Mining in Canada
| Part of a series on the |
| Economy of Canada |
|---|
 |
| Economic history of Canada |
| Sectors |
|
| Economy by province |
| Economy by city |
Mining has been conducted on an industrial scale in present-day Canada since the late 18th century. The industry remains an important aspect of the economy of Canada to this day, particularly in the North, and Canadian-domiciled mining companies have increasingly expanded their operations globally.
History
The history of mining in Canada goes back to the 16th century. In the 1570s, Martin Frobisher briefly attempted a mining operation on Baffin Island, although it was unsuccessful.[1] In 1672, French settlers in Cape Breton Island detected coal deposits.[2] Matonabbee and Samuel Hearne sought after copper in the Hudson Bay region in the 1770s.[1]
The first truly industrial mining operation in what is now Canada was an iron mine at Forges du Saint-Maurice near Trois-Rivières in Quebec, which remained a going concern from 1738 to 1883.[1] Copper mining in Bruce 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 following World War II.[1]
Mills and Sweeney note that the staples 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 Canadian political economy.[3]
Operations
In 2019, Canada was the 4th largest producer of
Economic impact
Domestic
Mining is a significant part of the economy of Canada. As of 2018[update], mining revenues totalled CA$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 the mining industry: as of 2016, around 80 percent of the world's equity trades in mining stocks took place in Toronto's markets.[24]
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.[25]
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.[28]
International
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".[29] Canadian mining investment abroad has been particularly significant in Latin America and African countries.[30]
See also
- Coal mining in Saskatchewan
- Gold mining in Canada
- Lists of mines in Canada
- Uranium mining in Canada
- Canadian mining in Latin America and the Caribbean
References
- ^ a b c d Sandlos, John; Keeling, Arn (March 15, 2015). "Mining". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ a b Cranstone 2002, p. 2.
- ^ Mills & Sweeney 2013, p. 10–11.
- ^ USGS Platinum Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Gold Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Nickel Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Copper Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Iron Ore Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Titanium Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Potash Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Niobium Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Sulfur Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Molybdenum Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Cobalt Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Lithium Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Zinc Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Gypsum Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Antimony Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Graphite Production Statistics
- ^ USGS Salt Production Statistics
- ^ World Uranium Mining
- ^ "Minerals and the economy". Natural Resources Canada. December 3, 2019. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ Canada, Global Affairs (June 25, 2013). "Canada's Enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy to Strengthen Canada's Extractive Sector Abroad". GAC. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- S2CID 154747575.
- ^ a b Keeling & Sandlos 2015, p. 2.
- ^ .
- ^ Last, John (March 9, 2020). "Canada plummets as place for investment in mining industry ranking". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ Alam 2011, p. 3.
- ^ Butler 2015, p. 8.
- ^ Lauzon 2018, p. 146.
Sources
- Alam, Shafiq (2011). "Mineral Resources in Canada—An Overview on Mining and Metal Recycling". Resources Processing. 58 (1): 3–8. ISSN 1349-9262.
- Butler, Paula (2015). Colonial Extractions: Race and Canadian Mining in Contemporary Africa. ISBN 9781442619951.
- Cranstone, Donald A. (2002). A History of Mining and Mineral Exploration in Canada and Outlook for the Future (PDF). OCLC 51736275.
- Keeling, Arn; Sandlos, John (November 2015). Keeling, Arn; Sandlos, John (eds.). Mining and Communities in Northern Canada: History, Politics, and Memory. ISBN 9781552388044.
- Lauzon, Jolane T. (2018). "Araya v. Nevsun Resources: Remedies for Victims of Human Rights Violations Committed by Canadian Mining Companies Abroad". Revue québécoise de droit international. 31 (1): 143–69. doi:10.7202/1065030ar. 2018 CanLIIDocs 10660 – via CanLII.
- Mills, Suzanne; Sweeney, Brendan (March 2013). "Employment Relations in the Neostaples Resource Economy: Impact Benefit Agreements and Aboriginal Governance in Canada's Nickel Mining Industry". S2CID 153614206.
- Seck, Sarah L. (2011). "Canadian Mining Internationally and the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights". Canadian Yearbook of International Law. 49: 51–116. S2CID 155412368 – via HeinOnline.