Northwestern Ontario is the next Mining Powerhouse!

As a regional exploration hub, mining is big business in Thunder Bay. Approximately 850 Thunder Bay residents work at mines, and 500 Thunder Bay mine service and supply companies support mining. In recent years, new discoveries and a strong metals market, have driven interest in exploration and mining in Northwestern Ontario.

Visit the Thunder Bay Mining Sector Supply & Services Directory for information on companies based in the Thunder Bay census metropolitan area (CMA) that supplies goods and services to the sector. The directory provides comprehensive contact information for the companies, interactive maps and is web linked (where available) to corporate websites.

Mining Projects

Mining Job Bank

Mining Resources

Mining and Exploration Summary for Northern Ontario

Mineral exploration, development and production remain intense in Northwestern Ontario, led by gold, palladium and lithium mainly. One example is Red Lake District, as one of the most active exploration/mining districts in Canada.

Below is a list of some of the exploration & mining companies operating in the region:

Auteco Minerals

Auteco Minerals continue with a 45,000 metre drill program on the Pickle Lake Mine Project. A 1.3 million ounce gold resource already exists.

Avalon Advanced Materials - Rock Tech Lithium

Avalon Advanced Materials – Rock Tech Lithium signed a collaboration agreement to develop a lithium chemical facility (convertor) in Thunder Bay. Rock Tech is raising over $8M to conduct a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for such a facility, as well as mine site (Georgia Lake) work including permitting. Plan would be to concentrate lithium ore at the Georgia Lake and Separation Rapids deposits prior to shipment of the con to Thunder Bay.

Battle North Mine Corp.

Battle North Mine Corp. raised $40M for mine construction at the Bateman Gold Project, Red Lake. Initial production could start in 2021; mill and shaft development (headframe) were previously installed.

Barrick Gold-Hemlo

Barrick Gold-Hemlo are mining underground(open pit mining suspended) through contract miner Barminco, and aggressively exploring in the district, acquiring MetalCorp and Melkior’s claims located east of the Williams Mine.

Clean Air Metals

Clean Air Metals will release a new technical report high-lighting a new palladium-platinum resource for the Thunder Bay North Deposits (Current Lake and Escape Lake Deposits) in Q1 and a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) as well, in Q2.

First Mining Gold

First Mining Gold hold the 4.67 M ounce Springpole Lake Gold Deposit, located northeast of Red Lake. First Majestic Silver Corp. signed a silver streaming deal; PFS studies, diamond drilling and access planning , are all underway.

Frontier Lithium

Frontier Lithium hold the large PAK-SPARK lithium deposits, located north of Red Lake. A PEA commenced in 2020. 11.7 M tonnes at a grade of 1.59-1.80 % Li20 have been drilled off. Frontier in Q1 announced the commencement of a mini-pilot plant operation with XPS-Glencore.

Generation Mining

Generation Mining hold one of the largest undeveloped palladium resources in Canada (4.3 M ounces) located north of Marathon. The Feasibility Study (FS) (the deposit contains copper and palladium)will be complete in Q1, and the Federal Environmental Assessment (Joint Review Panel) re-commenced in 2020.

Great Bear Resources

Great Bear Resources on their Dixie Project-Red Lake , continued with one of Ontario’s largest exploration drill programs. A 22 km strike length and 4 major gold zones are being systematically drilled off. Baseline environmental work has commenced.

Equinox Gold - Greenstone Gold

GREENSTONE PROJECT

One of the most attractive development assets in Canada

Greenstone is a fully permitted, construction-ready, multi-million-ounce gold project located in the top-tier mining jurisdiction of Ontario, Canada. With average annual production of more than 240,000 ounces attributable to Equinox Gold, Greenstone will be a cornerstone asset in the Company’s portfolio.

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Evolution Mining—Red Lake Mine

Red Lake – a cornerstone Evolution asset being restored into a premier Canadian gold mine

The Red Lake operation is located in north-western Ontario and is situated in one of the highest-grade Archean gold camps in Canada.

Since production commenced in 1949, the combined Red Lake Operation has produced more than 25Moz of gold at an average grade in excess of 20g/t.

Red Lake hosts a large Mineral Resource of 11.1Moz and Ore Reserve of 2.9Moz and has the third highest Ore Reserve grade of operating mines in Canada of 6.9g/t gold.¹

Learn more by visiting: https://evolutionmining.com.au/red-lake/

Greenstone Gold Mines

Greenstone Gold Mines 50% owner Premier Gold Mines released an optimized FS for the massive Hardrock Gold Deposit located at Geraldton. It is projected that the 5.5 M ounce open pit deposit will deliver a 20.1% Internal rate of Return (IRR) for the 14 year Life of Mine (LOM). In late 2021,Orion Mine Finance purchased Centerra’s 50% of the project and Equinox Gold purchased Premier Gold Mines (the company) outright! The latter deal will be consummated in Q1. A construction date for the $952M mine build, is thought to be imminent.

Harte Gold

Harte Gold completed the first full year of gold production at the Sugar Zone Mine, located north of White River. 25,649 ounces were produced in 2020, a total that exceeded guidance. $5M is committed to ongoing exploration, and the future may see mill expansion from 800t/day to 1200 t/day.

Impala Canada

Impala Canada Lac des Iles Mine, has surpassed 25 years of continuous production. As one of Canada’s largest underground mines, palladium concentrate production will be ramped up incrementally, going forward.

Landore Resources

Landore Resources are drilling 15 exploration holes into potential extensions of the BAM Gold Deposit, located ENE of Armstrong. An updated Mineral Resource Estimate and PEA will follow.

New Gold Inc.

New Gold Inc., led by contractor Cementation, continued to drive a decline into the Intrepid Deposit located east of the mill at the Rainy River Mine, Emo. The decline was down approximately 500 metres at press time.

Newmont Corporation

Newmont Corporation commissioned the new underground conveyor and materials handling system at Musselwhite Mine in December.

Metals Creek

On June 12, 2019 Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSX-V: MEK) announced it has signed an option agreement with Newmont in which Metals Creek can earn a one hundred percent interest in the Dona Lake Gold Property located in Pickle Lake mining district, 9 km southeast of the town of Pickle Lake, Northwestern Ontario. The Property consists of 32 patented and leased mining claims totaling approximately 430.1 hectares and covers the past producing Dona Lake Mine. The Dona Lake Mine, an underground operation from 1989 to 1994 produced 246,500 ounces of gold at a grade of 7.44 grams per tonne. In 1994, when the mine closed, the average gold price was approximately $383.23 (US) per ounce. The Pickle Lake Greenstone Belt is host to several historic mines including the Dona Lake mine, the Central Patricia mine and the Pickle Crow mine. Dona Lake is accessible by an all-weather road southeast from the Town of Pickle Lake.

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Premier Gold

Premier Gold at the Hasaga Gold Project, Red Lake, continues to evaluate the underground potential of the Epp-C and Epp-D zones via the drill!

Ring of Fire Metals

Ring of Fire Metals holds the most important mineral deposits in the Ring of Fire region, located in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario. We are committed to responsibly developing critical minerals, such as nickel, copper, cobalt, chrome, platinum and palladium that are needed to support the transition to a low-carbon future.

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Treasury Metals

Treasury Metals acquired the Goldlund Gold Deposit from First Mining Gold, located northeast, and virtually adjoining their Goliath Deposit, east of Dryden. Diamond drilling is being conducted and a new technical report on the former will be released. A PFS/FS is underway at Goliath.