Invest in NWT
The Northwest Territories is an exciting, politically stable jurisdiction with proven, in-demand resources.
For nearly a century, metals like gold and diamonds, along with oil and gas, have shown great potential for future growth.
Exploring and producing important minerals is growing in popularity in the NWT. New laws, infrastructure, and a collaborative approach are making it easier for investors to support economic growth. This investment not only creates jobs and business opportunities, it builds communities through education and training in the long term.
The NWT resource sector works closely with Indigenous communities through sharing royalties and co-developing projects. Named ESG-I; specifically, it focuses on ESG performance metrics from an Indigenous perspective.
You can invest in resources anywhere. Consider investing in Canada's Northwest Territories for a safe and stable opportunity that benefits the community and future generations. This region offers a secure environment for business growth.
By investing here, you can contribute to the development and prosperity of the local community. Your investment will also have a positive impact on future generations in the area.
Click below to unlock more about the NWT’s competitive edge:
A Proud Mining History
The Northwest Territories’ relationship with mining began in the 1900’s when adventurers, inspired by the 1898 Klondike gold rush, began to explore the interior.
Among these early prospectors, E.A Blakeney is remembered for a gold sample assay of an astounding 2.158 ounces per tonne. Other prospectors followed like Gilbert Labine, who discovered radium and silver at Great Bear Lake, and C.J. (Johnny) Baker who discovered gold along Yellowknife Bay.
The NWT’s first mine, Eldorado, began its production of radium in 1933, having spurred the NWT’s first official staking rush. It became the impetus for what would become Canada’s longest producing oil field at Norman Wells.
Gold was soon discovered in Yellowknife Bay, leading to the establishment of Burwash, the territory’s first gold mine. A new mine has been established in the NWT every decade since.
The Con and Giant gold mines in Yellowknife, the territory's capital, began gold production in 1938 and 1948, respectively. Gold mining continued in the area for 66 years before ceasing in November 2003. In all, Yellowknife area gold mines, including the Discovery Mine, produced approximately 15 million ounces of gold.
The Con gold deposit in Yellowknife and the Pine Point lead/zinc deposit directly south of it on Great Slave Lake are credited for sparking the construction of both the NWT’s first highway and it's only rail line.
In the early 1960s, Cantung Mine and Pine Point Mine began operating in the NWT. This made the NWT a significant exporter of tungsten and base metals.
In 1991, geologists Chuck Fipke and Stu Blusson found diamonds in the NWT, leading to a new era of mineral exploration. Young Canadians and innovative geologists changed the mining industry. They took charge, claimed their own land, raised funds on their own, and paved a new way forward.
This story is set to unfold again as critical mineral exploration and staking increases. Companies consolidate their known discoveries and prepare to take them to the next step.
To read more about the NWT’s rich mining history, see the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines publication, Mining: Our Northern Legacy, or visit the Yellowknife Historical Society’s website. It features the history of mining in Yellowknife; the NWT’s capital city and the Diamond Capital of North America.
World-class Services - Geoscience
Both federal and territorial governments invest heavily in geoscience research in the Northwest Territories, attracting an impressive lineup of geological expertise to the NWT Geological Survey (NTGS).
A one-stop shop for geological information, the NTGS serves industry and academia alike with peer-reviewed research and data. This includes archived mineral assessment reports and geological information donated from historical mines and exploration projects.
Through the NTGS, investors can access a broad inventory of expertise including bedrock mapping, resource assessments, industrial minerals, surficial geology, geochemistry and geophysics, petroleum geoscience, permafrost science, geomatics, database management and geoscience education.
Ongoing strategic investment is continually augmenting the role of the NTGS and strengthening its capacity to support resource exploration and investment in addition to scientific study.
This has resulted in the establishment of a main library that houses the largest kimberlite core collection in the world. Additionally, new reports have been published on the southeast and southwest areas. Many aeromagnetic studies have also been conducted. Evaluations of the Lac de Gras region have been carried out as well.