Minerals and Mining - Natural Resources - About Ontario (Government of Ontario, Canada)

Natural Resources

Minerals and Mining

"Underground at the Hagersville Gypsum Mine" image courtesy of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. Ontario's first gold rush occurred in 1866, near today's town of Madoc. There have been several other gold rushes and mineral discoveries in Ontario since then many of which still produce gold.

Ontario has been one of the world's leading mineral producers for more than a century. The Fraser Institute in their Annual Survey of Mining Companies has rated Ontario as one of the world's most attractive jurisdictions for mineral investment. The province has been Canada's leading recipient of exploration investment since 1999. Today, Ontario is one of the world's leading mineral producers. It produces more than 30 different metal and nonmetal mineral products. Eighty per cent of Ontario's mineral production is exported around the world.

The ancient rocks of the Canadian Shield cover two-thirds of Ontario and host many mineral deposits. Younger sedimentary rocks also contain valuable minerals and unconsolidated glacial deposits are another important source of mineral riches. Ontario ranks as the world's second largest producer of nickel. The province is also a significant producer of gold, copper, zinc, platinum, palladium, cobalt and silver. While northern Ontario yields most of our metallic minerals, southern Ontario is home to world class producers of non-metallic minerals including salt, gypsum, lime, nepheline syenite, calcium carbonate and structural materials (sand, gravel, stone). The sedimentary rocks of the south are also the site of Ontario's oil and gas industry. In fact, the first commercial oil well in North America was drilled at Oil Springs, Ontario, (near Sarnia) in 1858. In 2002, southern Ontario produced crude oil valued at $55 million. Ontario produces about $5 billion worth of minerals a year from barite to zinc. Many of the northern Ontario towns and cities that produce mineral commodities are; Red Lake (gold), Hemlo (gold), Wawa (gold), Marathon (gold), Thunder Bay (gold, platinum/palladium, amethyst and agate), Timmins (gold, copper, zinc), and Sudbury (nickel, copper, platinum, palladium).

Amethyst, a variety of six-sided purple quartz crystal, recently celebrated its 25th year as Ontario's official gemstone. Amethyst, while occurring worldwide, is in rich supply along Lake Superior's north shore near Thunder Bay. It is also found in the Bancroft and North Bay areas. After over 130 years of mineral production, Ontario's mineral industry continues to explore for new deposits and new commodities to meet the changing demands of the new millennium. Gold, platinum group elements and base metals are the major exploration targets but interest in diamonds and rare earth metals is increasing. Though it's not well-known, diamond exploration is currently on-going in the James Bay lowlands, Wawa and the Marathon area, and may soon be added to the catalogue of Ontario's mineral wealth. Nickel, Copper and Platinum Group Elements (Ni-Cu-PGE) exploration has also increased significantly in the Mid-Conn ental Reef and the Nipigon Basin. The recent increase in the price of gold is expected to significantly increase exploration activity for the precious metal in Ontario in 2004.

Some mining also takes place in southern Ontario. Salt is mined at Goderich and Windsor in the southwest; limestone at Guelph and Hamilton; gypsum in Caledonia and Hagersville; and talc at Madoc.

Ontario stone was used to build the Ontario Legislature, the federal Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, and the Canadian Embassy in the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.

Interesting Web Sites

Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
For a map showing the distribution of metals and minerals, and the geologic features of Ontario, visit the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines website.
Ontario Mining Association
A great site for describing how to start a mine can be found as part of the Natural Resources Canada site.
You can test your knowledge of Ontario's mining industry at Sudbury's Science North site.

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