Authored by John Mason, D.Sc., P. Geo., and backed by the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission, this article offers a comprehensive overview of mining and exploration activity in Northwestern Ontario for the first quarter of 2026.
New Gold Inc. reported Q4 gold production at their Rainy River Mine, with 94,423 ounces of gold produced. 2025 production totals at the mine were 290,236 ounces. On March 20th Coeur Mining completed acquisition of New Gold Inc.
Equinox Gold stated that forecast annual gold production for the Greenstone Mine for the next ten years is 320,000 ounces, with mill recovery at 87.5%. Head grade is 1.16 g/t gold. Proven and probable reserves are 5.3 million ounces of gold. Opportunities include future underground development beneath the pit and down plunge, mill expansion, as well as development of the Brookbank, Kailey, and Key Lake gold deposits all within trucking distance of the Greenstone Gold Mill.
West Red Lake Gold Mines declared commercial production at the Madsen Mine as of January 12,2026. Mill rate was 689 tonnes/day for December. Head grades exceed 6 g/t gold. Mill feed is mainly from the 4447 area of the South Austin Zone. West Red Lake Gold is also working on a “ production hub” thematic with the Rowan Project part of future production. Exploration in March focused on the Fork Deposit located 250 m. south-west of Madsen, structurally within concurrent shear zones.
Orla Mining produced 203,856 ounces of gold in 2025. The company continued with exploration drill success at the Musselwhite Mine. A two-kilometre mineralized down plunge trend is returning high grade diamond drill results, including 5.0 metres grading 5.57 g/t gold. In addition, underground drilling from the Red Wings, Lynx, West Limb and PQE zones support production as well as growth. 9.0 metres of 22.1 g/t was drill intersected in the Lynx Zone.
Hemlo Mining Corp. announced on January 15th that Garett Macdonald had been appointed VP Operations and GM at the Hemlo Mine. The mine has 14 years of reserves. Historic gold production at Hemlo dates back to 1985 and totals over 25 million ounces. Hemlo Mining Corp. announced that 130,000 m. of exploration drilling would be undertaken, designed to extend mine life LOM (life of mine) ,de-risk near term, and identify opportunities.
Alamos Gold completed an Expansion Study on February 3rd, illustrating expansion of the Magino Mill to 20,000 tonnes per day, with 3,000 tonnes per day to come from underground and 17,000 tonnes per day to come from open pit. Alamos Gold produced 250,400 ounces of gold at the Island Gold District in 2025. Grade of Island Gold was 11.69 g/t gold and 1.34 g/t gold at Magino. Mine and mill rate at Island Gold is 1220 tonnes per day and 8625 tonnes per day at Magino. Shaft expansion will continue.
Wesdome Gold have undertaken an aggressive exploration program at the Eagle River Mine. The Mishi-Magnacon trend within the Mishibishu Deformation Zone ( including the Eagle River Splay-North Diorite Area) is the focus for structural mapping, ground geophysics and exploration drilling. Geological and resource modelling is underway in Q1. Eagle River Mine produced 112,767 ounces of gold in 2025.Development expansion was undertaken into the 300 Zone and mill capacity has increased.
Evolution Mining announced gold production for 2025 at the Red Lake Mine of 127,632 ounces, from Campbell and Red Lake mills. The mine has LOM forecast until 2040 and employs 630 employees and 480 contractors. Ore reserve stands at 14 million tonnes, grading 4.2 g/t, for 2 million ounces of contained gold.
Impala Canada, at the Lac des Iles Mine, will continue to operate until 2027. The mine, one of North America’s few pure palladium producers, will continue to advance long-term tailings solutions.
Wyloo is currently updating its Feasibility Study for the Eagle’s Nest Project, which is due for completion around Spring 2026. Following this, Wyloo will evaluate next steps, including project development timelines, which are predicated on consultation with First Nation communities, as well as a stringent permitting process and all required federal and provincial permits, meeting Canada’s high environmental standards. The recent announcement by the Ontario Government, Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation of the accelerated completion of the roads leading to the Ring of Fire demonstrates how coordinated action can advance Ontario’s critical minerals potential and support sustainable growth in the region.
Juno Corporation, solidified its position as the largest claim holder in the Ring of Fire, holding over 25,000 mining claims covering 5,333 sq.km.11,000 line km of Airborne Magnetic (AM) and Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) surveys have been completed on the North Arm. Drilling has been initiated at Pluto and North Edge following an IP survey. An Airborne Magnetotelluric (MT) Survey was completed.
Nexgold Mining Corp. initiated a 25,000 m. drill program at the Goliath Gold Complex, specifically at the Goldlund Deposit. The program is designed to infill, and potentially expand the open pit resource. Hole GL-25-010 encountered 9.3 g/t gold over 11.0 metres. In addition, advancing environmental baseline and technical studies in collaboration with indigenous communities is a goal for the entire Goliath Complex.
Dryden Gold issued their 2026 game plan which includes: exploring/growing the former Gold Rock Mine area, specifically the Elora to Big Master Trend, follow up drilling at Mud Lake, Hyndman and Sherridon, and interpretation and execution of a plan specific to the soil-till regional geochemistry program. Total drill allocation is estimated at 25,000m. March 2nd drill results included Hole DDGR-031 (Gap 2) which tested from the footwall of the Elora Zone to the hanging wall of the Big Master Zone, and intersected 15 mineralized structures.
First Mining Gold released a Socio-Economic Analysis for the Springpole Gold Project. The Federal/Provincial EA process, which commenced in 2018, is forecast to conclude in Q2 2026. Springpole construction has a forecast CAPEX of $1.1B U.S. and a 9 year LOM. 2.6 million ounces of gold will be mined/milled.
Minister Stephen Lecce announced the Ontario government is accelerating Kinross Gold Corporation’s Great Bear Project under the ‘One Project, One Process’ (1P1P) framework, the first gold mine, and the third project overall to be accepted under the new framework. Kinross continued with detailed engineering for the future open pit, mill and related infrastructure including the tailings management facility (TMA). Construction will commence in 2027. Annual production will be 518,000 ounces of gold.
Avalon Advanced Materials announced the commencement of Feasibility Study engineering for its Lake Superior Inc. lithium hydroxide refinery, located at the Strathcona Site, Thunder Bay. Nordmin Engineering is the lead, responsible for the overall project as well as for processing plant design and site infrastructure. Primero Americas, Krech Ojard and Associates and Metso are collaborators.
Frontier Lithium signed process agreements with Deer Lake and Sandy Lake First Nations; goal is to share information related to technical and permitting stages to PAK production. PAK has a 31 year mine life (LOM) ,CAPEX of $943M ,and is categorized under the One Project One Process (1P1P) framework.200,000 tonnes per year of spodumene will be destined for the Thunder Bay lithium refinery, once constructed. The Ontario government, in partnership with the Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority, Pikangikum First Nation and the Government of Canada, has begun construction on a new permanent bridge across the Berens River that will provide year-round access to Pikangikum First Nation and assist Frontier.
Green Technology Metals announced that Export Development Canada (EDC) has extended a Letter of Interest for potential mine development financing of up to $100M for the Seymour Lithium Project.
GoldX2 released a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and revised Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Moss Gold Project, on January 26th. PEA results reflect the potential for a top 10 producing gold mine in Canada with estimated average annual payable gold production of approximately 265,000 ounces and silver production of 374,000 ounces respectively, over an initial 13.2 year LOM. Over 100,000 metres of exploration drilling has been completed. The deposit hosts 6.74 million ounces of gold, in the indicated and inferred categories.
Thunder Gold released a new MRE on January 26th for the Tower Mountain Gold Property. Indicated Resource stands at 34.5 million tonnes averaging 0.46 g/t Au (514,000 oz. Au), with an Inferred Resource of 211.1 million tonnes averaging 0.45 g/t Au (3,053,000 oz. Au). Exploration and definition drilling continued throughout part of Q1. One of the goals is to increase geological confidence of the gold mineralization occurring adjacent to the western contact of the Tower Mountain Intrusive Complex.
Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. , with respect to the Ishkoday Project, located northeast of Beardmore will complete two technical reports including: a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in Q4 , and a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). Laurion plans up to 50,000 m. of drilling on the 6 km Ishkoday structural corridor, starting with the A Zone , Sturgeon River Gold Mine and previously identified IP targets.
Clean Air Metals were approved for up to $200,000 from the Ontario Junior Exploration Program for exploration at Thunder Bay North. The company will pursue: advancing a stand-alone mill case, developing a metallurgical program, completing early design for road and transmission with indigenous partners, and completing Advance Exploration for a future ramp/bulk sample and refining the exploration scope for the next phase of the Escape down-plunge exploration program.
Generation Mining have engaged Ausenco as the Engineering Procurement and Construction Management Partner (EPCM) for the Marathon Copper-Palladium Project. Biigtigong Nishnaabeg(Pic River) First Nation, indigenous partner, invested $750,000 in Generation Mining. The company raised $34.5M early in 2026. The after-tax Net Present Value (NPV) for the Marathon Project is $1.07B, with a 28% Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The deposit hosts 2.6 million ounces of palladium and 532 million lbs of copper. All permits have been secured and the project is shovel ready.
Delta Resources, at the Shabaqua Project, reported gold drill intercepts located 1.3 km west of the Eureka Gold Deposit, . Hole D1-25-150 returned 4.25 g/t over 11.8 m. 2026 calls for extensive fieldwork in the I-Zone /Crayfish Creek Fault sector, aimed at defining targets that demonstrate the strongest geological potential .Further in-fill and step-out drilling will be undertaken around the Eureka Gold Discovery trend and at Shabaqua (west of Thunder Bay), with the goal of delivering a maiden NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate later in the year.
Bellavista Resource has acquired Firefly Metal’s 70% ownership of the Pickle Crow Project for $86.1 M (Australian Dollars). Bellavista plans to advance exploration at Pickle Crow, which currently hosts an inferred mineral resource of 11.9 million tonnes grading 7.2 g/t gold for 2.8-million ounces.
New Age Metals has acquired, via staking, the Escape East Project, a 100%-owned platinum group metals–nickel–copper (PGM–Ni–Cu) exploration property, located adjacent to the Thunder Bay North Project operated by Clean Air Metals Inc., which hosts the Current Lake and Escape Lake platinum group metal deposits. New Age Metals has also staked magmatic targets near Lac des Iles and Fishtrap Lake.
Labrador Gold holds the Watson Project, a joint venture with Nemo Resources Inc., representing the largest landholding in the Fort Hope Greenstone Belt, the east portion of the Uchi Subprovince (Red Lake GSB).
Ontario announced awards through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP) to the following exploration companies active in Northwestern Ontario: Bold Ventures, Clean Air Metals, Delta Resources, Dryden Gold, Imagine Lithium, Landore Resources, Riverside Resources, Thunder Gold Corp, Tombill Exploration, Transition Metals and Wabassi Resources.
