Ontario Critical Minerals Corridor Flagship 

Project Overview 

One of world's largest nickel sulphide projects and North America's only domestic chromium source, featuring groundbreaking carbon capture technology and historic Indigenous equity partnership, designated as Ontario nation-building priority project. 

Location & Jurisdiction Timmins Nickel District, Northern Ontario, just north of Timmins 

• Province: Ontario 

• Region: Timmins-Cochrane mining camp (prolific 100+ year mining history) 

• Traditional territories: Multiple First Nations in Timmins region 

Indigenous Partners Five First Nations with Formal Partnerships: 

1. Taykwa Tagamou Nation - Historic CAD $20 million equity investment (first Indigenous Nation in Canada to invest in critical minerals project) 
2. Flying Post First Nation - Contracting agreement signatory 
3. Matachewan First Nation - Contracting agreement signatory 
4. Mattagami First Nation - Contracting agreement signatory 
5. Additional Nations engaged through Impact Statement consultation 

Key Statistics 

• Developer: Canada Nickel Company Inc. (TSXV: CNC; OTCQX: CNIKF) 

• Project Scale: Second-largest nickel reserve and resource globally 

• Mine Life: 41+ years 

• Annual Production: Large-scale nickel, cobalt, chromium concentrate 

• Direct Employment: 1,000+ jobs 

• Indirect/Induced: 3,000 jobs (185,000 person-years over life) 

• Total Capital: CAD $2.5 billion (estimated for US market) 

• Economic Contribution: Over CAD $70 billion to Canadian GDP (CAD $67 billion Ontario) 

Financial Projections: 

• Revenue (41-year life): CAD $63 billion+ 

• Federal tax: CAD $7 billion 

• Provincial income tax: CAD $7 billion 

• Provincial mining tax: CAD $2.6 billion 

• Total tax generation: CAD $7.7 billion (federal) + CAD $8.3 billion (provincial) = CAD $16 billion 

Indigenous Partnership Model Taykwa Tagamou Nation Equity Investment (2024): 

• Amount: CAD $20 million 

• Structure: Equity stake in Canada Nickel 

• Governance: Right to appoint director to Canada Nickel Board 

• Historic First: First Indigenous Nation in Canada to invest in critical minerals project 

Landmark Contracting Agreement (March 2025): 

• Flying Post, Matachewan, Mattagami First Nations 

• Preferential access to bid on and negotiate contracts 

• Estimated CAD $2.5 billion total development spend 

• Indigenous business leadership in infrastructure construction 

• Chief Jennifer Constant (Mattagami): "Recognizes our role as stewards of the land" 

Economic Benefits for Indigenous Communities: 

• 2024 Employment: 60% local hiring 

• 2024 Procurement: 37% local (CAD $32.5 million total spend) 

• Direct equity ownership and board representation 

• Multi-billion dollar contracting pipeline 

• Skills training and capacity building 

• Community infrastructure investment 

Government & Regulatory Support June 2025 Ontario Recognition: Crawford named Critical Minerals Priority and Nation-Building Project 

Ontario Government Support Package: 

• CAD $500 million Critical Minerals Processing Fund 

• CAD $3.1 billion in loans, grants, scholarships for Indigenous ownership and partnership 

• Fast-track processing and permitting coordination 

• Recognition as one of five strategic projects ready for near-term development 

Federal Alignment: 

• Joint letter to Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

• Recognised as transformational, nation-building project 

• Strategic importance for critical minerals security 

• Defence and clean energy supply chain priority 

Permitting Status (November 2024): 

• Impact Statement filed with Impact Assessment Agency of Canada 

• First mining project in Canada to file under 2019 Impact Assessment Act 

• On schedule for permits and construction decision in 2025 

• Prepared by Stantec (global leader in sustainable engineering) 

Innovation: NetZero Technology Proprietary IPT (In-Process Tailings) Carbonation Process: 

• Captures and stores CO₂ in tailings during processing 

• Capacity: 1.5 million tonnes CO₂ annually 

• One of Canada's largest carbon storage facilities when operational 

• Breakthrough carbon capture technology developed in-house 

Performance Metrics (2024): 

• Water efficiency: 0.38 m³/metre (substantial improvement) 

• Cleaner than industry standard nickel production 

• Sustainable mining blueprint 

• Trademarked: NetZero Nickel™, NetZero Cobalt™, NetZero Iron™ 

Sustainability & ESG Credentials 2024 ESG Report Highlights: 

• 33% female board representation 

• 34% female workforce 

• Zero harm safety culture 

• Transparent reporting and inclusive governance 

• "Indigenous partnerships not a side project - embedded in how we operate" - Pierre-Philippe Dupont, VP Sustainability 

Community Engagement: 

• Early and continuous engagement with Indigenous Nations 

• Co-developed mitigation measures 

• Formal engagement processes through Impact Statement 

• Shared priorities and values reflected in project design 

Mark Selby, CEO Statement: "We are building more than a mine; we are helping build a resilient, low-carbon critical minerals corridor that reflects the values of the communities we work with. From equity ownership and business partnerships to direct investment in local infrastructure, this is what inclusive growth looks like." 

Investment Proposition for UK/European Investors Strategic Critical Minerals Supply: 

• Nickel: Essential for EV batteries, stainless steel 

• Cobalt: Critical for lithium-ion batteries 

• Chromium: North America's only domestic source; essential for stainless steel, aerospace 

Unique Selling Propositions: 

1. Carbon Advantage: NetZero technology differentiates in carbon-constrained markets 
2. Indigenous Partnership: Equity investment and contracting model provides social licence certainty 
3. Government Backing: Provincial/federal recognition accelerates permitting and de-risks timeline 
4. Scale & Duration: 41+ year life, 1,000+ jobs, CAD $70 billion economic impact 
5. Infrastructure: Direct access to power, road, rail; existing Timmins mining infrastructure 
6. Diversified Revenue: Three critical minerals (nickel, cobalt, chromium) 

Defence & National Security: 

• Chromium critical for defence applications 

• North American supply security eliminates import dependence 

• Aligns with Canada-UK-US critical minerals cooperation 

• NATO supply chain resilience 

ESG Leadership: 

• Historic Indigenous equity partnership 

• Carbon capture technology (1.5 Mt CO₂/year) 

• Clean energy operations 

• Gender diversity leadership 

• Transparent reporting aligned with international standards 

Recent Developments October 2025: Economic Impact Study Released (Mansfield Consulting) 

• CAD $70 billion+ GDP contribution (CAD $67 billion Ontario) 

• 185,000 person-years employment 

• CAD $16 billion labour income 

• CAD $16 billion total tax revenue (federal + provincial) 

August 2025: 2024 ESG Report Published 

• Showcased Indigenous partnership milestones 

• Carbon storage innovation progress 

• Community investment documented 

• Health, safety, environmental performance 

June 2025: Ontario Government Priority Designation 

• One of five strategic critical minerals projects 

• Nation-building project recognition 

• CAD $3.1 billion Indigenous support funding 

• CAD $500 million processing fund access 

March 2025: First Nations Contracting Agreement (PDAC announcement) 

• Flying Post, Matachewan, Mattagami partnership formalised 

• Preferential contracting for CAD $2.5 billion development 

Project Timeline 

• 2019: Fifth drillhole (project inception) 

• 2024: Bankable Feasibility Study completed 

• November 2024: Impact Statement filed 

• 2025: Target for permit approvals and construction decision 

• 2026-2027: Expected construction start (subject to permits) 

• Late 2026/Early 2027: First production target 

• 2027-2068: Initial 41-year mine life (expansion potential exists) 

Infrastructure Development Planned Construction (2025-2029 estimated): 

• 25 km rail spur to Ontario Northland Railway 

• 25 km Highway 655 realignment around mine 

• Temporary highway overpass for haul trucks 

• Nickel processing plant ("largest in North America" - Mark Selby) 

• On-site power infrastructure 

• Water management systems 

Key Contacts 

• Developer: Canada Nickel Company Inc. 

• CEO: Mark Selby 

• VP Sustainability: Pierre-Philippe Dupont 

• Director Indigenous Relations: Sydney Oakes (905-929-7151) 

• Website: www.canadanickel.com 

Investment Considerations Opportunities: 

• World-class nickel reserve with cobalt and chromium by-products 

• Only domestic North American chromium source (strategic premium) 

• Proprietary carbon capture technology (1.5 Mt CO₂/year) 

• Historic Indigenous equity partnership (first in Canada for critical minerals) 

• Government fast-track designation and CAD $3.6 billion support 

• 41+ year mine life provides multi-generational returns 

• Infrastructure in place (power, road, rail) 

• Timmins established mining centre with skilled workforce 

• Permitting advanced; construction decision 2025 

Risk Factors: 

• Large capital requirement (CAD $2.5 billion estimated) 

• Permitting approval timing (federal/provincial) 

• First production timeline dependent on permits 

• Metal price volatility (nickel, cobalt) 

• Operational execution risk for new developer 

• NetZero technology commercial-scale validation 

• Competition from established nickel producers 

• Battery technology evolution affecting demand 

Competitive Advantages: 

• Second-largest nickel reserve globally 

• Carbon capture reduces emissions cost and enhances marketability 

• Indigenous equity partner aligns interests 

• Government recognition de-risks approvals 

• Diversified commodity revenue (Ni-Co-Cr) 

• Strategic location in established mining district 

• First-mover carbon-neutral nickel production 

Additional Crawford Projects: Canada Nickel has eight additional projects in Timmins Nickel District, creating "Ontario's Critical Minerals Corridor" concept for potential future developments and expanded production. 

Investor Resources: 

• Canada Nickel 2024 ESG Report 

• Bankable Feasibility Study 

• Impact Statement (November 2024) 

• Economic Impact Study (Mansfield Consulting, October 2025) 

• Taykwa Tagamou Nation partnership announcement 

• Ontario Critical Minerals Strategy