(MERAF) for the Base Metals Smelting Sector - CCME

In terms of tonnage, zinc ranks first among base metals produced in Canada
followed by copper. However, in terms of economic value, nickel comes first
followed by zinc and copper.
Also in terms of value, almost half of base metals produced in Canada are mined
in Ontario followed by British Columbia and Québec.
Table 2: Estimate of Mineral Production of Canada, by Province, 2000
Cobalt
tonnes
($’000)
Copper
tonnes
($’000)
New Brunswick 9,423
(25,507)
Lead
tonnes
($’000)
66,570
(44,602)
Nickel
tonnes
($’000)
Zinc
tonnes
($’000)
Total
($’000)
237,535
(397,871) (467,980)
Québec 220
(11,047)
92,778
(251,150)
22,898
(298,205)
197,928
(331,529) (891,931)
Ontario 1,360
(68,269)
203,711
(551,446)
114,350
(1,489,186)
85,365
(142,986) (2,251,887)
Manitoba 433
(21,764)
47,258
(127,928)
43,778
(570,127)
80,929
(135,557) (855,376)
Saskatchewan 625
(1,692)
British Columbia 269,656
(729,959)
44,596
(29,880)
1,033
(1,731) (3,423)
147,710
(247,415) (1,007,254)
Nunavut 31,883
(21,361)
Canada
tonnes
($’000)
2,013
(101,080)
623,451
(1,687,681)
143,049
(95,843)
181,027
(2,357,518)
185,185
(310,184) (331,545)
935,686
(1,567,274) (5,809,396)
2.8.3. Review of base metals smelting in Canada
The figures shown in Table 2 does not necessarily represent smelter production
within each jurisdiction because ores in one province could be smelted in another
province or exported as concentrates. In the same manner Canadian smelters
process concentrates from ores mined in other countries.
Table 3 shows the production rate 51 of each facility for 2000.
51 Personal communication from Mining Association of Canada to Serge Langdeau April 3, 2002
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