The Ontario government is accelerating Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford Nickel Project under its new One Project, One Process framework, a move expected to create more than 4,000 jobs and attract $5 billion in investment.
The project, located 42 kilometres north of Timmins, is the second to advance under the streamlined permitting framework launched in October, according to a government announcement Monday.
“As President Trump takes aim at our economy, Ontario is moving at lightning speed to open this 100 per cent Canadian owned mine to create 4,000 jobs for Canadian workers,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines.
Project scope
Crawford is one of the world’s largest nickel resources with a mineral reserve estimate of 1,715 million tonnes. The project will produce high-quality nickel for electric vehicle batteries and green steel supply chains.
The development will create up to 2,000 jobs during construction. Once complete, it will support up to 1,300 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs over an expected mine life of 41 years.
The project is projected to add over $70 billion to Canada’s GDP and $67 billion to Ontario’s GDP, while providing a combined 185,000 person-years of employment.
Infrastructure plans
If constructed as proposed, the project will include a single large open pit mine with two access zones, two ore processing plants, and mining and processing infrastructure.
The development also requires realigning approximately 25 kilometres of Highway 655, relocating an existing 500-kilovolt transmission line, and building two new electricity substations.
In addition to nickel, the project will secure a domestic supply of cobalt and North America’s only domestic source of chromium, according to the government.
Streamlined permitting
The One Project, One Process framework aims to reduce government review time by 50 per cent. Ontario’s previous permitting system caused delays of up to 15 years to open a mine, according to the government.
Under the new framework, the Ministry of Energy and Mines acts as a single point of contact to coordinate all provincial approvals and Indigenous consultation.
“As the only mining project in Canada to date to secure this type of endorsement from both federal and provincial governments, the province recognizes the scale, strategic importance and advanced stage of the Crawford Nickel Project,” said Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel Company.
The company aims to break ground and begin construction by the end of this year.
Environmental profile
The Crawford Project will produce low-carbon nickel with projected emissions 90 per cent below the global average, according to the government.
The federal government referred the Crawford Project to the Major Project Office for further review on Nov. 13, 2025.
Mining sector context
Ontario’s mining sector supports 28,000 direct jobs and 46,000 indirect jobs through mineral processing and supply services. The province has 36 active mining operations, with the majority located in Northern Ontario, including nine base metal mines.
Crawford is the second project designated under One Project, One Process, following Frontier Lithium’s PAK Project.
