The Ontario government has announced a $125 million funding earmark through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to construct a new Ontario Mine Rescue Training Institute in Sudbury.
The move is part of the government’s mission to protect Ontario by building the most competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy in the G7. The facility, it said, will deliver internationally renowned training and strengthen emergency preparedness as global demand for critical minerals continues to grow.
The 120-acre institute will deliver hands-on training within realistic underground and surface mining environments. Once complete, it will train more than 540 mine rescue and fire responder volunteers annually, strengthening Ontario’s 1,000-person volunteer force and ensuring workers have the skills needed to respond in high-risk, time-critical situations.
The institute will include:
- Training in high‑angle rescue, fire response, hazardous materials, confined space and structural collapse;
- Smart classrooms with virtual and augmented reality technology and remote learning capacity; and
- Accommodations for people to stay during multi-day training courses
The institute will be operated by Ontario Mine Rescue, a division of Workplace Safety North. By creating a permanent purpose-built training hub in northern Ontario, officials said, the province is expanding access to advanced rescue training, reducing travel burdens on volunteers and strengthening worker safety across the province’s growing mining sector.
“For more than 90 years, Ontario Mine Rescue has set the standard for excellence in mine safety and emergency response,” said Shawn Rideout, Chief Mine Rescue Officer, Ontario Mine Rescue.
“This investment is transformational. It will expand training capacity, strengthen readiness across the province and ensure Ontario has the tools and expertise needed to be a leader in mining industry for generations to come.”
Ontario Mine Rescue has delivered more than 65,000 hours of training in underground working environments and supported hundreds of rescue operations over its history.