Canada Nickel Company has reached the final phase of the federal Impact Assessment process for its Crawford project with the submission of a report.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada submitted the final report to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
The decision statement is expected within 30 days, according to the company.
The Crawford Nickel Project is said to be the first mining project in Canada to advance to this stage since amendments to the Impact Assessment Act in 2019.
Canada Nickel has highlighted that Crawford was previously designated as a Nation-Building Project in 2025 by the federal government and included under Ontario’s ‘One Project, One Process’ framework in 2026.
Located in Ontario’s Critical Minerals Corridor, the project has an expected mine life of more than 41 years, with estimated production of 1.6 million tonnes (mt) of nickel, 58mt of iron and 2.8mt of chrome.
Peak production, projected over 27 years, includes 48,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of nickel, along with cobalt, platinum group metals and iron.
The company reported the completion of front-end engineering design (FEED) in 2024, resulting in a more than $300m (C$422.75m) improvement in net present value, with initial capital costs kept to within 5% at $2bn.
Canada Nickel has emphasised its focus on responsible project development, indigenous partnerships and delivering economic benefits to both Ontario and Canada.
Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby said: “This milestone reflects years of technical work, rigorous environmental planning and meaningful engagement with Indigenous Nations.
“We appreciate the work of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and all those who have contributed to advancing Crawford through Canada’s modernised Impact Assessment process.
“Canada Nickel looks forward to the Minster’s Decision Statement and to progressing towards a construction decision in 2027.”
