August 27, 2026 Onaping, Ontario Natural Resources Canada
Canada has what the world wants and is entering a new era of sovereign critical minerals production. Working with provinces and territories, industry, and Indigenous partners, we are acting with urgency to unlock the full potential of our abundant mineral deposits by unlocking major projects that will create a prosperous, secure, and sustainable future for all Canadians. In a more competitive and uncertain world, Canada is ready to lead as a stable and reliable supplier of the mineral resources that power clean energy, advanced manufacturing and defence.
Today, the Government of Canada welcomed a major milestone at Glencore Canada Corporation's Craig Mine in Ontario with the completion of the Onaping Depth Project shaft, providing first access to nickel ore and marking an important step toward first production from the Onaping Depth Zone later this year. Located within Craig Mine as part of Glencore's Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO), the Onaping Depth Project is the first new mine to be developed in the Sudbury Basin in more than a decade, and will secure nickel production in the Sudbury Basin. The project extends our ability to produce nickel, a key input for stainless steel and batteries, beyond 2040.
Glencore's Sudbury INO, which includes mine, mill and smelter operations, has been part of Ontario's economic fabric for nearly 100 years. It currently employs more than 1,000 people and has contributed nearly $400 million in direct GDP to Ontario. Representing nearly $2 billion in private sector investments since construction began in 2019, the Onaping Depth Project has generated roughly 7,000 jobs and created significant opportunities for skilled tradespeople, contractors, suppliers and mining professionals across Northern Ontario.
To support this significant engine of Northern Ontario's economy and our national critical minerals ambitions, the federal government has provided Glencore up to $11 million through the Environment and Climate Change Canada's Decarbonization Incentive Program. This will allow Onaping Depth to operate one of the most advanced battery-electric underground mining fleets in the world and eliminate diesel emissions from production. A more modern, efficient, and low-carbon mine supports Canada's ambitions to build our way to net-zero by 2050, and demonstrates how smart climate action supports a more productive and competitive economy.
This milestone tells a clear story: working with industry, we are building a mining sector that strengthens our economy, supports our allies, safeguards our security and delivers for the planet. Canada is moving faster, building smarter and thinking bigger - turning resource strength into national strength and securing our rightful place as an energy and mining superpower.
