„Mines and smelters provide thousands of family-supporting jobs and sustain a large supply chain of nearly 4,000 small and medium-sized businesses in urban centers, small towns and a large number of First Nations communities,” MABC President and CEO Michael Goehring said in a statement.
Sponsored by MABC and the Mining Suppliers Association of BC (MSABC) and produced by iTOTEM Analytics, the report flags Metro Vancouver contributing the lion's share, with 1,125 mining suppliers in 18 communities receiving C$1.4 billion.
The mining sector supported over 200 urban, rural and First Nations communities. Among rural municipalities, Kamloops, Prince George and Sparwood stood out with significant purchases of C$377 million, C$237 million and C$188 million respectively.
The report emphasized the sector's engagement with First Nations, with 150 affiliated businesses providing approximately C$520 million worth of goods and services, an increase of C$65 million from the C$455 million recorded in 2021, reflecting the growing involvement of First Nations in the mining supply chain. .
BC's mining sector also contributed to community investments, with C$5.7 million distributed to approximately 260 community and First Nations organizations in 2022. The province's potential in significant mineral projects is immense, with 16 of them in advanced stages of development, representing C$36 billion. New investments.
These projects, along with five new precious metals mines, represent nearly C$2 billion in additional investments, demonstrating the sector's key role in economic growth and the clean energy transition.