(Toronto, Canada) – Ontario has added Mayfair Gold’s proposed Fenn-Gib mine to its accelerated permitting framework, giving a planned $450-million northern Ontario development a coordinated provincial review process without authorizing construction.

The November 2 designation makes Fenn-Gib the fourth project selected under One Project, One Process. The new development is its admission to that framework, rather than a final investment decision or the issuance of permits needed to build the mine.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines will serve as the central provincial contact, coordinating approvals and Indigenous consultation. Ontario says the framework aims to halve government review times. That is a program objective, not a measured reduction already achieved at Fenn-Gib.

The proposed open-pit mine and processing facility would be located approximately 17 kilometres east of Matheson, in the Timmins gold district. Ontario estimates it would support 450 construction jobs and 250 long-term positions. Those are projected jobs, not positions already created.

Mayfair’s November 2 announcement says it expects to secure the permits required for a construction decision as early as 2028. The company is targeting construction that year and initial production in 2030, but cautions that its forward-looking expectations remain subject to risks and uncertainty.

Financing is also not fully settled. The Northern Miner reported that Mayfair’s proposed Macquarie package includes a $300-million project loan and a $10-million equity investment. The equity investment closed October 14, while the proposed loan remains subject to due diligence, definitive agreements and closing conditions.

The designation does not remove the Crown’s duty to consult Indigenous communities. Mayfair says it intends to work with Apitipi Anicinapek Nation and other Indigenous and local communities as the project advances. Its announcement also identifies the provincial Class Environmental Assessment process as part of the development pathway.

Fenn-Gib joins the PAK lithium, Crawford nickel and Great Bear gold projects in Ontario’s coordinated permitting program. For the proposed mine, the next consequential milestones remain obtaining the necessary permits, completing financing arrangements and reaching a construction decision—not simply entering the faster-review stream.

Accompanying image: editorial illustration.

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