Mining Industry in Canada

Mining Industry in Canada

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Everything we do is made possible by natural resources. Minerals and metals, for example, make a huge contribution to the lives of everyday Canadians from coast to coast by employing hundreds of thousands of workers, generating billions in tax revenues, and adding immensely to our economy.

We all depend on mining for countless products ranging from the mundane to the complicated. From salt and bicycles to sophisticated electronics like computers and smartphones, minerals and metals are the building blocks of modern society. They provide us with key materials used to build our homes, manufacture our vehicles, medically treat patients, keep the lights on, and even to produce our food.  

Let's also not forget that without minerals and metals, the economy of the future would be impossible.

Mining is one of Canada’s most important economic sectors and a major job creator. Canada’s rise as one of the wealthiest countries in the world is thanks in part to major discoveries and developments in the mining industry over the decades.

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Canada's Mining Industry...

Canada's mining sector employs more than 660,000 people nationwide

  • employs hundreds of thousands of Canadians across our country
  • is the largest private-sector employer of Indigenous Peoples in Canada
  • is a major contributor to the Canadian economy, generating tens of billions of dollars in economic activity
  • is a major revenue-generating industry for municipal, provincial, and federal governments, adding billions of dollars to the public purse every year

The benefits of mining go well beyond mineral extraction and processing; it makes other industrial sectors possible, such as transportation, construction, manufacturing, geological services and education, to name a few examples. The industry also provides a major boost to our financial sector; the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) is the leading global mining exchange, listing more of the world's public mining companies and raising more mining equity capital than any other like it.

Mining is key to improving socio-economic circumstances and stimulating a diversified local economy that will flourish throughout the life of the mine and well beyond in countless communities across Canada. In addition to providing jobs and long-term careers for workers, mining companies invest in infrastructure, education, vocational training, healthcare, cultural programs, and more.

Mining in Canada: Facts

Canada is a Top 5 Global producer of 14 mined substances

> Mining directly and indirectly employed over 665,000 workers across Canada as of 2021

> Mining added $125 billion to Canada's nominal gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, or 5% of the country’s total economy

> Mineral exports accounted for 22% of Canada's total domestic exports in 2021

> Canada is a top-five producer of fourteen mined substances used in a full spectrum of modern-day applications

> Canada produces 60 minerals and metals which are key raw materials for goods that we rely on in our daily lives, many of which are used in advanced technologies

Sources: Mining Association of Canada, Natural Resources Canada

Mining in Daily Life: Examples

minerals and metals required to make a refridgerator

> The nanotechnology boom has opened up a new frontier of early detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Gold nanoparticle technology is being used to target and deliver antibodies directly into cancerous tumours. Nanotech is also being engineered to attach to cancer-related proteins to aid in earlier detection.

> Mining makes our favourite devices possible. More than 40 mined metals and rare earths are used to produce a single smartphone.

> Mining keeps your electronics working. The appliances we use everyday, everything from the refrigerator to the washer and dryer, require metals to function. Copper, as just one example, is used in plumbing, electrical wiring, industrial machinery, and construction materials.

> Made fresh in Canada, agriculture and agri-food contribute over $100 billion annually to Canada’s economy and the industry is responsible for the employment of 2.3 million Canadians. Farm fertilizers are a mix of phosphorous, nitrogen, potassium, sulfur and iron – all products of mining.

> Mining is responsible for the most coveted hockey trophy in the world. The Stanley Cup was first awarded to the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893. The original Cup was made of silver, while the current Cup is made of a silver and nickel alloy. Hockey skates are also made out of chromium, carbon and iron.

> Mining plays an important role in preventing infectious disease. Increasingly, health facilities are using antimicrobial copper to prevent Hospital Acquired Infections. Surgical instruments, hospital beds and monitors also all exist thanks to mining.

> Mining makes space exploration and satellite technologies purposed for a range of functions possible. Without minerals and metals, we would not be able to explore new planets – and potentially one day colonize Mars or travel into outer space.

> Mining makes renewables such as solar and wind possible; the amount of minerals and metals required to produce energy technologies is immense.

Mining & Indigenous Peoples in Canada

Canada's mining sector supports more than 11,300 Indigenous jobs across the country

Mining is a major contributor to Canada's economy, especially in northern and remote communities where it is one of the largest private-sector employers of Indigenous Peoples and a major partner with Indigenous businesses.

This can be partly attributed to the fact that roughly 1,200 Indigenous communities are within close proximity to mining operations. This serves as a foundation for relationship building between industry and Indigenous communities. The mining sector:

> employs 16,600 Indigenous workers directly (NRC)

> has over 500 active mining agreements with Indigenous communities (MAC)

Additionally, the vast majority of Indigenous business procurement comes from the natural resources sector. For example:

> A uranium company with operations in northern Saskatchewan procured over $3 billion in services from northern and Aboriginal suppliers between 2004-16

> An energy company with operations in the Alberta oil sands procured almost $5 billion in goods and services from Indigenous businesses between 1999-2018.

By comparison, the entire federal government has only spent $3.3 billion on Aboriginal businesses since 1996.

Take Action!

Mining Industry in Canada - Canada Action

Mining in Canada is an integral part of our economy and supports hundreds of thousands of families across our nation.

We must ensure we take the necessary steps to cement Canada’s status as a global mining leader and that the industry continues to create prosperity for all Canadians. We also must continue to support the Canadian mining sector and those who have the means to provide for their families because of employment in this value-adding industry.

Let’s be proud of where Canada stands on the global scene as a top global mining country!
 
We should celebrate our natural resources and our initiatives that help develop the quality of life that we as Canadians are known for. Are you with us?!

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