The Province of Ontario in Canada has officially selected Canada Nickel’s Crawford Nickel Project as the second initiative to proceed under its new One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework.
The nickel-cobalt sulphide project, situated 42km north of Timmins, Ontario, is 100% owned by Canada Nickel.
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The 1P1P framework aims to streamline Ontario’s permitting and review procedures for significant mining ventures by synchronising timelines, responsibilities and information exchange among provincial ministries.
Canada Nickel said that the designation of the Crawford Nickel Project highlights its advanced state, scale and strategic importance within Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby said: “Crawford is purpose-built to anchor a new low-carbon mining and clean metals manufacturing corridor in north-eastern Ontario – driving long-term economic growth, creating high-quality jobs and ensuring that value generation remains within the province.
“As the only mining project in Canada to secure this type of endorsement from both federal and provincial governments, today’s announcement strengthens our commitment to commencing construction by year-end.
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By GlobalData“We look forward to working with the province through its newly announced Critical Minerals Processing Fund to help realise these ambitions.”
The project is designed to achieve a mine ore production capacity of 240,000 tonnes per day (tpd) and a mill ore input capacity of 120,000tpd.
It is projected to operate over a span of approximately 41 years.
The company has reaffirmed that while the 1P1P framework will enhance government coordination and efficiency, it will not replace existing commitments to indigenous nations or environmental standards.
Canada Nickel has already submitted an impact statement under the amended Impact Assessment Act of 2019, positioning Crawford at the forefront of Canada’s modernised regulatory framework.
The project was also referred to the federal Major Projects Office in November 2025.
Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce said: “Ontario is moving at lightning speed to open this 100% Canadian-owned mine to create 4,000 jobs for Canadian workers. In 2026, our government is going full-tilt to unlock one of the world’s largest nickel deposits that will supercharge our economy and help end China’s critical mineral dominance.
“’Made-in-Canada’ from start to finish, as we build a domestic supply chain that includes the Western world’s largest nickel-sulphide mine, a new nickel processing plant and downstream alloy production facility.”
The Crawford Nickel Project is expected to become the largest nickel-sulphide project in the Western world and one of Canada’s most economically significant mining developments.
Independent analysis projects that it will generate more than C$70bn ($50.4bn) in gross domestic product throughout its initial mine life, with approximately C$67bn benefitting Ontario alone.
The Crawford Nickel Project is expected to support around 1,000 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs.
Through its patented in-process tailings carbonation technology, the project aims to store up to 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, positioning it as one of Canada’s largest carbon storage facilities and possibly the world’s first net-zero-carbon nickel mine.
