The Ontario government is supporting a $125 million investment through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to establish a permanent Ontario Mine Rescue Training Institute in Sudbury, aimed at strengthening worker safety and emergency preparedness across the province’s mining sector.

The initiative, announced by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, forms part of the province’s broader plan to build a more resilient and self-reliant economy in the G7, while addressing rising global demand for critical minerals.

The 120-acre facility will be operated by Ontario Mine Rescue, a division of Workplace Safety North, and is expected to train more than 540 mine rescue and fire response volunteers annually once fully operational.

State-of-the-art training facility

The institute will feature advanced underground and surface mining simulation environments designed to replicate high-risk conditions. Training programs will include high-angle rescue, fire response, hazardous materials handling, confined space operations, and structural collapse scenarios.

It will also include smart classrooms equipped with virtual and augmented reality systems, remote learning capabilities, and on-site accommodations for multi-day courses.

Officials said the design is intended to reduce travel demands for volunteers while improving access to standardized, advanced safety training across northern Ontario and beyond.

Ontario Mine Rescue reported it has delivered more than 65,000 hours of underground training over its history and has supported hundreds of rescue operations.

Government and WSIB backing

David Piccini, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development, said the project reflects a modern approach to workplace safety.

“Ontario’s mine rescue volunteers are among the best-trained emergency responders in the world, and this facility will attract international talent to bring them here,” Piccini said. “This is what modern worker safety looks like; a permanent, world-class home for the expertise that mining communities across Ontario, and countries around the globe, have come to rely on.”

Jeff Lang, president and chief executive officer of WSIB, said the investment extends beyond safety outcomes.

“We are so proud to partner with Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue to bring this project to life. This is an investment in health and safety in mining and also an investment in our economy, the Sudbury community, and in the mining industry,” Lang said.

Industry preparedness and expansion

Mike Parent, president and CEO of Workplace Safety North and Ontario Mine Rescue, said the facility will expand capacity and reduce the need for international training travel.

“This investment is truly transformative for mine rescue and emergency preparedness in Ontario,” Parent said. “A world-class mine rescue training academy in Sudbury will strengthen our ability to deliver leading edge training.”

The institute is also expected to support broader emergency preparedness programs, including collaboration with municipal fire services, industrial teams, and other response partners.

The announcement coincided with Workplace Safety North’s 28th Annual Mining Health and Safety Conference, themed “Shaping Safety in the Critical Minerals Era,” which brought together 250 industry leaders from across the mining sector. The gathering served as the backdrop for the unveiling of the initiative.

Provincial officials said the new facility will function as a centre for innovation and knowledge-sharing, supporting Ontario’s position in the global mining sector as demand for critical minerals continues to increase.

Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade, noted the project reinforces Ontario’s role in global supply chains. The institute is expected to become one of Canada’s largest dedicated mine rescue training centres once completed.