown in Figure 40. For the period from 2011 through 2020, Indigenous employment
accounted for an average of 7.6% of the employment in the mining industry and 3.6% in the
broader minerals sector.
12,000
8,000
4,000
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
The mining industry has proven an effective vehicle not just for Indigenous employment, but also
for skills training and upward mobility. For example, Indigenous people in the mining workforce
are increasingly pursuing formal education credentials. According to 2019 MiHR research52, from
2006 to 2016, the share of Indigenous people in the mining workforce with a college, CEGEP or
other non-university certificate or diploma rose by three percentage points, as did the rate for
those with a university certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor level or above.
Potential for increased Indigenous employment remains strong. More than 200 producing mines
and thousands of exploration properties are located within 200 km of Indigenous communities.
Many mines and projects are located on traditional lands.
Between 2011 and 2020, more than 260 new agreements between mining companies and
Indigenous communities or groups were signed53. These agreements can cover activities
from exploration to mine development and establish the way that companies and communities
collaborate. The circumstances of each agreement are different, so the agreements are unique,
covering topics like community benefits, employment targets and compensation for adverse
impacts. As of December 31, 2020, there were 412 active agreements in place.
51 Mining Sector Performance Report, Cat. No. M31-15E-PDF. Figure 20.
52 Mining Industry Human Resources Council. 2019 Canadian Mining Outlook. Figure 21.
53 Mining Sector Performance Report, Cat. No. M31-15E-PDF
As in many other industries, the work of mining is becoming increasingly technical. Engineers,
technicians and information technologists are required to run the advanced technologies
required for extraction and processing.
MAC recommends the following to ensure the long-term sustainability of the labour force in the
mining industry:
• Continued government support for MiHR to further its work in addressing the mining
industry’s human resources challenges.
• Continue to actively recruit Indigenous employees. Given the nature of the jobs available, this
will increasingly require training in the specific technical skills required for mining. The federal
government should continue to support Indigenous skills training programs, including the
Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Strategy, and those administered by MiHR, such as
the Mining Essentials program, which, in partnership with the Assembly of First Nations, allows
mining companies to benefit from a local workforce, while fostering economic development in
Indigenous communities.
• Efforts to increase equity, diversity and inclusion in the industry should continue, including via
government initiatives like NRCan’s Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP), which sets
an aspirational target of 30% of women in the mining sector by 2030.
• In June 2023, MAC’s performance system Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) released a new
Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Workplaces Protocol to drive transparency and improved
performance on equity, diversity and inclusion in the mining sector. The protocols were
developed with experts inside and outside of the mining industry and stakeholder groups. The
protocols will support companies as they review, develop, and implement:
• Processes to foster a workplace culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion at the mine site.
MAC member facilities will report confidentially on these new requirements in 2024 and
2025, followed by the first year of public reporting in 2026.
• Ongoing efforts to recruit young people into the industry, including via career fairs or work
placement programs. For example, Employment and Social Development Canada has
supported work-integrated learning subsidies for mining employers, offering a wage subsidy
of up to $7,000.
The mining industry supports a successful, safe, high-paid, technically adept workforce. Through
continued efforts, it will be possible to enhance the industry’s track record of success at hiring,
training and retaining these skilled workers through the next generation.
Clean Technologies,
Climate Change and
Innovation
WATER, AIR AND EARTH
The Canadian mining and quarrying industry spent $1.06 billion on environmental protection
activities in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available. This is more than 10% of all
capital and operating expenditures on the environment across all industries.
From 2019 to 2020, capital expenditures on the environment in the mining and quarrying industry
rose from $307 million to $504 million. Operating expenses fell slightly from $575 million to $552
million, likely the result of the global pandemic.
More recent 2022 data provide a breakdown of capital expenditures: wastewater management
(77%), solid waste management (10%), and protection and remediation of soil, groundwater and
surface water (9%). Figure 41
$504M
600
400
$307M
$ Millions
300
$179M
200
$51M
$53M
$46M
$47M
100
$18M
$15M
$11M
$5M
0
Total, Solid waste Wastewater Air pollution Protection and Other
environmental management management management remediation of environmental
protection soil, groundwater protection
activities and surface water activities
Figure 41: Capital Expenditures on the Environment by the Mining and Quarrying Industry, 2019-202054
54 Statistics Canada, Capital and operating expenditures on environmental activities by industry Table 38-10-0130-01.
Minerals and metals will help the world transition to a low-carbon future. Electricity networks,
electric vehicles, wind energy, photovoltaic solar cells, and battery storage all require mined
materials.
The clean energy system of the future will be different from the current system, using more
renewable resources to create energy. While operating clean energy systems produces fewer
emissions than the hydrocarbon-based system we have now, the equipment required for clean
energy is more mineral-intensive than equipment used for fossil fuels. Since 2010, the average
amount of minerals needed for a new unit of power generation capacity has increased by 50%,
primarily due to renewable projects.55
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has studied climate change in detail, as energy is
responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas generation. Using economic and scientific
models, the IEA makes projections about how the world will make the change to a lower-carbon
future. These studies have included an investigation of the role that minerals and metals will play.
According to the IEA, putting emissions on a trajectory consistent with the Paris Agreement
in one scenario requires the annual installation of solar photovoltaic cells, wind turbines and
electricity networks to triple by 2040, and sales of electric vehicles (EVs) to grow 25-fold over the
same period.
The IEA’s work in The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions indicates that there
was a 53% increase in critical mineral demand for clean energy technologies from 2010 to 2020,
from 4.64 Mt to 7.1, Mt as shown in Figure 42. From 2020 to 2030, the IEA expects growth of 71%
in critical mineral demand for clean energy technologies under stated policies, while a sustainable
development scenario will require 168% growth.56
The transition to cleaner energy requires less fossil fuel input but substantially more critical
minerals. EVs require six times the critical mineral inputs of conventional cars (over 200kg
compared to about 40kg). Onshore wind plants require nine times more critical mineral resources
than a gas power plant of the same capacity57.
55 IEA (2021), The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-
minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions.
56 The IEA bases its estimates on multiple policy scenarios. The Stated Policy Scenario uses sector-by-sector analysis of national
policies to produce a model for future climate change and input requirements. According to the IEA, this scenario “explores
where the energy system might go without a major additional steer from policy makers.” The Sustainable Development Scenario
assumes a pathway that enables the world to meet climate, energy access and air quality goals. This scenario would require rapid
and widespread changes across the energy system. See details at IEA https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-and-climate-
model.
57 IEA (2021), The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-
minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions.
15
10
0
2010 2020 2030 Stated 2030 Sustainable 2040 Stated 2040 Sustainable
Policies Development Policies Development
Scenario Scenario Scenario Scenario
Figure 42: Critical Mineral Demand for Clean Energy Technologies, 2010-2040 (Various Scenarios)58
One specific example of the transition to a clean economy is in the EV market. EV registrations
in Canada reached 204,712 in 2022, an increase from 43,817 in 2017. As a proportion of the total
registrations, electric vehicles have increased from 1.81% in the first quarter of 2017 to almost
15% of registrations in the fourth quarter of 2022, as shown in Figure 43. Over the same period,
gasoline engines have declined from 94.83% of all registrations to 80.57% of registrations.
15%
9%
6%
3%
0%
2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2024
58 IEA, Total mineral demand for clean energy technologies by scenario, 2010-2040, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/data-and-
statistics/charts/total-mineral-demand-for-clean-energy-technologies-by-scenario-2010-2040-2.
59 New motor vehicle registrations, quarterly. Statistics Canada table 20-10-0024-01. Release date: 2023-01-24.
As these trends are mirrored globally, critical mineral demand for EV production will increase, as
shown in Figure 44. The IEA’s model suggests that overall demand for critical minerals grows by
nine times from 2020 values to around 3,500 kt in 2040 under stated policies. The sustainable
development scenario foresees even greater growth.
4000
Graphite
3500 Nickel
Copper
3000 Lithium
Cobalt
2500 Manganese
Silicon
kt
1500
1000
500
0
2020 2030 2030 2040 Stated 2040
Stated Policies Sustainable Policies Sustainable
Development Development
From battery storage to new transmission infrastructure, critical mineral requirements are
expected to grow substantially. Canada fulfills the need for critical minerals better, using less
carbon intensity, than most competing mining jurisdictions. Canada has a clean electricity grid,
with 82% of power from renewable or non-emitting sources. As a result, Canadian mineral
products are among the lowest carbon intensity in the world.
CRITICAL MINERALS
Given the increase in demand expected over the next decades for clean energy, governments
are attempting to secure reliable sources of the required minerals. As part of this process, they
have been assessing the vulnerability of their economies to external supply shocks. While this
process was underway before 2020, it was accelerated by the global pandemic and the war in
Ukraine. Shortages of key inputs to the economy highlighted the extent of reliance on a small
number of countries for critical minerals.
60 IEA, Total mineral demand from new EV sales by scenario, 2020-2040, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/
total-mineral-demand-from-new-ev-sales-by-scenario-2020-2040, IEA.
Canada has known reserves of some of these minerals but has limited to no extraction of some.
For example, the reserves of rare earth elements in Canada are 830,000 tonnes of rare earth
oxide equivalent, but mine production was zero in both 2021 and 202261. Production of lithium was
500 tonnes in 2022, or 0.4% of total global production. By contrast, Canada’s lithium reserves are
sixth in the world, at 930,000 tonnes62.
100
China
USA Madagascar
80
Russia
Percent of Global Production
Mozambique
Indonesia
Chile China
Congo
60 Philippines
(Kinshasa)
China
Russia
40 Indonesia
Peru
Australia
Chile
20
Congo
Australia (Kinshasa)
0
Lithium Rare earths Graphite Colbalt Nickel Copper
Figure 45: Percentage of Global Production, Top 3 Countries (2022 estimated), Selected Minerals63
In response, governments are creating lists of minerals and metals on which their economies
and national interests rely but to which they have insufficient or precarious access. While the
materials on national critical minerals lists vary across jurisdictions, economic security, national
defense and sustainability are common themes through which critical material identification has
been justified.
In December 2022, Canada released The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy64 outlining Canada’s
approach to critical minerals. According to the Strategy, “there is no green energy transition
without critical minerals, which is why their supply chain resilience is an increasing priority for
advanced economies. Every stage of the critical mineral value chain presents an opportunity for
Canada, from exploration to recycling and everything in between.”
Canada is committed to working with its partners to provide critical minerals for a green transition.
As the host of the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2022, Canada formed the Sustainable Critical
61 U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2023. Rare Earths. https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/
mcs2022/mcs2022-rare-earths.pdf.
62 Natural Resources Canada. Lithium Facts. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/minerals-mining/mining-
data-statistics-and-analysis/minerals-metals-facts/lithium-facts/24009
63 Based on the USGS’s National Minerals Information Center Mineral Commodity Summaries for each mineral, using estimates for
2022 production. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/commodity-statistics-and-information.
64 Natural Resources Canada, The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, HM The King in Right of Canada, Ottawa https://www.
canada.ca/content/dam/nrcan-rncan/site/critical-minerals/Critical-minerals-strategyDec09.pdf.
Canada also joined with the United States, the European Union and 11 other countries to create
the Minerals Security Partnership. The Partnership “aims to accelerate the development of
diverse and sustainable critical energy minerals supply chains through working with host
governments and industry to facilitate targeted financial and diplomatic support for strategic
projects along the value chain.”66
Canada’s list of critical minerals was developed to guide investment and prioritize decision-
making. The Government of Canada sought comments and input on the list in late 2023 and early
2024.67 The list consists of 31 minerals, of which six are prioritized as presenting the greatest
opportunity: lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements.
The Strategy aims to create “value chains” in Canada for critical minerals: from exploration to
recycling and advanced manufacturing. According to the Strategy, “[a]t present, the production
and processing of many critical minerals are geographically concentrated, making global supply
vulnerable to several risks… By ramping up critical mineral production and strengthening their
affiliated value chains, Canada and its trusted international partners can reduce their dependency
on high-risk imports as demand forecasts outpace mineral supply and investment plans.”
LOOKING FORWARD
The economy of the future needs minerals and metals from Canada. To provide the resources
that are required, Canada must create an investment and regulatory environment that works.
Given the increasing demand for critical minerals for global carbon reduction, it will be critical to
bring new mines into production in the years ahead. Based on an analysis of 35 mining projects
that came online between 2010 and 2019, the IEA estimates that the average time between
discovery and production is almost 17 years68. To achieve climate goals for 2040 and beyond, it is
important to bring production online faster.
The World Bank estimates that the production of minerals, such as graphite, lithium and
cobalt, could increase by nearly 500% by 2050 to meet the growing demand for clean energy
technologies and forecasts a doubling of global nickel production between now and 2050. For
Canada to maintain its current global market share in this scenario, seven new nickel mines will
need to be discovered, permitted, and built, in addition to two new smelters and one new refinery.
It took thirteen years from discovery to production for Canada’s most recent nickel mine in
Voisey’s Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador. Greater efficiency in getting mines into production is
needed to supply global demand for minerals and metals and meet shared climate change goals.
Mining projects are subject to comprehensive provincial regulatory frameworks that are unique
to each province, including environmental assessment processes, environmental protection
regulations, permits of general application and regulations, and permits specific to mining. They
are also subject to several federal requirements. Limited coherence and coordination among
these approval processes are an ongoing issue leading to uncertainty, delays, and increased
costs for the mining industry.
The federal Impact Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act, and the Canadian Navigable Waters
Act were amended in 2019 and implementation of the changes remains incomplete. Further
legislative changes are expected following the opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada that
parts of the Impact Assessment Act are unconstitutional. The Mining Association of Canada
appreciates the improved clarity on boundaries of federal constitutional authority in undertaking
impact assessment of activities in provincial jurisdiction called for by the Supreme Court.
The transition to a revised legislative framework will need to be completed quickly and in a
well-planned and well-implemented manner to mitigate uncertainty for project proponents,
communities, and investors.
In August 2023, the Government of Canada published the proposed Clean Electricity
Regulations in the Canada Gazette. The Mining Association of Canada recommends
concentrating on the following elements:
• Electricity Affordability: energy costs are the third largest cost for mining operations in
Canada, and a major determinant of Canada’s investment attractiveness for mining foreign
direct investment. Ensuring the availability of cost-competitive and clean electricity is key
to attracting the long-term private sector capital required to drive Canada’s attainment of
climate targets.
• Reliability: ensure, at all costs, the safe and reliable delivery of electricity.
• Off-Grid Realities: remote and northern locations should be exempt due to the exceptionally
limited abatement opportunities available to off-grid industrial operations.
The complexity of developing carbon adjustment for imports, the potential risks for unintended
consequences, and the risk that Canadian mineral exports may be discriminated against
unfairly in export market jurisdictions are all concerns for miners. Specifically, the following
considerations are important:
• Traceability and Life-Cycle Carbon Intensity: In smelting and refining, technology does not
yet exist to trace materials through the supply chain. This limits the ability to adequately map
life-cycle carbon intensity across the industry.
• Applicable Scope: Noting the traceability limitation, the EU regime proposal is limited to
Scope 1 emissions, (i.e., those directly owned or controlled by a company). This means
that Canada’s huge advantage in Scope 2 emissions (i.e., indirect emissions from energy
generation and transmission) from clean energy would be lost.
• Enforcement: While Canada has a number of free-trade agreements that include Investor
State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms to resolve trade conflicts, many export markets
are without such agreements and tools, meaning that Canada would rely on World Trade
Organization processes, which are much more uncertain.
Fisheries Act
The 2019 amendments to the Fisheries Act expanded the authority of Fisheries and Oceans
Canada to create compliance tools for routine projects with no or little impact. The intent was to
provide more consistent protection of fish habitat while reducing the administrative burden on
proponents and the department. Few of these compliance tools are in place. In the meantime,
the department and proponents must rely on site-specific reviews for common activities such
as culvert replacement. The result is frustration for proponents as reviews are backlogged and
officials overwhelmed with paperwork.
The Mining Association of Canada is working with Transport Canada officials to develop clear
guidance for proponents for how to identify navigable waters and when an Order may be
required. Early identification of navigation routes, particularly those used by Indigenous peoples
for travel or transport, would help proponents in project design and planning.
Biodiversity
In December 2022, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to the
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), which articulates ambitious 2030
goals and targets for biodiversity.
The Government of Canada has engaged broadly on the development of the strategy, including
through a public symposium, sector-specific engagement sessions, and the Nature Advisory
Committee.
The successful implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy will depend on the
ability and willingness of governments to collaborate. Deliberate coordination across federal
departments and with provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments is needed to maximize
the effectiveness of conservation initiatives and avoid potential inter-governmental conflicts. It
will also help ensure that funding is deployed efficiently and support informed decision-making.
Increased uptake of conservation agreements under section 11 of SARA as a tool to protect and
recover species at risk is encouraging. These agreements by federal government, provinces/
territories and Indigenous governments demonstrate that efforts are being made for increased
coordination and cooperation among different levels of government.
Over the last year, there is growing interest in the role of broader Nature Agreements between the
federal government and provinces and territories. In December 2022, the Yukon became the first
jurisdiction to announce a Nature Agreement with the federal government. In October 2023, the
Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement was signed. Finally, in November 2023, Canada, British
Columbia and the First Nations Leadership Council signed a Tripartite Framework Agreement on
Nature Conservation.
In 2024, it is anticipated that the Government of Canada will release updated policy documents
related to the implementation of SARA. Of particular interest to much of the industry is
the anticipated review of the recovery strategy for boreal woodland caribou as well as the
development of policy related to the protection of critical habitat on non-federal land.
Migratory Birds
In 2022, the modernized Migratory Birds Regulations under the Migratory Birds Convention Act
came into force. The modernized regulations provide clarity on issues that were ambiguous in
past iterations of the regulations, such as nest protections outside of the breeding season. The
Government of Canada has indicated that it is exploring additional improvements, including
the development of new and enhanced compliance tools, which may help reduce legal
vulnerabilities for industry while promoting practices that protect listed species. One area of
particular interest for both miners and the federal government is the potential for an incidental
take authorization system.
The circular economy is the concept that we should extract as much value as possible from
resources by recycling, repairing, reusing, repurposing, or refurbishing products and materials—
eliminating waste and emissions at the design stage.
E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world and includes items such as
mobile devices, computers, monitors/televisions, and LED lightbulbs, among other electronic
equipment. A record 53.6 million metric tonnes of electronic waste was generated worldwide
in 2019, up 21% (>10 million tonnes annually) in just five years, according to the UN’s Global
E-Waste Monitor.
A large portion of e-waste can be recycled, components of which can be recovered as “urban
ore.” E-waste recycling involves reprocessing obsolete or unwanted electronics that have
exhausted their reuse potential and would otherwise be disposed of in landfills. From 50,000
mobile phones, Electronics Product Stewardship Canada estimates that approximately one
kilogram of gold, 400 grams of palladium, 10 kilograms of silver, and 420 kilograms of copper can
be recycled. By recycling these items, valuable materials are kept out of landfills and can produce
new products using resources that do not need to be mined.
Recycling and other circular economy measures should and will increase as the broader EV
battery supply chain expands. While essential, however, these can contribute only modestly to
fulfil projected demand. Long product lives and steep demand growth curves mean the supply
of secondary material will remain a fraction of total demand for the foreseeable future, so policy
must recognize that new mines are essential to meeting projected demand.
Canada’s mining sector is a global leader. Its presence in more than 100 countries raises living
standards and reduces poverty. Canada boasts the industry’s best exploration firms and a capital
market that is home to more than half of the world’s publicly traded mining companies.
MAC’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) represents the Canadian mining sector’s contribution
to global sustainable mining and responsible business conduct around the world and is being
implemented by over 200 companies in 13 countries. In early 2023, TSM was formally adopted
by national mining associations in Mexico and Panama.
EXPORTS
Canada’s mining sector produces valuable goods that are used both in Canada and globally.
Canada’s mineral exports make up a substantial portion of the merchandise that we export:
21% of the total value in 2022.
The total value of Canada’s domestic mineral and metal exports in 2022 was $153.1 billion. Metals
made up 72% of the total, non-metals 18%, and coal 10% of the total, as shown in Figure 46.
$14.6 Billion
Coal
$27.8 Billion
Non-metals
Excluding coal, the value of Canada’s domestic exports of mineral and metal products increased
in the five years from 2017 through 2021 from $96.4 billion to $138.5 billion as shown in Figure
47. The bulk of the exports, 57% in 2022, are to the United States. The United Kingdom (9.2% in
2021) and the European Union (7.8%) are also significant export destinations.
The value of Canada’s mineral and metal exports increased dramatically in 2021 and 2022 due to
high commodity prices. The total export value of minerals and metals excluding coal increased by
42% from 2020 to 2022 as shown in Figure 47.
90
$ Billions
60
30
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Figure 47: Exports of Mineral and Metal Products, Excluding Coal, By Destination70
In 2022, Canada’s top mineral exports were iron and steel ($22.9 billion), gold ($22.3 billion),
aluminum ($18.3 billion) and potash ($16.4 billion). The value of domestic exports of these and
other minerals and mineral products in 2022 are presented in Annex 8.
Canada imported $126.9 billion of minerals and metals, excluding coal, in 2022. This is an increase
of $36.7 billion from 2018 as shown in Figure 48. Approximately 44% of these imports were from
the United States, and 13% were from China, the next largest source. As with exports, the value of
imports increased substantially in 2021 and 2022 as a result of high commodity prices.
60
30
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Figure 48: Imports of Mineral and Metal Products, Excluding Coal, By Source71
70 From Natural Resources Canada, Canada: Value of imports and exports for mineral and metal products, excluding fuels, for select
countries and regions.
71 From Natural Resources Canada, Canada: Value of imports and exports for mineral and metal products, excluding fuels, for select
countries and regions.
72
The Mining Association of Canada | The Mining Story 2024 72
The Mining Association of Canada | The Mining Story 2024
MINERALS AND METALS EXPORTED AND IMPORTED
TO AND FROM CANADA
United States
Exports Imports
$10.5B $16.2B
European Union
Exports Imports
$12.1B $12.0B
United Kingdom
Exports Imports
$12.9B $904M
China
Exports Imports
$10.5B $16.2B
The balance of trade is Canada’s total exports minus its imports. Canada had a surplus
(i.e., exports greater than imports) of $31.1 billion in 2022. Extraction (Stage 1) and primary
manufacturing (Stage 2) both had surpluses, while Stage 3 and Stage 4 manufacturing showed
trade deficits as shown in Figure 49.
$9.6 Billion
Stage 3 $28.3 Billion
$37.9 Billion
$23.9 Billion
Stage 2 $22.5 Billion $46.3 Billion
$44.7 Billion
Stage 1 $13.9 Billion $58.6 Billion
Billions of $
Canada’s top trading partners in minerals make up a large proportion of total trade. The top four
export destinations are the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and China.
These four make up 75% of total exports of minerals and metals. Canada’s top three sources
of imports are the United States, China, and the EU. These three make up 66% of all of
Canada’s imports.
Canada’s largest trading partner is the United States, responsible for about two thirds of our global
trade. In 2022, the total trade in goods and services between Canada and the USA was
$1.2 trillion, or $3.4 billion every day. Canada exports almost 80 billion dollars73 worth of metals
and minerals to our neighbour. The largest metals exports are iron and steel ($20.9 billion),
aluminum ($16.8 billion), copper ($4.9 billion) and gold ($4.3 billion). The largest nonmetal exports
are potash ($6.5 billion) and cement ($1.2 billion). Canada also exported $767 million worth of coal
and coke in 2022.
Canada’s second largest export destination for metals and minerals is the European Union. The
EU is a net importer of metals and minerals, and Canada is its fourth largest source74. The largest
volume of Canadian exports to Europe is iron ore, at $3.0 billion, followed by diamonds at $1.9
billion and nickel at $1.3 billion. Canada also exports $1.29 billion of coal to the EU, of which $1.14
billion was metallurgical coal. Canada imported $12 billion of minerals and metals from the EU in
2022. Iron and steel were the largest imports, at $3.9 billion, followed by silver at $1.1 billion. The
total volume of minerals and metals trade in 2022 was $24.1 billion. Canada’s balance of trade in
minerals and metals with the EU in 2022 was positive $124 million.
Canada’s next largest export destination is the United Kingdom. In 2022, Canada exported
almost $13 billion worth of minerals and metals to the UK. The vast majority of the exports ($11.8
billion) were of gold. In fact, gold accounted for more than half of all of Canada’s merchandise
exports to the UK in 2022. The UK is a major destination for gold because of London’s role as an
international financial hub for the global gold trade. Canada’s next largest exports were uranium
and thorium ($488 million), iron ore ($226 million) and coal and coke ($72 million).
Canada imported smaller amounts of minerals and metals from the UK: $904 million in 2022. Iron
and steel were the largest imports. The total volume of minerals and metals trade in 2022 was
$13.8 billion. Canada’s balance of trade in minerals and metals with the UK in 2022 was positive by
$12.2 billion.
China is a major trade partner for Canada. It is both a large producer and consumer of minerals
and metals: according to the United States Geological Survey, China is the leading producer and
consumer of cement, gold, most nonferrous metals, and raw steel75. In 2022, Canada exported
$10.5 billion worth of minerals and metals to China. Coal ($3.5 billion, of which $3.2 billion was
metallurgical) was the largest export, followed by Iron and steel ($2.1 billion) and copper ($1.6
billion). Canada also exported $1.5 billion of potash to China.
Canada imported $16.2 billion of minerals and metals from China in 2022. These imports were
mostly Stage 4 manufactured goods, which accounted for 70% of the value in 2022.The largest
imports were iron and steel ($5.8 billion) and aluminum ($1.8 billion). The total trade volume
between Canada and China in 2022 was $26.8 billion, an increase of 20% from 2021. Canada’s
minerals and metals trade balance was negative by $5.7 billion.
74 Eurostat, Extra-EU trade in raw materials, Table 11. The EU included rubber with metals and minerals in this category.
75 Sean Xun, The Mineral Industry of China in the United States Geological Survey’s 2019 Minerals Yearbook. Advance release copy.
Junior companies account for most of the companies with assets abroad (88.1%) but a low share
of the total value (6.4%) because of the high value of the mines owned by senior companies.
Canadian Direct Investment Abroad (CDIA) in mining is another indicator of the industry’s
international presence. A large majority of the book value of CDIA is represented by Stage 1,
Extraction as shown in Figure 51. The total value of CDIA has increased substantially in recent
years: from $122 billion in 2019 to $189 billion in 2022, as shown in Figure 52.
76 From Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Mining Assets Information Bulletin, February 2023. https://natural-resources.canada.
ca/maps-tools-and-publications/publications/minerals-mining-publications/canadian-mining-assets/19323. Note that this data
describes “Canadian Mining Assets Abroad” which is slightly different from Canadian Direct Investment Abroad (CDIA) in the
mining sector. CDIA is based on the international definition of foreign direct investment from national systems of accounts.
Canadian Mining Assets Abroad are developed by Natural Resources Canada from financial accounting standards applied by
Canadian public companies and auditors.
$1.08 Billion
Primary metal manufacturing
$2.75 Billion
Non-metallic mineral
product manufacturing $72.55 Billion
Support activities for mining
150
$ Billions
100
50
2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
The major destinations for CDIA for Stage 1 extraction activities were North America (26%),
South and Central America (18%), the Caribbean (17%), Europe (20%), Asia and Oceania (12%)
and Africa (6%).
While outward flows of investment are essential to any open economy, the sheer scale of the
increase in outward investment demonstrates the increasing global strength and reach of
Canada’s mining sector.
77 From Statistics Canada Table International investment position, Canadian direct investment abroad and foreign direct investment
in Canada, by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and region, annual (x 1,000,000) (Table 36-10-0009-01).
78 From the same Statistics Canada table. Using Natural Resources Canada’s method for calculating mining support services and
NAICS codes 212, 213, 327, 331 and 332.
$4.7 Billion
$18.6 Billion Fabricated metal product
Primary metal manufacturing
manufacturing
$3.1 Billion
Support activities
for mining
Figure 53: Foreign Direct Investment in Canada, Mining and Related Subsectors79
FDI in Canada is up from recent lows observed during the 2020 pandemic year; however, it is still
below the levels observed in the first half of the previous decade, as shown in Figure 54.
Major sources of FDI to Canada were Asia and Oceania (41%), Europe (26%) and the United
States (26%).
79 Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0009-01 International investment position, Canadian direct investment abroad and foreign direct
investment in Canada, by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and region, annual
(x 1,000,000).
80
$ Billions
$65 Billion
60
40
2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
LOOKING FORWARD
Free trade, investment and taxation agreements help facilitate the trade of mining products and
investment flows. These agreements reduce barriers for investment, enhance transparency and
advance cooperation. The reduction and elimination of tariffs increases the competitiveness
of Canadian mineral products in foreign jurisdictions by levelling the playing field from a cost
standpoint, thus enabling companies to capture greater market share.
Investment agreements, complete with dispute resolution mechanisms, provide mining investors
with greater certainty over the investments that companies make in foreign jurisdictions. Labour
mobility and regulatory cooperation mechanisms enable companies to secure the key skills they
need for project development and operation and promote dialogue through the complex process
of obtaining regulatory approvals.
Part of maintaining Canada’s global leadership is ensuring that Canadian mining and supply
sectors have access to modern and comprehensive trade and investment vehicles to meet the
world where it does business.
80 From Statistics Canada Table International investment position, Canadian direct investment abroad and foreign direct investment
in Canada, by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and region, annual (x 1,000,000) (Table 36-10-0009-01).
Using Natural Resources Canada’s method for calculating mining support services and NAICS codes 212, 213, 327, 331 and 332
A Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) is a bilateral agreement aimed
at protecting and promoting foreign investment through legally binding rights and obligations.
Canada has 38 FIPAs in force. The status of current FIPA negotiations and free trade agreements
is presented in Figure 55.
FIPA in force
Figure 55: FIPA Agreements, Status of FIPA Negotiations and Free Trade Agreements81
The existence of a FIPA provides foreign governments with a set of rules and expectations for
fairness and transparency and gives investors additional confidence. MAC is pleased that ISDS
mechanisms remain part of Canada’s model FIPA agreement.
81 From the Global Affairs Canada Trade and Investment Agreements database.
Nova Scotia
St Barbara Limited Moose River Consolidated (P., C.) Upper Musquodoboit PM
Nova Scotia Power Inc. Glen Morrison (P.) Cape Breton IM
Antigonish Limestone Ltd. Southside Antigonish (P.) Southside Antigonish IM
Harbour Harbour
Nova Construction Ltd. Brierly Brook (P.) Antigonish IM
Mosher Limestone Company Limited Upper Musquodoboit (P.) Upper Musquodoboit IM
Lafarge Canada Inc. Brookfield (P., Plant) Brookfield IM
National Gypsum (Canada) Ltd. East Milford (P.) Milford IM
K+S Windsor Salt Ltd. Pugwash (U.) Pugwash IM
Compass Minerals Canada Corporation Amherst (Nappan) (Solution mining) Amherst IM
Kameron Collieries ULC Donkin (U.) Cape Breton Coal
Pioneer Coal Ltd. Stellarton (P.) Stellarton Coal
New Brunswick
Trevali Mining Corporation Caribou (P., U., C.) Bathurst BM
Graymont Inc. Havelock (P., Plant) Havelock IM
Graymont Inc. Springhill (P.) Havelock IM
Nutrien Ltd. New Brunswick (U.) Sussex IM
Hammond River Holdings Ltd. Upham East (P.) Upham IM
Brookville Manufacturing Company Brookville (P., Plant) Saint John IM
Elmtree Resources Ltd. Sormany (P., Plant) Sormany IM
Quebec
Rio Tinto Group Lac Tio (P.) Havre-Saint-Pierre OM
Champion Iron Ltd. Bloom Lake (P.) Fermont Iron ore
ArcelorMittal Mont-Wright (P., C.) Fermont Iron ore
Tata Steel Minerals Canada Limited DSO (Goodwood) (P.) Schefferville Iron ore
ArcelorMittal Fire Lake (P.) Fermont Iron ore
Magris Performance Materials Niobec (U., C.) Saint-Honoré-de- OM
Chicoutimi
Ontario
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Detour Lake (P., C.) Matagami PM
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Macassa (U., C.) Kirkland Lake area PM
McEwen Mining Inc. Black Fox (P., U., C.) Matheson PM
Alamos Gold Inc. Young-Davidson (U., C.) Kirkland Lake area PM
Glencore Canada Corporation Nickel Rim South (U.) Sudbury BM
Manitoba
Sinomine Resource Grp Co. Ltd. Tanco (U., C.) Lac-du-Bonnet BM
Vale Canada Limited Thompson (T-1 and T-3) (P., U., C.) Thompson BM
Hudbay Minerals Inc. Stall Lake (C.) Snow Lake BM, PM
Hudbay Minerals Inc. New Britannia (C.) Snow Lake BM, PM
Hudbay Minerals Inc. Lalor Lake (U.) Snow Lake BM, PM
Hudbay Minerals Inc. 777 (U., C.) Flin Flon BM
Graymont Inc. Faulkner (P., Plant) Faulkner IM
ERCO Worldwide Hargrave (U., Plant) Virden IM
Saskatchewan
SSR Mining Inc. Santoy (U.) Santoy Lake PM
SSR Mining Inc. Seabee (C.) Laonil Lake PM
Orano Canada Inc. McClean Lake (C.) McClean Lake Uranium
Cameco Corporation Cigar Lake (U.) Waterbury Lake Uranium
Cameco Corporation McArthur River (U.) north of Key Lake Uranium
Cameco Corporation Key Lake (C.) north of Highrock Lake Uranium
Nutrien Ltd. Rocanville (U., Plant) Rocanville IM
The Mosaic Company Esterhazy (K-3) (U., Plant) Esterhazy IM
Compass Minerals Canada Corporation Wynyard (Big Quill) (Plant) Wynyard IM
The Mosaic Company Belle Plaine (U., Plant) Belle Plaine IM
Nutrien Ltd. Lanigan (U.) Lanigan IM
K+S Potash Canada Bethune (U., Plant) Bethune IM
Nutrien Ltd. Allan (U., Plant) Allan IM
Nutrien Ltd. Patience Lake (U., Plant) Blucher IM
ERCO Worldwide Saskatoon facility (Solution mining, Saskatoon IM
Plant)
Saskatchewan Mining and Minerals Inc. Chaplin Lake (P., Plant) Chaplin IM
Nutrien Ltd. Cory (U., Plant) Cory IM
Nutrien Ltd. Vanscoy (U., Plant) Vanscoy IM
Compass Minerals Canada Corporation Unity (Solution mining) Unity IM
Westmoreland Coal Company Estevan (P.) Bienfait Coal
Westmoreland Coal Company Poplar River (P.) Coronach Coal
Alberta
K+S Windsor Salt Ltd. Lindbergh (Solution mining) Elk Point IM
Hammerstone Corporation Steepbank (P.) north of Fort McMurray IM
Jarodon Resources Ltd. Sunnynook (Solution mining) Cessford IM
Suncor Energy Inc. Fort McMurray West (P.) Fort McMurray IM
Ward Chemical Calling Lake (Solution mining) Calling Lake IM
Tiger Calcium Services Inc. Mitsue (Solution mining) Slave Lake IM
Graymont Inc. Exshaw (Gap) (P., Plant) Exshaw IM
British Columbia
New Gold Inc. New Afton (U., C.) Kamloops BM, PM
Copper Mountain Mining Corporation Copper Mountain (P., C.) Princeton BM
Teck Resources Limited Highland Valley (P., C.) Logan Lake BM
Imperial Metals Corporation Mount Polley (P., C.) northeast of Williams BM
Lake
Taseko Mines Limited Gibraltar (P., C.) north of Williams Lake BM
Centerra Gold Inc. Mount Milligan (P., C.) Fort St. James BM, PM
Trafigura Mining Group Myra Falls (U.) Strathcona BM, PM
Newcrest Mining Ltd. Red Chris (P., C.) Kinaskan Lake BM
Newcrest Mining Ltd. Brucejack (U., C.) Stewart PM
Baymag Inc. Mount Brussilof (P.) Mount Brussilof IM
CertainTeed Gypsum Canada, Inc. Elkhorn (P.) Windermere IM
Lafarge Canada Inc. Falkland (P., Plant) Falkland IM
Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. Bud (P.) Princeton IM
Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. Red Lake (P.) Kamloops IM
Imperial Limestone Co. Ltd. Van Anda (P.) Texada Island IM
Texada Quarrying Ltd. (Lafarge Canada Inc.) Texada (P.) Texada Island IM
Fireside Minerals Ltd. Fireside (P.) Fireside IM
Teck Resources Limited Line Creek (P.) Sparwood Coal
Teck Resources Limited Elkview (P.) Sparwood Coal
Teck Resources Limited Fording River (P.) Elkford Coal
Teck Resources Limited Greenhills (P.) Sparwood Coal
Conuma Coal Resources Ltd. Wolverine (P., Plant) Tumbler Ridge Coal
Conuma Coal Resources Ltd. Brule (P.) Tumbler Ridge Coal
Conuma Coal Resources Ltd. Willow Creek (P.) Chetwynd Coal
Yukon
Hecla Mining Company Keno Hill Silver District (U., C.) Mayo PM, BM
Victoria Gold Corporation Eagle (Dublin Gulch) (P., C.) Mayo PM
Minto Metals Corporation Minto (P., U., C.) Pelly Crossing BM
Nunavut
Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation Mary River (P.) Pond Inlet Iron ore
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Meliadine (P., U., C.) Rankin Inlet PM
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Meadowbank (C.) Baker Lake PM
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Amaruq (P., U.) Baker Lake PM
DIAMONDS STONE
000 carats $000 kilotonnes $000
Newfoundland x x
Prince Edward Island x x
Nova Scotia 9,128 x
New Brunswick 3,657 x
Quebec 1,825 219,000
Ontario 79,220 808,838
Manitoba 4,852 x
Saskatchewan x x
Alberta 5,097 x
British Columbia 12,672 x
Yukon
Northwest Territories 15,560 2,168,176 x x
Nunavut
Canada 17,385 2,387,176 116,323 1,168,926
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); bp Statistical Review of World Energy; World Nuclear Association; Kimberley Process
n.a. Not applicable.
Unit (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000)
METALLIC MINERALS
Cesium t x x x x x x x x x x
Cobalt t 4,005 118,114 3,907 137,844 4,339 156,720 4,216 149,145 3,704 290,783
Copper t 620,989 4,695,298 654,468 4,983,772 697,322 4,905,661 679,524 4,379,532 580,097 4,639,616
Gold kg 131,404 6,141,048 151,472 6,817,154 160,751 7,667,339 161,497 8,590,179 172,877 9,069,125
Ilmenite 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Indium kg x x x x x x x x x x
Iron ore5 000 t 42,063 5,348,433 43,173 4,173,516 46,220 2,854,585 46,731 3,165,022 50,300 4,693,042
Lead t 22,895 50,506 3,579 8,288 3,699 8,485 12,020 29,785 13,494 40,589
Lithium t - - x x - - - - - -
Molybdenum t 7,956 186,788 9,358 259,876 2,505 48,846 2,783 53,105 4,765 112,054
Nickel t 218,026 3,372,864 218,233 4,069,165 225,351 3,408,431 230,210 2,926,428 206,354 2,787,020
Niobium
t 4,916 x 5,774 x 5,385 x 6,099 x x x
(Columbium)
Platinum
kg 25,465 767,363 31,386 1,058,992 33,248 1,059,512 31,471 947,560 27,342 1,016,402
group
Selenium t 138 10,411 142 8,879 156 6,575 175 3,886 72 3,204
Silver t 620 489,872 472 320,274 371 239,656 385 282,666 368 261,688
Tantalum t 40 12,698 - - - - - - - -
Titanium
t
dioxide5
Uranium t 7,889 806,418 9,780 933,583 13,279 1,609,476 14,133 1,248,600 12,207 876,473
Zinc t 412,277 811,361 322,605 771,026 275,410 632,892 301,210 832,545 305,314 1,146,760
TOTAL, .. 23,497,305 .. 24,225,029 .. 23,125,240 .. 23,302,112 .. 25,738,171
METALLIC
MINERALS
Unit (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000)
METALLIC MINERALS
Antimony t 5 54 x x .. .. .. .. .. ..
Bismuth t 5 58 x x .. .. .. .. .. ..
Cadmium t 148 595 x x x x x x .. ..
Cesium t x x - - - - - - .. ..
Cobalt t 3,279 310,086 4,365 180,029 4,775 186,219 4,361 198,274 3,063 265,578
Copper t 527,510 4,422,120 551,562 4,293,553 574,818 4,211,626 520,682 4,507,058 529,007 6,029,912
Gold kg 191,882 10,118,125 190,412 11,461,406 174,526 13,252,137 214,592 13,716,908 203,879 13,168,359
Ilmenite 000 t x x x x x x x x .. ..
Indium kg x x 64,802 15,552 57,665 12,110 47,385 12,591 .. ..
Iron ore5 000 t 52,755 4,949,188 35,723 3,579,753 40,600 5,448,928 37,772 6,495,069 44,848 5,865,871
Iron, remelt 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Lead t 15,605 45,131 x x x x 68,660 32,112 6,891 17,083
Lithium t x x .. .. .. .. - - .. ..
Tellurium t x x x x x x x x - -
Titanium
t - - - - - - x x
dioxide5 - -
Tungsten t - - - - - - - -
- -
Uranium t 6,975 490,077 6,997 143,527 3,704 123,637 4,710 116,329 - -
Zinc t 287,632 1,087,538 263,941 840,313 229,713 597,106 300,207 630,725 5,100 660,172
TOTAL, .. 27,058,554 .. 29,496,447 .. 31,634,809 .. 35,656,938 207,200 772,820
METALLIC
MINERALS
NONMETALLIC MINERALS
Barite 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Carbonatite 000 t x x x x x x x x .. ..
Cement ¹ 000 t 12,022 1,618,827 12,136 1,692,131 12,334 1,689,851 11,820 1,615,674 - -
Chrysotile 000 t x x x x x x x x - -
Clay 000 t - - - - - - - - .. 147,131
Clay products ² 000 t .. 122,577 .. 118,012 .. 124,446 .. 140,122 23,199 2,677,723
Diamonds 000 ct 10,600 1,964,125 12,012 2,236,043 11,677 2,148,583 13,315 1,888,732 89 4,612
Gemstones t 554 4,607 6,919 5,991 8,233 7,953 154 5,852 14 20,336
Graphite 000 t x x x x x x x x 3,001 33,120
Gypsum ³ 000 t 1,837 25,872 1,793 25,474 1,726 19,675 1,679 17,655 1,842 336,642
Lime 000 t 1,856 308,127 1,995 344,816 1,852 335,489 1,807 330,366 x x
Magnesite 000 t x x x x x x x x - -
Marl 000 t - - - - - - - - x x
Mica 000 t x x x x x x x x 612 64,712
Nepheline syenite 000 t 646 72,911 654 83,805 614 97,880 571 81,219 1,459 330,991
Peat 000 t 1,173 213,798 1,178 249,078 1,297 257,030 1,452 330,653 - -
Phosphate 000 t x x - - - - - - - -
Potash (MOP) 000 t - - - - - - - - 12,563 4,371,065
Potash (K 2O) 4
000 t 10,196 5,768,609 10,818 5,581,264 11,462 6,132,751 10,790 3,735,632 x x
Potassium sulphate 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Pumice 000 t x x x x x x 5 273 2,540 99,278
Quartz (silica) ³ 000 t 2,331 80,064 2,011 90,441 2,053 107,377 2,256 95,614 11,424 476,674
Salt 000 t 12,244 655,848 14,473 752,321 14,343 791,980 10,252 445,891 231,219 2,095,005
Sand and gravel 000 t 241,113 1,941,867 223,407 1,831,464 228,030 1,884,531 280,550 2,398,633 215 51,754
Soapstone, talc,
000 t 175 34,223 90 38,985 175 50,335 199 55,513 x x
pyrophyllite
Sodium sulphate 000 t x x x x x x x x 169,518 1,747,125
Stone ³ 000 t 147,746 1,509,427 147,739 1,541,321 158,034 1,687,916 160,016 1,664,188 4,803 206,740
Sulphur, elemental 000 t 5,624 342,937 5,252 326,335 5,187 423,452 4,746 193,877 524 72,739
Sulphur, in smelter
000 t 677 129,197 590 100,125 558 114,383 635 110,307 - -
gas
Sulphuric Acid 000 t - - - - - - - - x x
Titanium dioxide 5
000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Wollastonite 000 t - - - - - - x x 1 5
Zeolite 000 t x x - - - - x x
TOTAL,
NONMETALLIC
.. 15,476,804 .. 15,778,620 .. 16,519,513 .. 13,724,154 .. ..
MINERALS
(including cement1)
TOTAL,
NONMETALLIC
.. 13,857,977 .. 14,086,489 .. 14,829,662 .. 12,108,480 .. 13,304,062
MINERALS
(excluding cement1)
Unit (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000)
NONMETALLIC MINERALS
Barite 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Carbonatite 000 t - - - - - - - - - -
Cement ¹ 000 t .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Chrysotile 000 t - - - - - - - - - -
Clay 000 t - - 364 1,216 196 x 218 1,927 219 2,080
Clay products ² 000 t .. 131,928 384 x 336 x 299 x 455 x
Diamonds 000 ct 22,789 2,704,302 18,363 2,301,989 14,293 1,332,035 17,593 1,840,664 17,385 2,387,176
Gemstones t 87 2,349 64 1,746 80 1,256 50 1,462 59 1,367
Graphite 000 t 11 19,156 11 x 8 x 13 x 13 17,680
Gypsum ³ 000 t 3,240 40,157 2,452 38,361 3,054 50,898 2,922 50,680 2,979 53,666
Lime 000 t 1,785 335,739 1,976 374,340 1,488 248,081 1,761 309,141 1,681 312,829
Magnesite 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Marl 000 t - - - - - - - - - -
Mica 000 t x x x x 15 x 15 x x x
Nepheline syenite 000 t 565 131,689 524 115,844 652 132,610 x x 691 140,494
Peat 000 t 1,306 314,924 1,422 352,637 1,618 390,577 1,581 303,052 1,921 351,989
Phosphate 000 t - - - - - - - - - -
Potash (MOP) 000 t - - 20,717 6,422,081 22,682 6,350,613 22,934 7,995,825 23,876 16,832,519
Potash (K2O) 4
000 t 14,024 5,726,798 12,686 - 13,904 - 14,047 - 14,646 -
Potassium sulphate 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Pumice 000 t x x x x x x x x x x
Quartz (silica) ³ 000 t 4,864 202,387 .. .. .. .. .. .. - -
Salt 000 t 10,713 488,535 11,798 577,942 12,643 551,441 11,102 428,887 14,402 584,348
Sand and gravel 000 t 245,815 2,284,402 193,017 1,921,544 196,393 1,959,738 202,678 1,988,922 204,410 2,023,080
Soapstone, talc,
000 t 279 42,635 x x x x x 51,651 x 51,050
pyrophyllite
Sulphur, in smelter
000 t 505 87,206 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
gas
TOTAL,
NONMETALLIC
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
MINERALS
(including cement ) 1
TOTAL,
NONMETALLIC
.. 15,530,709 .. 14,061,625 .. 12,279,531 .. 14,402,541 .. 24,180,545
MINERALS
(excluding cement1)
Unit (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000)
MINERAL FUELS
Coal 000 t 68,751 4,886,804 69,035 3,896,746 61,985 3,126,266 61,332 4,009,353 60,750 6,280,947
TOTAL MINERAL
68,751 4,886,804 69,035 3,896,746 61,985 3,126,266 61,332 4,009,353 60,750 6,280,947
FUELS
TOTAL MINERAL
PRODUCTION
.. 43,860,914 .. 43,900,395 .. 42,771,019 .. 41,035,618 .. ..
(including
cement1)
TOTAL MINERAL
PRODUCTION
.. 42,242,087 .. 42,208,264 .. 41,081,168 .. 39,419,944 .. 45,323,180
(excluding
cement1)
Unit (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000) (quantity) ($000)
MINERAL FUELS
Coal 000 t 54,599 6,459,413 51,746 5,625,050 40,824 3,956,724 38,229 6,828,995 39,468 12,654,895
TOTAL MINERAL
54,599 6,459,413 51,746 5,625,050 40,824 3,956,724 38,229 6,828,995 39,468 12,654,895
FUELS
TOTAL MINERAL
PRODUCTION
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
(including
cement1)
TOTAL MINERAL
PRODUCTION
(excluding .. 49,048,676 .. 49,381,494 .. 48,749,575 .. 58,586,393 .. 74,649,706
cement1)
Source: Natural Resources Canada, based on company reports and the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Annual Survey of Mines and Concentrators.
(1) No allowance is made for losses in milling, smelting and refining. Excludes material classified as “resources.”
(2) Includes metal in mines where production has been suspended temporarily.
(3) Excludes metal in placer deposits because reserves data are generally unavailable.
(r) Revised; (p) Preliminary.
Note: One tonne (t) = 1.1023113 short tons = 32 150.746 troy oz.
Metal Mines
2010 28,480 112,794
2011 29,905 116,443
2012 30,675 123,687
2013 39,380 119,323
2014 38,415 126,362
2015 34,295 131,212
2016 38,410 129,922
2017 39,825 127,297
2018 40,170 131,832
2019 41,850 137,625
2020 39,855 146,883
2021 40,285 146,020
2022 42,220 152,578
Non-metal Mines
2010 18,890 92,858
2011 19,210 99,497
2012 18,055 106,595
2013 21,865 99,767
2014 22,705 104,857
2015 22,695 108,073
2016 22,320 105,827
2017 24,045 105,804
2018 24,950 108,625
2019 24,745 107,533
2020 24,580 111,638
2021 26,005 111,007
2022 25,855 116,362
Coal Mines
2010 6,275 108,086
2011 6,985 113,346
2012 7,405 116,275
2013 9,670 117,430
2014 8,155 117,383
2015 6,435 125,063
2016 7,640 123,450
2017 7,390 127,417
2018 8,455 133,471
2019 8,590 133,996
2020 6,540 138,283
2021 7,670 136,033
2022 8,405 142,401
100 The Mining Association of Canada | The Mining Story 2024
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES COMPENSATION PER JOB (1)
Smelting & Refining (2)
2010 50,615 97,591
2011 53,325 100,644
2012 46,530 106,408
2013 46,225 110,169
2014 44,480 110,671
2015 45,305 111,496
2016 44,800 112,257
2017 45,160 116,382
2018 43,320 123,327
2019 41,890 126,766
2020 40,830 133,237
2021 48,950 128,284
2022 51,850 134,846
Total Mining, Smelting and Refining
2010 104,260 101,518
2011 109,425 105,571
2012 102,665 112,316
2013 117,140 111,904
2014 113,755 115,290
2015 108,730 117,803
2016 113,170 117,740
2017 116,420 118,631
2018 116,895 123,845
2019 117,075 127,113
2020 111,805 133,648
2021 122,910 130,925
2022 128,330 137,451
Sources: Statistics Canada; Natural Resources Canada. Table: 36-10-0489-01 (formerly CANSIM 383-0031)
(1) Compensation for Smelting and Refining and Total based on weighted average.
(2) Comprised of NAICS 3311, NAICS 3313, and NAICS 3314.
TOTAL MINING
DOMESTIC 79,539,494,276 12,868,390,508 12,123,146,761 10,539,360,092 6,902,502,529 31,171,054,822 153,143,948,988
EXPORTS
METALS
Aluminum 4,221,433,796 1,826,452,578 664,663,192 90,747,467 3,606,790,991 10,410,088,024
Antimony 5,798,720 26,387,573 3,055,544 - 4,634,712 39,876,549
Barium 5,263,935 2,519,418 680,862 - 174,365 8,638,580
Beryllium 850,345 1,199 28,781 - 10,995 891,320
Bismuth 2,150,633 436,192 934 - 121,556 2,709,315
Cadmium 6,187,499 560,058 8,876,697 2,196 40,751,010 56,377,460
Calcium metals 32,117,341 15,324,075 3,233,264 648,573 10,808,322 62,131,575
Chromium 8,899,118 7,176,376 33,158,722 480,750 98,578,202 148,293,168
Cobalt 48,020,187 76,259 32,321,071 18,273 34,081,362 114,517,152
Copper 2,977,618,795 285,697,990 305,357,472 143,068,821 2,332,462,800 6,044,205,878
Germanium 10,298,108 362,144 232,556 238 942,683 11,835,729
Gold 5,345,668,463 2,189,576 57,933,674 484,548,413 8,723,298,817 14,613,638,943
Hafnium 16,801 - - - - 16,801
Iron and steel 16,582,383,995 5,815,710,170 3,931,126,844 1,702,307,296 8,315,653,556 36,347,181,861
Iron ore 934,303,097 464 4,022,140 662 7,184,419 945,510,782
Lead 950,783,992 106,889,519 100,774,702 81,655,521 219,685,667 1,459,789,401
Lithium 237,179,259 121,718,658 13,092,654 235,779 101,594,440 473,820,790
Magnesium and magnesium
49,288,664 609,636,283 19,158,292 4,454,261 52,817,500 735,355,000
compounds
Manganese 98,799,878 85,347,889 11,135,567 18,112,235 323,893,608 537,289,177
Mercury 604,849 328,000 315,332 1,921,150 569,818 3,739,149
Molybdenum 34,905,120 5,243,362 2,233,536 18,370,942 45,621,072 106,374,032
Nickel 700,879,206 28,152,980 446,090,550 1,836,953 286,120,081 1,463,079,770
Niobium 693,237 - 50,336 - 43,015,831 43,759,404
Platinum group metals 1,449,160,680 183,175 724,280,192 2,455,211 1,421,456,880 3,597,536,138
Rare earth elements (REEs) 2,798,486 4,636,116 440,841 - 172,221 8,047,664
Rhenium 4,558 - 57,326 - 3 61,887
Selenium 6,020,192 8,915 219,246 189,146 6,547 6,444,046
Silicon 22,518,356 27,293,026 562,333 7 133,692,100 184,065,822
Silver 939,004,317 56,705,430 1,052,430,141 306,779,234 1,955,337,319 4,310,256,441
Strontium 14,063 8 554,320 419,659 - 988,050
Tantalum 1,955,130 351,434 30,994 - 48,936 2,386,494
Tellurium 64,282 16,764,691 405 - 14,294,423 31,123,801
Thallium 296 - 36 - 7 339
Tin 31,673,651 5,109,331 2,708,342 803,002 86,945,164 127,239,490
Titanium metal 138,701,986 68,786,310 28,029,978 212,793 104,265,713 339,996,780
Tungsten 45,660,520 8,023,167 1,666,672 13 4,393,119 59,743,491
Uranium and thorium 105,120,997 5,818,206 31,784,302 - 1,682,300,795 1,825,024,300
Vanadium 1,987,148 25,180,114 28,268,730 - 45,156,249 100,592,241
Zinc 1,006,858,846 13,524,743 72,876,533 129707644 613,098,826 1,836,066,592
Zirconium 59,288,443 274,709 1,938,113 - 4,050,465 65,551,730
Other metals 8,351,545,325 4,086,533,425 2,454,155,445 1,479,770,313 4,012,528,145 20,384,532,653
Grand Total 44,416,522,314 13,259,403,563 10,037,546,671 4,468,746,552 34,326,558,719 106,508,777,819