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Opening a gold mine in Ontario is not a matter of obtaining one all-purpose mine permit. A project may need approvals under the Mining Act and other provincial or federal laws, with environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation where applicable. The exact requirements depend on the site, design, infrastructure and effects. Environmental assessment approval, when required, is a distinct decision—not permission by itself to begin every construction or operating activity.
There is no single permit for an Ontario gold mine
Ontario’s Mining Act governs the mineral-development sequence from prospecting and exploration through mine development and rehabilitation. Its requirements vary by project stage and are set out in the Act and regulations, including O. Reg. 240/00, Advanced Exploration, Mine Development and Closure under Part VII of the Act. A mine may also need approvals under other provincial and federal laws.
![Michipicoton Mining Division, Set Apart by Order in Council, September 9, 1897 [microform]: Revised and Amended Regulations for Mining Divisions, Approved by Order in Council, April 7, 1899](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41FMB8T9oyL._SL160_.jpg)
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That means the permit list is project-specific, not a standard checklist that applies to every gold mine. A project’s location, water use, tailings and waste-rock plans, roads, effects on fish or species, and other design choices can change which approvals are needed.
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1. Identify the project’s approvals and assessment requirements
The proponent must determine which laws and processes apply to the proposed work. Environmental assessment is a distinct process where it is required; its applicability should not be assumed solely because a project is a gold mine. Ontario’s reviews of Côté, Rainy River and Hammond Reef illustrate how an assessment may sit alongside other approvals.
2. Check whether One Project, One Process applies
Ontario’s One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework is established under section 153.0.1 of the Mining Act for projects designated by the Minister of Energy and Mines. It is not automatic for every mine. For a designated project, a Mine Authorization and Permitting Delivery Team can coordinate project management, consultation, and the timing and alignment of applications, reviews and decisions through an Integrated Authorization and Permitting Plan (IAPP).
Coordination does not replace the applications or approvals themselves. Ontario says the proponent is responsible for implementing the IAPP by submitting complete applications under each ministry’s legislative and procedural requirements, and for obtaining all necessary approvals. The framework also makes clear that the absence of a ministry, municipality or federal department from the process does not remove the proponent’s obligation to engage relevant parties where needed.
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3. Complete the applicable environmental assessment process
Where the Environmental Assessment Act process applies, the proponent prepares an environmental assessment and consults interested people during its preparation. The Minister may approve the undertaking, approve it with conditions or refuse it. Ontario’s cited project examples state that Lieutenant Governor in Council concurrence is also required for the decision.
An assessment decision concerns the undertaking under that process; it does not grant every implementation permit. Other approvals may still be required before specific work can proceed.
4. Obtain the approvals required for the project’s activities and effects
Applications under the relevant laws are reviewed by the responsible authorities. Depending on the project, some application and decision steps may be coordinated through 1P1P, but the proponent remains responsible for securing the approvals that apply, including those outside participating ministries.
5. Plan for closure and rehabilitation
Closure is part of the mine lifecycle, not an issue to leave until production ends. Ontario identifies a Mining Act closure plan for mine construction and production through eventual decommissioning, including financial assurance. Ontario also identifies a Mine Rehabilitation Code effective April 1, 2024, incorporated by reference into O. Reg. 35/24.
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Examples of additional approvals—and why they are not universal
Ontario’s Côté Gold, Rainy River and Hammond Reef assessment materials illustrate approvals that may arise from particular project designs or effects. They are examples, not a complete or universal list.
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- Mine closure: A Mining Act closure plan is identified in Ontario’s gold-mine materials for mine construction and production and eventual decommissioning.
- Highways and access: Work on a provincial highway right of way may require highway permissions.
- Fish and fish habitat: Effects on fish or habitat may bring fisheries approvals into play. Tailings or waste rock in waters frequented by fish may raise additional requirements.
- Species at risk: Potential effects on endangered species may require permissions under applicable species-protection rules.
- Explosives: Explosives facilities or use may require separate permissions.
- Discharge and waste: Ontario’s project reviews identify effluent and tailings-related approvals among possible requirements, depending on the project.
Some of these approvals are federal. A historical project’s list cannot determine what another mine needs: the footprint, activities and anticipated effects must be assessed for that project.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Indigenous consultation fits in
Consultation is relevant across applicable assessment and regulatory processes. The Crown’s constitutional duty to consult, and where appropriate accommodate, arises when the Crown has knowledge of protected Aboriginal or treaty rights and contemplates conduct that may adversely affect those rights.
For a designated 1P1P project, consultation requirements can be sequenced through plans aligned with the IAPP. Proponents may carry out procedural aspects when directed, but the Crown retains its constitutional responsibility. The proponent’s role in supporting consultation does not transfer that duty to the company.
Springpole illustrates why an assessment milestone is not a green light
Ontario’s Springpole materials report that First Mining Gold submitted an environmental assessment on November 8, 2024, and that an amended assessment was resubmitted on June 8, 2026. The ministry then prepared a review for comment by Indigenous communities, the public, agencies and stakeholders, with a stated comment deadline of July 31, 2026.
Those reported dates describe review milestones, not approval to proceed. Ontario’s project information says the ministry review is not the project decision: the decision belongs to the Minister and is subject to Lieutenant Governor in Council approval. The dates above do not establish the project’s status after the stated comment deadline; check Ontario’s live Springpole project information for later decisions or updates.
What to check for a specific project
For a named mine, use its current project information and identify the laws and authorities relevant to its actual footprint and effects. The key questions are whether the Minister designated it for 1P1P, whether provincial or federal assessment applies, and what its water, discharge, tailings, waste rock, access routes, transmission corridors, species, fish habitat and closure plans entail. Those facts shape the approvals pathway; no single example project can supply the answer for all Ontario gold mines.
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