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Economic

Benefits

For more than 100 years, mining has been foundational for British Columbia, providing a steady source of jobs, community development and prosperity in every region of our province.

Economic Generation

BC’s mining sector – mineral explorers, mines and smelters, and the local businesses that support them – remains an important provider of high-paying jobs, contracting and supply opportunities for businesses, tax revenue for all levels of government, and economic reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. BC’s 17 operating mines and two smelters benefit all British Columbians.

BC’s mining industry supports more than 35,000 jobs, with an average annual salary of nearly $139,000.
The estimated economic impact of the mining sector totaled $18 billion in 2022, accounting for 28% of BC’s exports.
Mining in BC contributed more than $3 billion in revenue to all levels of government, helping fund public services we all depend upon.
Mines purchased almost $3.7 billion worth of materials, goods and services from close to 4,000 businesses located in 200 municipalities, towns, and First Nation’s communities.

Every BC Community is a Mining Community

BC’s mines and smelters create jobs and opportunities in every rural town and large urban city across our province. Jobs include everyone from the geologists, engineers, scientists and equipment operators who work at site, to equipment salespeople, accountants, truck drivers, lawyers and data and analytics experts around the province.

Mining and smelting benefits communities around British Columbia, including large urban centres, regional hubs and rural and First Nations communities.
The top five supply chain spending municipalities in 2022 were:
  1. Vancouver
  2. Kamloops
  3. North Vancouver
  4. Prince George
  5. Burnaby
In Metro Vancouver alone, 18 communities received economic benefits of $1.4 billion in 2022 by supplying goods and services to the mining sector.
Beyond the mine sites and smelters, there is a large BC-based supply chain that is thriving, involving thousands of businesses, small, medium, large, and Indigenous-affiliated. These businesses create jobs and wealth across the province.