Ontario moved this week to fast track Canada Nickel Company’s (TSXV:CNC,OTCQX:CNIKF) Crawford nickel project, positioning what’s being billed as the western world’s largest nickel development as a cornerstone of the province’s push to secure domestic critical minerals supply chains.
Crawford is expected to attract roughly C$5 billion in investment and unlock what Ontario describes as the world’s second largest nickel reserves, located within the Timmins Nickel District.
The project includes plans for a large open-pit mine, two ore processing plants, associated mining infrastructure and downstream facilities to produce nickel for the stainless steel and electric vehicle markets.
“As President Trump takes aim at our economy, Ontario is moving at lightning speed to open this 100 per cent Canadian owned mine to create 4,000 jobs for Canadian workers,” said Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s minister of energy and mines.
“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,’ he added.
Canada Nickel estimates the project will generate up to 2,000 jobs during construction and support about 1,300 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs once in operation. The company also projects the development could contribute more than C$70 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product over its lifetime, with C$67 billion attributed to Ontario.
The Ontario government said Crawford will advance under its newly launched “One Project, One Process” framework, making it only the second mining development to receive the designation since the program was introduced in October.
The streamlined approach is designed to consolidate permitting, reduce regulatory timelines and provide greater certainty for large-scale projects deemed strategically important.
The provincial government said the new framework aims to cut mine permitting timelines by up to 50 percent, addressing a system that has historically taken more than a decade to approve major developments. Now the Ministry of Energy and Mines will serve as a single one-stop-shop for provincial approvals and Indigenous consultation.
Local officials have welcomed the move.
“Fast-tracking the Crawford Nickel Project through the ‘One Project, One Process’ framework sends a strong message that Northern Ontario is open for business,” said George Pirie, the member of provincial parliament for Timmins.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.