North Bay marks 100 years of mining with waterfront expo

North Bay mining expo showcases city’s global industry role with 60 local firms employing 2,500 people and a jobs surge expected by 2029. Eric Taschner reports.

A two-day mining expo at the Lake Nipissing waterfront is celebrating a century of mining and related projects supported by North Bay-based companies.

The event also highlights the global role these companies play in mining operations worldwide. Though North Bay has no active mines, mills, or smelters, its influence is felt across mining projects globally.

“There is a significant increase in the need for this, especially in northern Ontario, with those critical minerals we need to get out of the ground to support electric vehicles and other initiatives,” said Mark Wagner, president of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Northern Gateway Branch.

More than 60 mining supply companies in North Bay employ about 2,500 people, playing a crucial role in mine development locally and internationally.

One such company, Redpath Canada Ltd., has 200 local employees and more than 9,000 worldwide.

“We have a whole lot of content from projects and different Redpath sites,” said Tyler Foy, Redpath’s manager of engineering and technical services.

“A lot of the people that just live in North Bay don’t know that there’s such a deep mining connection.”

The expo introduces co-op students and the public to the mining sector, showcasing career opportunities in the evolving industry. Static displays of mining equipment are also featured.

Ontario’s Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister Vic Fedeli visited the expo Friday, praising North Bay’s contributions to mining, including its role in northwestern Ontario’s Ring of Fire.

“I’ve been to the Ring of Fire five times, and you see North Bay’s drill rods, North Bay’s drill bits. The tents actually were made about 20 years ago when I was there. They were made in Rutherglen,” Fedeli told reporters.

“Mining is a big part of the fabric of North Bay. The rail, the logging in the past and mining are all resource sectors. But now we’ve really shifted to technology. You see around us all of the technology that’s used in mining today – it’s a very different business today.”

Officials anticipate major growth in the sector by 2030. Ontario currently has 31,000 direct mining jobs and 46,000 indirect jobs in mineral processing and supply.

“We are expecting a 70 per cent increase in employment opportunities by 2029,” said Wagner.

“So, take those 2,500 people and do the math around that.”

Wagner added that mining suppliers are optimistic about the future of critical minerals.