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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 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 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 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.
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.
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/
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.
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.
Indigenous Success Stories

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