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. In 1672, French settlers in Cape Breton Island detected coal deposits. Matonabbee and Samuel Hearne sought after copper in the Hudson Bay region in the 1770s.
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. Copper mining in Bruce Mines, Ontario—the first industrial-scale mine of a substance other than iron—followed in 1848. 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.
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.
Operations In 2019, Canada was the 4th largest producer of platinum;USGS Platinum Production Statistics the world's 5th largest producer of gold;USGS Gold Production Statistics the world's 5th largest producer of nickel;USGS Nickel Production Statistics the world's 10th largest producer of copper;USGS Copper Production Statistics the 8th largest world producer of iron ore;USGS Iron Ore Production Statistics the 4th largest world producer of titanium;USGS Titanium Production Statistics the world's largest producer of potash;USGS Potash Production Statistics the 2nd largest world producer of niobium;USGS Niobium Production Statistics the 4th largest world producer of sulfur;USGS Sulfur Production Statistics the world's 7th largest producer of molybdenum;USGS Molybdenum Production Statistics the 7th worldwide producer of cobalt;USGS Cobalt Production Statistics the 8th largest world producer of lithium;USGS Lithium Production Statistics the 8th largest world producer of zinc;USGS Zinc Production Statistics the 13th largest world producer of gypsum;USGS Gypsum Production Statistics the 14th worldwide producer of antimony;USGS Antimony Production Statistics the world's 10th largest producer of graphite;USGS Graphite Production Statistics in addition to being the 6th largest world producer of salt.USGS Salt Production Statistics It was the 2nd largest producer in the world of uranium in 2018.World Uranium Mining
Economic impact
Domestic Mining is a significant part of the economy of Canada. , mining revenues totalled billion. In 2013, over 50% of the world's publicly listed exploration and mining companies were headquartered in Canada. 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.
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. 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).
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.
Saskatchewan alone produces approximately 15 percent of the world's uranium. The metal was first discovered in the province in the 1930s, and had become Canada's most valuable resource export by the 1950s. In Northern Canada, mining—particularly hardrock mining—has long been one of the most significant sources of economic development.
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.
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". Canadian mining investment abroad has been particularly significant in Latin America and African countries.
See also Mining Association of Canada 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
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