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Mining has been conducted on an industrial scale in present-dayCanada since the late 18th century. The industry remains an important aspect of theeconomy of Canada to this day, particularly in theNorth, and Canadian-domiciled mining companies have increasingly expanded their operations globally.
The history of mining in Canada goes back to the 16th century. In the 1570s,Martin Frobisher briefly attempted a mining operation onBaffin Island, although it was unsuccessful.[1] In 1672, French settlers inCape Breton Island detectedcoal deposits.[2]Matonabbee andSamuel Hearne sought aftercopper in theHudson Bay region in the 1770s.[1]
The first truly industrial mining operation in what is now Canada was aniron mine atForges du Saint-Maurice nearTrois-Rivières in Quebec, which remained a going concern from 1738 to 1883.[1]Copper mining inBruce Mines, Ontario—the first industrial-scale mine of a substance other than iron—followed in 1848.[2] The Canadian mining industry continued to expand nationwide through the 19th century, and became one of the world's largest by the 20th century, particularly followingWorld War II.[1]
Mills and Sweeney note that thestaples thesis, which posits that the Canadian economy has developed primarily through the exploitation of the country's abundant natural resources, remains a viable model of Canadianpolitical economy.[3]
In 2019, Canada was the 4th largest producer ofplatinum;[4] the world's 5th largest producer ofgold;[5] the world's 5th largest producer ofnickel;[6] the world's 10th largest producer ofcopper;[7] the 8th largest world producer ofiron ore;[8] the 4th largest world producer oftitanium;[9] the world's largest producer ofpotash;[10] the 2nd largest world producer ofniobium;[11] the 4th largest world producer ofsulfur;[12] the world's 7th largest producer ofmolybdenum;[13] the 7th worldwide producer ofcobalt;[14] the 8th largest world producer oflithium;[15] the 8th largest world producer ofzinc;[16] the 13th largest world producer ofgypsum;[17] the 14th worldwide producer ofantimony;[18] the world's 10th largest producer ofgraphite;[19] in addition to being the 6th largest world producer ofsalt.[20] It was the 2nd largest producer in the world ofuranium in 2018.[21]
Mining is a significant part of theeconomy of Canada. As of 2018[update], mining revenues totalledCA$47 billion.[22] In 2013, over 50% of the world's publicly listed exploration and mining companies were headquartered in Canada.[23]Toronto is a financial centre for themining industry: as of 2016, around 80 percent of the world's equity trades in mining stocks took place in Toronto's markets.[24]
In 2021, Canada's GDP totaled to CA$1.8 trillion across all industries. $156.5 billion of this (7.9%) is due to mining.[25] Mining's contribution to Canada's GDP is separated into extraction ($36.1 billion), services ($12 billion), primary manufacturing ($17.7 billion), and downstream manufacturing ($25 billion).[26]
The Canadian mining industry has experienced significant volatility in recent history. The 1980s and 1990s saw a "prolonged slump" in Canadian mining, whereas the 2000s and 2010s were largely boom periods.[27]
Saskatchewan alone produces approximately 15 percent of the world'suranium.[28] The metal was first discovered in the province in the 1930s, and had become Canada's most valuable resource export by the 1950s.[28] InNorthern Canada, mining—particularlyhardrock mining—has long been one of the most significant sources of economic development.[27][29]
Canada taxes mining companies at a relatively low level by international standards. Alam identifies this as one way Canada has established itself an attractive place for mining companies to do business.[30]
International expansion of the domestic mining industry has been championed by the government of Canada, and one scholar describes Canadian mining operations as having "developed an extensive and indeed dominant global presence".[31] Canadian mining investment abroad has been particularly significant in Latin America and African countries.[32]
