Interim Placements: Alex & Canada Nickel Company (CNC)

In February and March, I had a wonderful experience working at the Canada Nickel Company (CNC) where I got to work on interesting projects and attend the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference. 

CNC is a Canadian mining company founded in 2018 to develop nickel sulfide projects in well-established mining areas—namely, in northern Ontario. The company’s flagship project in Crawford, Ontario recently submitted its Impact Statement to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada in what was a major milestone for the project. CNC is also one of OLIP’s generous partners! 

Working with Sustainable Communities Coordinator Lauri Corlett and Director of Indigenous Relations and Public Affairs Sydney Oakes (also an OLIP alum), I wrote sections of the company’s ESG report that discussed the Impact Assessment process, how Gender Based Analysis Plus was used to develop the Impact Statement, and CNC’s commitment to the Women in Mining initiative. I also created the latest edition of CNC’s quarterly newsletter which featured updates about First Nations partnerships, funding, community engagement, and the Impact Assessment process.   

Although I enjoyed gaining more communications experience and learning about mining projects, the highlight of my placement was attending PDAC with Sydney. There, I had the opportunity staff Sydney at the signing of a major contracting agreement between CNC and Mattagami, Matachewan, and Flying Post First Nations. I also attended countless events and meetings where I got to meet stakeholders, CNC staff, government officials (including Minister George Pirie and Minister Stephen Lecce!), and CNC CEO Mark Selby (pictured below).  

I want to extend my sincerest thanks to Sydney, Lauri, Pierre-Phillippe Dupont, and the rest of the CNC team for hosting me during the election. I had a fantastic time working with you all and gained valuable experience and understanding of the critical minerals industry.