A REGION IN DEVELOPMENT
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 –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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Kinross Gold Corp. is a gold exploration company that is developing the Great Bear Project situated south of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada.
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.
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.
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%.
Is a gold exploration company that is developing the Donna Lake Gold Project situated south east of Armstrong, Ontario, Canada.
Rock Tech Lithium is a lithium exploration company developing the Georgia Lake Project that is situated north east of Thunder bay, Ontario, Canada.
Silver Lake Resources is a gold mining company that operates the Sugar Zone Mine located north of White River, Ontario, Canada.
Ultra Lithium is a lithium exploration company developing the Georgia Lake Project that is situated west of Thunder bay, Ontario, Canada.
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.
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.
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.
Developments in Critical Minerals
Critical minerals consist of the metals cobalt, copper, nickel, uranium, lithium, magnesium, platinum group metals, rare earth elements and others, and are vital in aerospace, telecommunications, computing, and an array of clean technology industries.
Canada ranks among the top five exports of various critical minerals including platinum group metals, nickel, cobalt, and graphite.
Northwestern Ontario currently has many advanced critical mineral exploration sites, including lithium, graphite, copper and platinum group metals (palladium) providing an opportunity for the province to become a leading jurisdiction in critical mineral production.
Critical minerals like lithium and graphite also require processing of the raw mined material to create a useable product, presenting an opportunity for Northwestern Ontario to become a leader in the chemical processing and conversion of critical minerals to provide products for clean technologies such as batteries for electric vehicles and large scale electrical grid energy storage.
Avalon Advanced Materials continue with plans to advance the Separation Rapids Lithium Deposit, located north of Kenora. A 5000 tonne bulk sample will be extracted in 2021 for petalite (lithium mineral) processing in a pilot plant. A Feasibility Study will commence for a planned Thunder Bay/FWFN lithium plant location . Rock Tech Lithium has a previously signed joint venture– Letter of Intent in place. In addition, Avalon has other critical element and rare earth element projects in Ontario.
Clean Air Metals released a new palladium/platinum resource for the Thunder Bay North Project (located just north of the city) and a Technical Report completed by Nordmin Engineering. Diamond drilling is underway at Escape Lake and on geophysical targets. On March 18 the company reported a drill intersection of massive sulphides. Metallurgical testing and ramp development planning are in the works.
The Mavis Lake Lithium Project is located approximately 19km east-northeast of the township of Dryden in North-Western Ontario. Dryden provide a logistics and support base for the exploration and development efforts at Mavis Lake, making for a low cost operation.
Learn more: https://www.criticalresources.com.au/projects/lithium-portfolio-ontario-canada/
Frontier Lithium released a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) illustrating a 27% Internal Rate of Return for a proposed lithium mine ( located north of Red Lake), right through and including a lithium hydroxide chemical/hydromet plant facility, to be built on the Great Lakes. The lithium spodumene (lithium mineral) resource combines the two adjacent orebodies, PAK and Spark The PEA speaks to a an estimated life of mine (LOM) of 26 years. Exploration continues on a 3rd lithium target called “Bold”.
Generation Mining released a positive Feasibility Study (FS) in Q1 for the Marathon Palladium-Copper Deposit, located just north of Marathon, ON. The mine project has a 14 year mine life and will employ approximately 365 employees. Federal Environmental Assessment is scheduled for much of 2021.
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: https://www.greentm.com.au/seymour-project
Impala Canada will be drilling 50,000 metres during 2021, with a goal of doubling the Lac des Iles Mine life. Diamond drilling is focused on brownfields palladium zones proximal to the mine.
LiCAN owns 100% interest in 5 promising Lithium Projects over 19,000 Ha, in most prolific Emerging LCT-Pegmatite Fields in NW Ontario.
Learn more: https://lican.ca/
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.
Our Eagle’s Nest project is a high-grade nickel, copper and platinum group element (PGE) deposit. This deposit has the potential to be a catalyst for developing additional downstream processing capability in Ontario and establishing the Province as a globally-significant producer of battery materials.
In April 2022, Wyloo Metals, an Australian-based company, completed its acquisition of Ring of Fire Metals, formerly Noront Resources. Wyloo Metals explores for, develops and invests in the next generation of mines that will produce the raw materials needed for a clean and sustainable future.
Rock Tech Lithium continues with a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) to advance the Georgia Lake Lithium Deposit, located south of Beardmore, as well as work toward establishing a lithium chemical plant in Thunder Bay. The facility would receive lithium concentrate from Georgia Lake and produce lithium sulphate for the electric vehicle battery industry. Site selection and establishing key management personnel in Thunder Bay is underway. ALS Chemex Laboratories (Perth)has been hired to work through pilot plant work.
Georgia Lake Project Highlights
- 100% ownership of 16 mineral claims covering 2,416 Ha land in 151 units
- Located in the Thunder Bay Mining Division, Ontario, Canada
- Stable and favourable mining jurisdiction
- Excellent infrastructure
- Located near provincial Highway 11
- 145 km from deep water port in Thunder Bay
- Power within 8 km
- Mining personnel and contractors available locally.
Learn more: https://ultralithium.com/projects/georgia-lake-lithium-pegmatites/
Zen Graphene Solutions is patenting a biocidal graphene application to treat PPE gloves and masks against COVID19, and is working with researchers on bacteria resistance applications . The company has a significant R&D pipeline with an interest in monomers, polymers, metal alloys, corrosion coatings, biosensors, along with the production of graphene oxide and graphene quantum dots. Source graphite/graphene is sources from a bulk sample garnered from coarse diameter drilling on the company’s Constance Lake FN/Hearst area graphite deposit. Environmental baseline work is underway on the deposit. An implementation agreement was recently signed with Constance Lake First Nation.
Government Initiatives
ADDRESSING ENERGY DEMAND
East-West Tie Electricity Transmission Project
The East-West Tie transmission project is a new 450 km long, double circuit, 230 kV line being installed between Wawa and Thunder Bay with a connection midway in Marathon. The project, valued at $777 million, began in late 2019 and is complete. The new transmission line is intended to ensure long-term reliability of electricity in Northwestern Ontario, including the mining sector which is expected to drive electricity demand growth over the next decade.
Wataynikaneyap Electricity Transmission Project
Waasigan Transmission Line Project
The Waasigan Transmission Line is a proposed new double-circuit 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line between Lakehead Transformer Station (TS) in the Municipality of Shuniah and Mackenzie TS in the Town of Atikokan, and a new single-circuit 230 kV transmission line between Mackenzie TS and Dryden TS in the City of Dryden.
The project is currently undergoing public and stakeholder consultation for the environmental assessment, which is slated to be complete by 2024 prior to any construction beginning.
