Mining Association of BC

By Cheryl Jahn

Mining Association of BC

MABC releases mining report

Jan 22, 2026 | 3:14 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The economics of mining. That’s the gist of a new report released during the Natural Resources Forum, which wraps up today (Jan.22). The report highlights the successes of mining to not only communities, but the province as a whole.

The report broke down the impacts of 16 critical minerals mines, five precious metal mines and three steelmaking coal mines. Here are the numbers:

• Investment of over $40 billion
• Total economic output of over $69 billion
• Total GDP of over $35 billion
• 250,114 person-years of total employment delivering over $21 billion in labour income
• Total government revenues of $11.1 billion

“There is palpable momentum in British Columbia’s mining industry right now in the North of the province,” says Michael Goehring, President & CEO of the Mining Association of BC. “And the federal government has realized the economic potential of mining and critical minerals. We have the commitment to build the North Coast Transmission Line. We had $174 million contribution from both governments to upgrade highways and infrastructure. In northwest BC, you have the Premier’s Northwest Strategy. We had the Tahltan Nation and the Nisga’a Nation purchase the port of Stewart.”

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“It’s always a good to be the Mayor of Terrace.”

That’s Sean Bujtas, the Mayor of Terrace and he says because the City of Terrace sits on the southernmost fringes of what’s called the Golden Triangle, where most of the mines are located in the Northwest.

“A lot of the industrial projects are coming down the pipe,” says Bujtas. “Especially when you think about the federal government and the fast tracking of 12 major projects for them in my backyard. But when it comes to mining in the Golden Triangle, you are coming through Terrace to get to any one of these projects.”

However, it isn’t all sunshine for the community of Terrace, and its mayor has a message for those who control the coffers.

“We’re going to be this economic driver,” says Bujtas. So there is an expectation that both levels of government, especially the federal government, are investing in our communities to make sure that we’re livable, attractive. And that these these major industries aren’t negatively impacting the residents. Because at the end of the day, it shouldn’t be costing my residents money. It should not cost our taxpayers dollars. It shouldn’t be costing a coffee shop downtown money at all.”

The Mining Association of BC also has a message for both levels of government.

“We need to ensure that mining is a priority, and that we need to double down and ensure that that’s a number one agenda item so that we can realize the benefits that, mining and critical minerals offer British Columbians.”

He says a trio of things need to happens to capitalize on the Association’s numbers: quicker permitting times – though things are much better on that front – better First Nations capacity and a retooled labour supply, with an industry that will need five to ten thousand people over the next decade.