A new economic impact study from the Mining Association of British Columbia shows that 27 proposed critical mineral, precious metal, and steelmaking coal mines in B.C. could generate a staggering $818 billion in total economic output and support more than 2.2 million jobs across Canada over their operating lives.
The 2025 update, prepared by Mansfield Consulting Inc., assessed 18 critical mineral mines, six precious metal mines, and three steelmaking coal mines, all in advanced stages of development. The numbers are enormous and they deserve to be taken seriously.
During construction alone, the 27 projects would generate $81 billion in total Canadian output, $39 billion in GDP, and support more than 306,000 jobs. Federal tax revenue from construction would reach $5.9 billion. Provincial tax revenue would hit $4.5 billion.
Once operating, the picture scales dramatically. Total Canadian output from mine operations would reach $818 billion. GDP contribution would stand at $411 billion. Total jobs supported across the country would exceed 2.2 million. Federal tax revenue would climb to $68 billion, while provincial tax revenue would hit $82 billion.
A national economic asset
The vast majority of the impact stays in B.C. Approximately 82 per cent of total output and 76 per cent of jobs during operations would be generated within the province. The remaining 18 to 24 per cent flows to other regions of Canada through supply chains, induced spending, and interprovincial economic activity.
These are not B.C.-only projects. They are national economic assets that happen to be located in British Columbia.
The project list reads like a map of B.C.’s mineral future. It includes Galore Creek, KSM, Red Chris, Highland Valley Copper, Eskay Creek, Cariboo Gold, the Wicheeda rare earths project, and Conuma’s steelmaking coal operations, among others. Many involve significant First Nations partnerships and equity arrangements.
The cost of permitting delays
The study arrives at a moment when B.C.’s mining sector is pushing hard for faster permitting. The Mining Association has been clear that momentum is building, but the province takes years longer than competitors like Australia and Chile to approve new mines.
The Critical Minerals Office is new and underfunded. The PST expansion to engineering and geoscience services has raised costs on every project in the pipeline.
The numbers in this study make the cost of delay painfully concrete. Every year that a project sits in permitting limbo is a year of lost GDP, lost jobs, and lost tax revenue for a province and a country that cannot afford to leave $818 billion on the table.
The 2025 Economic Impact Study was prepared by Mansfield Consulting Inc. for the Mining Association of British Columbia.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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