Northwestern Ontario is the next Mining Powerhouse

Map of mining & exploration project in Northwestern Ontario

Thunder Bay is a key regional exploration hub, distinguished by its flourishing mining industry comprising 9 active mines and over 15 major exploration projects. This robust sector is supported by a network of 400+ local mine service and supply companies. Recent discoveries have sparked heightened interest in exploration and mining throughout Northwestern Ontario, prompting intensified activities in gold, palladium, and lithium extraction. Thunder Bay’s economy is both diverse and modern, anchored by abundant natural resources, innovative SMEs, and state-of-the-art research capabilities. Ongoing research and innovation initiatives are breathing new life into traditional natural resource sectors, contributing to the region’s dynamic economic landscape.

Get connected with our local service & supply companies

Mining Overview

0
Active Mines
0 +
Advanced Mining Projects
0 +
Mine Service & Supply Companies
$ 0 M
GDP to Thunder Bay’s economy

Connect with our Business Development Team

Lucy Kwiaton

Lucy Kwiaton 
Business Development Manager 
Tel: (807) 633-2566
Email: Lucy.Kwiaton@thunderbay.ca

MIke's professional headshot

Mike Barten 
Sr. Business Development Officer 
Tel: (807) 630-4468
Email: mike.barten@thunderbay.ca

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:

Avalon Advanced Materials

Avalon Advanced Materials –New Drill Program Highlights:
• 8,000m drilling program intended to upgrade the Inferred resources to Indicated status
• Potential increase of the total lithium resource available in the open pit and underground portions of
the project
• C$3.6M (€2.51M) of capital budget with an estimated program duration of four months
• First major capital initiative funded by the new Avalon-Sibelco joint venture

Learn more

Barrick Gold-Hemlo

Barrick Gold- Hemlo has produced more than 21 million ounces of gold, and has been operating continuously for more than 30 years. Located just north of Lake Superior on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 35 kilometres east of Marathon, Ontario, it’s currently an underground operation.

Learn more.

Battery Age Minerals

Battery Age Minerals is a battery mineral focused company targeting increased shareholder value through the rapid growth of our primary Falcon Lake Lithium Project located in Ontario, Canada

Learn more.

Clean Air Metals

Clean Air Metals – is a palladium-platinum exploration company developing the Thunder Bay North Deposits Projects (Current Lake and Escape Lake Deposits) that is situated northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Learn more

Critical Resources

The Mavis Lake Lithium Project is located approximately 19km east-northeast of the township of Dryden in North-Western Ontario. Dryden provide a ligsitcs and support base for the exploration and development efforts at Mavis Lake, making for a low cost operation. The Project has immediate road accessibility to Trans-Canada Highway 17 as well as the Canadian national rail line, both of which provide established inbound and outbound logistics routes for major equipment, mining fleet and in due course, product logistics.

Learn more

Equinox Gold

Greenstone is a multi-million-ounce gold project located in the top-tier mining jurisdiction of Ontario, Canada. With 400,000 ounces of gold to be produced annually for the first five years (60% attributable to Equinox Gold), Greenstone will be a cornerstone asset in the Company’s portfolio.

Greenstone is located in Geraldton, Ontario, approximately 275 km northeast of Thunder Bay.

Learn more

Evolution Mining

The Red Lake operation is an underground gold mine in north western Ontario, situated in one of the highest grade Archean gold camps in Canada. Acquired in April 2020, an operational transformation plan is underway to restore Red Lake to a premier Canadian gold mine with the goal of producing 300,000+ ounces per annum from FY27.

Learn more

FireFly Metals

FireFly Metals

FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX:FFM) is an emerging copper-gold company focused on advancing the high-grade Green Bay Copper-Gold project in Newfoundland, Canada.

The Green Bay Copper-Gold Project currently hosts a mineral resource prepared in accordance with Canadian NI 43-101 of 39.2Mt at 2.1% for 811,000t CuEq. The Company has clear strategy to rapidly grow the coppergold resource to demonstrate a globally significant copper-gold asset. FireFly Metals intends to immediately commence a 40,000m diamond drilling program.

FireFly Metals also holds a 70% interest in the high-grade Pickle Crow Project in the world-class Uchi sub-province of Ontario, Canada. Pickle Crow hosts a JORC Resource of 2.8 Moz at 7.2 g/t gold as at May 2023, making it one of the highest grade gold resources globally.

Pickle Crow is one of Canada’s highest-grade gold mines – historically producing 1.5 million ounces at 16 g/t gold.

Learn more

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.

Learn more.

Frontier Lithium

Frontier Lithium is an emerging lithium mineral and salts company focused on the development of its 100%-owned PAK Lithium Project in Ontario.

The PAK-SPARK Project that is situated approximately north of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada.

Learn more

Generation Mining

Generation Mining Generation Mining is developing the 100%-owned Marathon Palladium-Copper project in Northwestern Ontario. A 2023 updated Feasibility Study shows a a $1.16 billion net present value (6%), a 25.8% internal rate of return, and a 2.3-year payback at a US$1800 palladium and US$3.70 copper price. 

Learn more

Green Technology Metals

The Seymour Project is located near the township of Armstrong and approximately 250km north of the city and port of Thunder Bay which has a long mining history and a base for geological and mining contractors.

Learn more

Impala Canada

Impala Canada’s Lac des Iles Mine, a palladium operation with more than 25 years of production in a low-risk jurisdiction northwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario, employs over 700 employees and features a unique, world-class ore body and modern infrastructure, including both an underground mine and surface operations. The mine is also noted for its advanced underground technologies and significant exploration portfolio.

Learn more

Kinross Gold Corp.

Kinross Gold Corp. is a gold exploration company that is developing the Dixie Lake Project situated south of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada.

Learn more

Landore Resources

Landore Resources – The Junior Lake Property consists of 30,507 hectares and is located in the province of Ontario, Canada, approximately 235 kilometres north-northeast of Thunder Bay. It is host to: The BAM Gold Deposit; the B4-7 Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-Platinum-Palladium-Gold Deposit; the VW Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Deposit; Lamaune Gold Prospect; the Lamaune Iron Prospect and numerous other precious and base metal occurrences.

Learn more

New Gold Inc.

The Rainy River mine is located approximately 65 kilometres northwest of Fort Frances, Ontario. The site is situated on the traditional lands of Treaty #3 Anishinaabe Communities in Northwestern Ontario.

Learn more

Newmont Corporation

Musselwhite is a fly-in, fly-out operation located approximately 500 kilometers north of Thunder Bay, Canada.

Musselwhite’s ore is mined from two main zones below Lake Opapimiskan. Ore is processed onsite using a circuit that includes crushing, grinding, leaching by cyanidation, carbon in pulp recovery and electrowinning. Gold recoveries are 96%.

Learn more

Metals Creek

Is a gold exploration company that is developing the Donna Lake Gold Project situated south east of Armstrong, Ontario, Canada.

Learn more

Rock Tech Lithium

Rock Tech Lithium is a lithium exploration company developing the Georgia Lake Project that is situated north east of Thunder bay, Ontario, Canada.

Learn more.

Silver Lake Resources

Silver Lake Resources is a gold mining company that operates the Sugar Zone Mine located north of White River, Ontario, Canada.

Learn more.

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.
Ultra Lithium

Ultra Lithium is a lithium exploration company developing the Georgia Lake Project that is situated west of Thunder bay, Ontario, Canada.

Learn more

Volta Metals

Project Highlights 

  • Volta owns 100% Options interest in claims that straddle the emerging Seymour, Crescent and Falcon Pegmatite fields, approx 1,311 Ha (13 km2) land package.
  • Discovered 6 Lithium bearing Spodumene pegmatites.
  • Inaugural drilling returned up to 1.50% Li2O over 5.15m and 1.24% Li2O over 15.6m
  • Permits and FN Agreements in place.
  • Multiple high potential targets identified from recent soil and magnetics data.
  • Road accessible in Greenstone belt hosts multiple Lithium showings and deposits.
  • Mineralization remains open for expansion North and South as well as West.

Learn more

West Red Lake Gold

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 sq-Km highly prospective land package in the Red Lake Gold District of Ontario. The highly productive Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the world’s richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 sq-Km including three past producing gold mines – Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit.

Learn more

Wyloo

Wyloo’s flagship project in the Ring of Fire region of Northern Ontario is the Eagle’s Nest Project, one of the most significant, undeveloped, high-grade nickel, copper and platinum group element (PGE) deposits in the world. Once in production, Eagle’s Nest will be the first critical mineral deposit mined in the region.

Learn more

Mining Service & Supply Spotlight

The Mine Service and Supply Spotlight is focused on sharing your expertise, feedback, and testimonials of your experiences in the Mining and Exploration industry.

If you are a local service or supply company in the mining industry we want to put you in the spotlight.

Our Mining Readiness Strategy is available in:
English, French and Ojibway.
Translate »
Skip to content