Northern Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government is fast-tracking Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford Nickel Project near Timmins under its new “One Project, One Process” framework, making it the second project designated under the streamlined permitting system.
The province said the move is intended to speed up approvals for the proposed mine and associated processing facilities while strengthening Ontario’s critical minerals supply chain for electric vehicles and stainless steel production. The project is expected to attract about $5 billion in investment.
The Crawford project, located about 42 kilometres north of Timmins, is one of the world’s largest nickel resources, with a mineral reserve estimate of about 1.7 billion tonnes. The mine is expected to create up to 2,000 construction jobs and support about 1,300 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs once in operation, with an anticipated mine life of 41 years.
Canada Nickel said the project would become one of the largest mine and mill facilities in North America and could add more than $70 billion to Canada’s GDP over its lifespan, including $67 billion in Ontario.
If built as proposed, the development would include a large open-pit mine, two ore processing plants, mining and processing infrastructure, and major transportation and power upgrades. Plans include realigning about 25 kilometres of Highway 655, relocating an existing 500-kilovolt transmission line and building two new electrical substations.
Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said the project would help unlock one of the world’s largest nickel deposits and support the development of a domestic, Canadian-owned critical minerals supply chain.
Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby said the designation recognizes the scale and strategic importance of the project and reflects collaboration between the company and the province.
Ontario launched the One Project, One Process framework in October to address what it describes as a fragmented permitting system that has delayed mine development for years. Under the model, the Ministry of Energy and Mines acts as a single point of contact to coordinate provincial approvals and Indigenous consultation, with a stated goal of reducing government review times by up to 50 per cent.
The province said the Crown’s duty to consult Indigenous communities remains in place under the new framework, with a more coordinated approach to project reviews.
The Crawford project was referred to the federal Major Project Office for further review in November 2025 and supports Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy, which aims to accelerate responsible mining development across the province.