First Nations near Timmins to build infrastructure for new Crawford mining project

Aya Dufour · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 04, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 4

Canada Nickel is inactive waiting connected immoderate authorities approvals to motorboat its promising Crawford mining task adjacent Timmins, but it's already picked who volition assistance physique immoderate of the needed infrastructure.

Mattagami, Matachewan and Flying Post volition person archetypal dibs connected contracts to physique a railway enactment and a impermanent road overpass. 

Companies from those communities volition besides beryllium fixed preferential entree to bash the enactment required to relocate portion of Highway 655 to marque mode for the caller mine. 

The statement was announced connected the 2nd time of the yearly Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, which focused heavy connected First Nation information successful mining. 

Ontario's Minister of Mines, George Pirie, was contiguous astatine the announcement, and said agreements similar this "pave the way" for different mining projects looking to spouse with Indigenous communities. 

"Ensuring everyone shares the wealthiness that our resources assemblage generates is cardinal to Ontario's economical reconciliation with Indigenous people," helium said. 

Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby says the institution hasn't yet reached an authoritative interaction benefits statement with the First Nations adjacent the mining project. 

"[But] this contracting statement ensures that meaningful opportunities for First Nations commencement now," helium said. 

Mattagami, Matachewan and Flying Post are each members of the Wabun tribal council. 

Playing a 'central role' successful assets development 

The organization's mineral improvement advisor Nicole Charbonneau says this statement builds connected a past of bully relationships betwixt the 3 First Nations and Canada Nickel. 

"But to us, that grant wasn't conscionable astir past successes," she said. "It was a situation to support mounting the barroom adjacent higher. And that's precisely what this statement represents. 

Another measurement forward, different accidental to guarantee our nations play a cardinal role, not conscionable successful the workforce, but successful shaping the aboriginal of assets improvement connected our lands."

Matachewan First Nation main Sonny Batisse said the task is acceptable to payment everyone generally. 

"It means jobs, concern opportunities, economical partnerships and [First Nations] having a accidental connected however this task moves forward," helium said.

Canada Nickel says it's connected way to person its national permits by the extremity of the year, and hopes to motorboat the Crawford task soon after. 

If successful, the opening of this caller excavation would beryllium a boon for Timmins' economy, which could beryllium wounded by the planned closure of the prolific Kidd Creek Mine successful 2026.