Stantec is the environmental consultant of choice for Canada Nickel Company and its proposed open-pit mine north of Timmins.
Canada Nickel Company picked Stantec to steer it toward the permitting process for its Crawford Nickel Project, according to a recent news release from the environmental firm.
Stantec bills itself as a leading provider in sustainable design and engineering to the mining industry.
Crawford would be a nickel and cobalt mine with other metals in the mix, including chromium, platinum and palladium. The mine life is tabbed at 41 years.
Crawford is currently in the impact statement phase under the federal Impact Assessment Act.
Stantec said it will prepare the project’s impact statement, environmental assessments, and handle all the related technical studies to identify and address all the associated mitigation measures to steer Crawford through the regulatory approvals process toward obtaining government permits.
The firm provided expertise to help Generation Mining’s Marathon palladium-copper project become the first mine in Ontario to receive approval through a federal-provincial joint review panel process.
No construction decision has been made to proceed with Crawford, which, if developed, would be one of the largest nickel sulfide mines in the world.
Canada Nickel management anticipates receiving all its permits by mid-2025. Construction could conceivably begin in 2026 with first production by the end of 2027, according to a recent company investor presentation.
Canada Nickel has been promoting Crawford as a zero-emissions mine project. A key element is its In-Process Tailings Carbonation technology that would create a vast carbon storage facility that would sequestrate one million tonnes of carbon storage annually.
“Stantec is excited to be part of this critical minerals project, and to leverage our unique technical and regulatory experience for CNC,” said Chris Powell, Senior Environmental Planner at Stantec. “Our talented team of environmental assessment practitioners, who offer both national mining sector experience and local knowledge, will lead and prepare the Impact Statement through the regulatory approvals process and toward its next milestone of obtaining permits,” said Chris Powell, Stantec’s senior environmental planner, in a statement.
Pierre-Philippe Dupont, Canada Nickel’s vice-president of sustainability, is eager to get to work with these permitting experts.
“Their expertise will be invaluable as we move through the approvals process. Crawford is poised to be a leader in the energy transition through our large-scale production of critical minerals, which are invaluable to the electric vehicle revolution and stainless steel markets, while also supporting Canada’s climate objectives through industrial-scale carbon capture and storage.”
