Timmins is and will probably always be known for its gold mining. But on the closing day of the virtual Canadian Mining Expo Thursday, several speakers were revving about the large deposits of nickel and other raw minerals will be in demand as the development of electric-powered cars grows.
“Historically, the Abitibi belt has been known for its gold exploration potential, but as recent years have shown, there is the potential for much more to be found” including cobalt, lithium, graphite, and nickel, said Zeinab Azadbakht, regional resident geologist with the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines in Timmins.
Timmins Mayor George Pirie, who was the introductory speaker on the last day of the two-day conference, credited Azadbakht for expanding the focus of local mineral extractions and placing more emphasis on rare-earth elements.
“The future of the world’s economy is going to be based on some type of electric locomotion — battery technology — and rare-earths are critical for that to happen,” said Pirie.
One company that stands to benefit by providing raw materials for this industry is Canadian Nickel which owns the Crawford deposit, located about 40 kilometres north of Timmins, just off Highway 655.
For the rest of this article: https://www.timminspress.com/news/local-news/timmins-mine-aims-to-cash-in-on-global-demand-for-nickel