Updated March 2026
Top Active Mines
in Ontario
Ontario is the beating heart of Canadian mining — the largest producer of gold, platinum, nickel, and platinum group metals. With 13 major operations generating $15.7 billion in mineral production annually, the province's mines are world-class in scale and significance.
Region
Timmins & the Abitibi Gold Belt
The Timmins-Porcupine-Kirkland Lake corridor in northeastern Ontario is one of the most prolific gold-producing regions on the planet. The Abitibi greenstone belt has yielded more than 200 million ounces of gold since prospectors first arrived at the turn of the 20th century.
Detour Lake Mine
Location
185 km NE of Cochrane
Mine Type
Open pit (underground expansion planned)
Owner
Agnico Eagle Mines
Mine Life
2040+
Detour Lake is one of the largest gold mines in Canada and a cornerstone asset for Agnico Eagle, acquired through its 2022 merger with Kirkland Lake Gold. The open-pit mine has measured and indicated resources totalling 17.2 million ounces of gold as of year-end 2025.
2025–2026 Update
An updated technical report outlines a pathway to increase annual production to one million ounces by 2030, which would place Detour Lake among the top three gold mines globally. Significant exploration spending is budgeted for 2026, including underground drilling from new drill stations.
Macassa Mine
Location
Kirkland Lake
Mine Type
Underground
Owner
Agnico Eagle Mines
Mine Life
2035+
Macassa is one of Canada's highest-grade gold mines, with proven and probable reserves averaging 7.77 g/t gold — totalling 2.2 million ounces across 8.8 million tonnes as of year-end 2025. The mine has operated in the Kirkland Lake camp since 1933.
2025–2026 Update
The mine achieved 101% replacement of its mining depletion in reserves during 2025. Agnico Eagle is also advancing the nearby Upper Beaver project, which could provide additional mill feed in the years ahead.
Porcupine Complex
Location
Timmins & Chapleau
Mine Type
Underground & open pit
Owner
Discovery Silver Corp.
Mine Life
2030+
The historic Porcupine gold camp has been in continuous production for over a century. In January 2025, Newmont announced the sale of its Porcupine operations to Discovery Silver Corp. for up to US$425 million. The complex includes Hoyle Pond underground, Pamour open-pit expansion, and Borden underground.
2025–2026 Update
Discovery reported production of 66,718 ounces in Q4 2025. Capital expenditures from 2025 to 2030 are expected to total $854 million, with the Pamour open-pit project completing its development phase in 2025–2026.
Bell Creek & Timmins West
Location
Porcupine, near Timmins
Mine Type
Underground
Owner
Pan American Silver
Mine Life
2030+
Pan American Silver operates two underground mines that feed the Bell Creek mill, a conventional gold processing plant with throughput capacity of approximately 4,500 tonnes per day. As of June 2025, the operation held 846,000 ounces in proven and probable gold reserves.
2025–2026 Update
In 2025, Pan American signed a strategic investment agreement with Galleon Gold and an MOU for toll processing at the Bell Creek mill, indicating commitment to expanding its footprint in the Porcupine camp.
Fox Complex (Black Fox Mine)
Location
Matheson, near Timmins
Mine Type
Underground & open pit
Owner
McEwen Mining
Mine Life
2030+
McEwen Mining acquired Black Fox in 2017 and has since been developing the broader Fox Complex. The nearby Grey Fox deposit holds 1.9 million indicated gold ounces and 436,000 inferred ounces as of the 2025 year-end resource estimate.
2025–2026 Update
McEwen is targeting 60,000 ounces by 2027 and 120,000–150,000 ounces by 2030. A prefeasibility study for Grey Fox is expected in Q2 2026.
Region
Sudbury Basin
The Sudbury Basin is one of the world's great mining districts. Created by a meteorite impact nearly two billion years ago, the basin hosts enormous deposits of nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum group metals, gold, and silver.
Vale Sudbury Operations
Location
Greater Sudbury
Mine Type
Underground & open pit
Owner
Vale Base Metals
Mine Life
2042+
Vale's Sudbury complex is one of the largest integrated mining and processing operations in the world, with a history dating back to 1885. The company operates five underground mines — Coleman, Creighton, Copper Cliff, Garson, and Totten — plus a mill, smelter, and refinery.
2025–2026 Update
Vale is dismantling its aging Copper Cliff smelter complex, including the iconic Superstack. The Creighton Phase 5 expansion is among Vale's long-term development priorities. Totten Mine has returned to production following shaft repairs.
Glencore Sudbury INO
Location
Greater Sudbury
Mine Type
Underground
Owner
Glencore
Mine Life
Transitioning
Glencore's Sudbury INO is undergoing a significant transition. The Fraser Mine has begun its closure process, while Nickel Rim South entered care and maintenance in 2024 after production ended.
2025–2026 Update
In December 2025, Vale and Glencore signed an agreement to jointly evaluate a brownfield copper development using Nickel Rim South's existing infrastructure — potentially producing 880,000 tonnes of copper over 21 years with capital costs of US$1.6–2.0 billion.
Region
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario hosts legendary gold camps that have produced millions of ounces over decades, with operations now backed by Australian and Canadian mid-tier producers investing heavily in growth.
Red Lake Mine
Location
Red Lake
Mine Type
Underground
Owner
Evolution Mining (Australia)
Mine Life
2040
Red Lake is one of the most storied gold camps in Canadian history. Newmont sold the operation to Australia's Evolution Mining in March 2020 for $375 million. Evolution operates three underground mines and two processing plants on a single integrated site.
2025–2026 Update
Evolution produced approximately 112,700 ounces in fiscal year 2024. Longer-range plans call for a process optimization study to reach 300,000 ounces per year by fiscal year 2027.
Rainy River Mine
Location
65 km NW of Fort Frances
Mine Type
Open pit & underground
Owner
New Gold Inc.
Mine Life
2029+
Rainy River has emerged as one of Ontario's most exciting gold operations, delivering a record quarter of 100,301 ounces in Q3 2025 — a 63% increase over the previous quarter.
2025–2026 Update
New Gold expects gold production to rise by 55% compared to 2024, reaching up to 490,000 ounces by 2026. The Phase 5 pit expansion is pushing open-pit mining to 2028, while the Underground Main project is ramping to 5,500 tonnes per day by 2027.
Region
North-Central Ontario
North-central Ontario is experiencing a gold mining renaissance, with two brand-new large-scale mines reaching full production alongside established high-grade operations.
Côté Gold Mine
Location
125 km SW of Timmins
Mine Type
Open pit
Owner
IAMGOLD (70%) / Sumitomo (30%)
Mine Life
2040+
Côté Gold is Ontario's newest large-scale gold mine, having achieved commercial production in mid-2024. In its first full year, the mine produced 279,900 attributable ounces, hitting the top end of guidance.
2025–2026 Update
The plant reached nameplate throughput of 36,000 tonnes per day ahead of schedule in June 2025. IAMGOLD plans to accelerate approximately $120 million in expansion capital in 2026 to de-risk a contemplated expansion.
Greenstone Gold Mine
Location
Near Geraldton
Mine Type
Open pit
Owner
Equinox Gold (60%) / Orion (40%)
Mine Life
2039
Greenstone is Ontario's other major new gold mine, having achieved commercial production in October 2024. The mill has a capacity of 27,000 tonnes per day. Over its initial 15-year mine life, Greenstone is expected to produce an average of 330,000 ounces of gold annually.
2025–2026 Update
The ramp-up year presented some challenges, with production of approximately 220,000–260,000 ounces in 2025. Equinox Gold is investing in operational improvements to achieve stable and sustainable mining and milling rates through 2026.
Island Gold District
Location
Near Dubreuilville
Mine Type
Underground & open pit
Owner
Alamos Gold
Mine Life
2038+
Alamos Gold's Island Gold District is one of the most exciting growth stories in Canadian gold mining. The high-grade underground Island Gold mine and adjacent Magino open-pit operation combined to produce 250,400 ounces in 2025.
2025–2026 Update
The Phase 3+ Expansion will be completed in late 2026, doubling underground throughput to 2,400 tonnes per day. Average annual production is forecast to jump to 411,000 ounces — a 43% increase — with all-in sustaining costs dropping to $915 per ounce.
Eagle River Mine
Location
50 km west of Wawa
Mine Type
Underground
Owner
Wesdome Gold Mines
Mine Life
2032+
Wesdome's Eagle River mine is a high-grade underground operation that produced 113,000 ounces of gold in 2025 at an impressive average grade of 14.1 g/t.
2025–2026 Update
For 2026, guidance calls for 180,000–205,000 ounces with a record $55 million exploration program. The 2026 drill program totals $25 million and 145,000 metres — by far the most aggressive exploration campaign in the mine's history.
Future Development
The Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire in the James Bay Lowlands represents one of the most significant undeveloped mineral deposits in Canada — chromite, nickel, copper, PGMs, vanadium, and rare earth elements essential for clean energy, batteries, and AI data centres.
Chromite
The Ring of Fire contains one of the largest chromite deposits in the world — a critical mineral with no known substitutes in stainless steel production and aerospace alloys.
Nickel & Copper
Wyloo Metals plans to construct a mine at the Eagle's Nest nickel-copper deposit in 2027, with production targeted for 2030. These metals are essential for EV batteries and electrical infrastructure.
Access Roads
Construction on access roads is expected to begin as early as August 2026, with first roads opening by 2030. Agreements have been signed with Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations.
Economic Impact
Ontario produced $6.4 billion worth of critical minerals in 2023. The Ring of Fire and expanded gold operations position the province as a key node in the global supply chain.
Editor's Note
Closed Mines of Note
De Beers' Victor Diamond Mine, located in the James Bay Lowlands near Attawapiskat, ceased production in May 2019 after yielding approximately 8.1 million carats — the first and only commercial diamond mine in Ontario. The site has since undergone extensive reclamation, with more than 1.4 million native trees and shrubs planted.
Glencore's Fraser Mine in Sudbury has begun closure proceedings as it reaches end of life, and Nickel Rim South has entered care and maintenance — though the latter may be repurposed for the proposed Vale-Glencore copper venture.
By Region
Ontario at a Glance
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