Toronto-listed Canada Nickel Company has reached a key permitting milestone at its Crawford nickel project, in Ontario, after federal regulators completed the review of the project’s impact statement.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has now formally initiated the Impact Assessment phase under the Impact Assessment Act, following confirmation that the Impact Statement stage has been completed.

The permitting decision is targeted for summer 2026.

Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby said the transition into the next stage of the federal process marked an important step in advancing the large-scale nickel development.

“As we move into the Impact Assessment phase for Crawford, our focus is firmly on advancing the project with the same transparency and collaboration that has brought us this far,” he said.

“The completion of the Impact Statement phase is an important milestone, and we appreciate the thorough review by IAAC and the valuable input from federal and provincial authorities, Indigenous Nations, and the public.”

Selby noted that the company expected a federal permitting decision by the middle of the year as the process continues through a collaborative, parallel review with authorities.

Canada Nickel originally submitted its Impact Statement for the Crawford project in November 2024. Following a public comment period and technical review involving federal and provincial authorities, Indigenous Nations and the public, the IAAC requested additional information in May 2025.

The company submitted its responses in December 2025, and regulators have now confirmed that the information provided meets the requirements of the federal legislation governing the assessment process.

VP sustainability Pierre-Philippe Dupont said advancing into the Impact Assessment phase reflected extensive environmental and technical work undertaken by the company.

“Advancing into the Impact Assessment phase marks a significant step forward for Crawford, and builds on the extensive technical work, environmental planning and Indigenous engagement that has gone into Crawford to date,” he said.

IAAC will now prepare a draft Impact Assessment report and potential conditions for the project, based on information submitted by the company and input from regulators, Indigenous Nations and the public. The draft report will outline preliminary conclusions regarding potential environmental effects within federal jurisdiction and whether these could be significant.

Once completed, the report will be released for public comment before being submitted to the federal Environment Minister to inform a final decision.

Located in Ontario’s emerging critical minerals corridor, the Crawford project is expected to be one of the world’s largest nickel sulphide developments and could support the establishment of a zero-carbon industrial cluster in the Timmins nickel district.