Canada: Where sustainable mining companies innovate & thrive
In Canada, the world’s most ambitious global mining companies have a head start. Canada’s mining industry is well-established and world-renowned, containing over 10 million square kilometres of diverse geological regions, extensive mineral deposits and expertise built on centuries of mining history. We are home to both the mining headquarter1 (Vancouver, British Columbia) and mining finance (Toronto, Ontario) capitals of the world.
Canada is endowed with unbeatable potential in mining and is keen to invite the world to invest.
Provinces across the country have unique advantages and strengths. Alberta lays claim to one of the largest autonomous electric vehicle fleet investment in the world with 150 Suncor haul e-trucks. The province of Ontario is home to the world’s first all-electric mine—Newmont's Borden gold mine. And Pacific Oil & Gas’ Woodfibre LNG project in Squamish, British Columbia (B.C.) will be the world’s cleanest producer of natural gas.
By all accounts, Canada is where sustainable mining companies invest, innovate and thrive.
It all begins with Canada’s geology
Canada is blessed with diverse geological assets that are the envy of the world, including:
- Base metals, with prices taking off in 2021;
- Rare earth and critical minerals that have delivered consistent and increasing returns for decades;
- Potash and uranium, empowering the future of agriculture and energy;
- A near perfect ecosystem for investments in the electric vehicle battery value chain within one regulatory regime.
Canada is one of the largest exporters of minerals in the world. In B.C. and Canada’s Northern Territories, global companies including Rio Tinto, Glencore, Royal Dutch Shell and De Beers/Anglo American have invested in advanced mining projects.
Canada leads in sustainable mining
Canada prioritizes a strategic approach to sustainable exploration, extraction and innovation. Contributing over $72B in annual GDP with 409,000 directly employed in the industry, the upstream and downstream benefits from mining to Canadians are clear.
Reducing risk, returning profits and doing so in a way that empowers communities is what makes mining in Canada truly special. Engaging First Nations and Indigenous peoples is at the forefront of mining in Canada. The Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) standard, developed in Canada, is a top global export for social and environmental risk mitigation for mining companies everywhere.
Mining innovation in British Columbia and Canada’s North
In British Columbia and Canada’s Northern Territories, the mining industry has long been critical to the economy, and it will remain a government priority. B.C., Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut share many similarities that make them competitive jurisdictions for mining investment. Not only do global mining companies recognize the consistent track record of large-scale projects in these regions, they also recognize the practices that make mining sustainable in Canada. From prioritizing and resourcing Indigenous engagement, to implementing standards for environmental protection, Canada is paving the way for mining of the future. Invest in Canada works closely with leading investors to identify opportunities in B.C. and Canada’s Northern Territories for investing in geological assets, mining technologies and innovative solutions for mining services and support.
Invest in Canada partners with a wide array of groups to present a seamless, single-window concierge service to investors. Examples include our partnerships with:
- Invest Yukon and their Virtual Yukon AR tours;
- B.C. Tech Summit, which highlights technology and innovation in B.C.’s traditional industries;
- B.C. Digital Supercluster to promote member companies like LlamaZoo at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference;
- Globe Series, a global platform that highlights innovators for investors at the forefront of accelerating the clean economy.
Top global investors have invested and expanded in B.C. based on innovations in mining and exploration taking place in Canada. Mitsubishi and Dassault Systèmes GEOVIA have chosen B.C. to centre their investments in innovative project here. Looking ahead, B.C. is seeking to build a new mining innovation hub. The hub will identify and support innovation in the sector, provide training for workers in new technologies, and establish regulatory excellence, environmental management, and low-carbon approaches.
To learn more about opportunities in B.C. and Canada’s North, Invest in Canada invites global mining investors to reach out to our regional office.
You can also join us at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference, January 17 – 18, Association for Mineral Exploration’s Remote Roundup Conference, January 18-22nd, PDAC 2021 Virtual Convention, March 8-11 or Globe Capital’s hybrid conference April 13-15.
