Ontario fast-tracks Canada Nickel’s Crawford project under streamlined permitting
Ontario and Ottawa have endorsed Canada Nickel’s Crawford open-pit project for fast-track permitting under One Project, One Process. Construction target: end of 2026, first nickel by 2028.
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By Torontoer Staff
Ontario has placed Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford nickel project north of Timmins on a fast-track permitting pathway under the province’s One Project, One Process framework. The proposed open-pit mine, with plans for two processing plants and new electrical infrastructure, is the only project endorsed by both Ontario and the federal government for potential accelerated review.
Canada Nickel aims to begin construction by the end of 2026 and target first nickel production around the end of 2028. The company has positioned Crawford as an alternative to large overseas suppliers, and it has secured investment commitments from major miners while continuing to raise capital for full development.
What One Project, One Process means
One Project, One Process centralises provincial permitting for selected developments. Ontario created a dedicated team in the Ministry of Energy and Mines to act as a single point of contact for provincial permits and Indigenous consultations, with the stated goal of cutting permitting times for chosen projects in half.
Ontario selected Crawford as the second project for the framework, after Frontier Lithium’s proposed mine near Red Lake. The provincial endorsement sits alongside federal referral to the Major Projects Office, signalling coordinated review by both levels of government.
In 2026, our government is going full tilt to unlock one of the world’s largest nickel deposits that will supercharge our economy and help end China’s critical mineral dominance.
Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines
Federal review and Indigenous engagement
The federal government referred Crawford to the Major Projects Office in November. The MPO provides a single federal point of contact for permitting and includes an Indigenous Advisory Council intended to embed reconciliation, partnership and Indigenous economic participation into major project reviews.
Canada Nickel says it has consulted with nearby Indigenous communities for years. The company has signed support agreements with the Mattagami, Matachewan and Flying Post First Nations, and reached an arrangement with the Taykwa Tagamou Nation that includes convertible notes exercisable for equity.
Today’s announcement strengthens our commitment to commencing construction by yearend.
Mark Selby, chief executive, Canada Nickel Company
Project scale, financing and market context
Canada Nickel says drilling has identified 9.2 million tonnes of measured and indicated nickel at Crawford. Company studies suggest the deposit could support a mine life of about 41 years and make Crawford among the world’s largest nickel sulphide operations.
Nickel demand has been rising on growing electric vehicle and battery production. Canada Nickel has marketed Crawford as a North American source of nickel to help diversify global supply, where more than 61 per cent of the metal currently comes from Indonesia.
The company still needs to raise significant capital to build the mine and associated processing plants. It has attracted strategic investors, including a 2023 investment of $24 million from London-based Anglo American for a 9.9 per cent stake, and interest from other major miners.
Infrastructure and location advantages
Crawford sits in an established Timmins-area mining district with existing regional infrastructure. That reduces some development costs and timelines compared with greenfield projects, although the proposed processing plants and new electrical capacity will still require substantial construction and permitting.
- Location: north of Timmins, Ontario
- Project type: proposed open-pit nickel mine with two processing plants
- Permitting: selected for Ontario One Project, One Process and referred to federal MPO
- Target construction start: end of 2026
- Target first production: around end of 2028
- Resources: 9.2 million tonnes measured and indicated nickel (company estimate)
- Projected mine life: about 41 years (company estimate)
- Notable investor: Anglo American ($24 million for 9.9% in 2023)
What comes next
Crawford must complete federal and provincial reviews, secure environmental approvals, finalise Indigenous agreements and raise construction financing. Detailed engineering, procurement and construction planning will follow regulatory approval before major works can begin.
The coordinated attention from Ontario and the federal Major Projects Office may shorten review timelines, but investors and communities will be watching how the project advances through environmental assessment, consultation outcomes and financing milestones.
For now, the provincial and federal endorsements move Crawford into a smaller group of projects receiving streamlined support, keeping the proposed mine on a tightened schedule toward construction and first nickel output.
nickelminingOntarioCanada NickelTimminscritical mineralspermittingIndigenous relations
