News

Ottawa to provide $20M for Electra refinery expansion in Temiskaming Shores

Justin Barber

May 5, 2026 — 1 min read

The federal government will provide $20 million to Electra Battery Materials Corporation toward a $99.4 million project to repurpose and expand the company’s existing refinery in Temiskaming Shores to produce battery-grade cobalt sulfate. The funding was announced May 4, 2026, in Temiskaming Shores by Pauline Rochefort, MP for Nipissing—Timiskaming and parliamentary secretary to the Secretary of State (Rural Development), on behalf of Industry Minister Mélanie Joly.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) said the project is expected to create and maintain more than 160 jobs, including 60 full-time direct jobs in Northern Ontario. ISED also projected that construction would employ about 100 skilled trades workers.

According to ISED, the funding will be provided through the federal Strategic Response Fund.

ISED described Electra’s Temiskaming Shores facility as North America’s first cobalt sulfate refinery and said that, at full capacity, it could supply enough cobalt sulfate for the equivalent of up to one million electric vehicles annually.

Electra CEO Trent Mell said the company is targeting commissioning in 2027.

Electra Battery Materials Corporation was founded in 2011 as First Cobalt and is a publicly traded Canadian company headquartered in Toronto, according to ISED.

The May 4 announcement also follows earlier federal support linked to Electra’s work in Temiskaming Shores. Natural Resources Canada provided $5 million in June 2024 through its Critical Minerals Research Development and Demonstration Program to support the next phase of Electra’s battery recycling proposal in Temiskaming Shores, ISED said.

ISED also said the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario invested an additional $5 million through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program. That contribution, ISED said, added to a separate $5 million investment from 2020 to support continued recommissioning and expansion of Electra’s hydrometallurgical cobalt refinery in Ontario.

Evelyn Township Landfill closed until May 11 reassessment, city says

The Evelyn Township Landfill will remain closed until May 11, when it will be reassessed, according to a May 4 notice from the City of Timmins’ Environmental Services Department. The city said excessive snow accumulation has made access to the site “unsafe and impractical.” The city said it will provide

City of Timmins to run property standards blitz May 11–29; free landfill load offered May 11–25

The City of Timmins will run a Property Standards Blitz from May 11 to May 29, with Enforcement Services checking exterior property conditions such as garbage and pet waste, overgrown grass or trees, and whether vacant buildings are secured. The blitz coincides with a limited-time waste drop-off offer at the

Smooth Rock Falls nominations notice lists one mayoral candidate as of May 1

As of 2:43 p.m. on May 1, Patrick Roberts was the only candidate listed for mayor on a Smooth Rock Falls “List of Nominations Filed” notice for the 2026 municipal election. The town’s notice says nominations opened May 1 and close at 2 p.m. on Aug.

CFIA recalls Broccoli Carbonara Pasta Salad due to Listeria; distributed in Alberta and B.C.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a food recall warning for Broccoli Carbonara Pasta Salad (3.27 kg) because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, with distribution listed in Alberta and British Columbia. The agency’s notice is directed to the retail sector and includes a warning not to

Read more

Evelyn Township Landfill closed until May 11 reassessment, city says

City of Timmins to run property standards blitz May 11–29; free landfill load offered May 11–25

Smooth Rock Falls nominations notice lists one mayoral candidate as of May 1

CFIA recalls Broccoli Carbonara Pasta Salad due to Listeria; distributed in Alberta and B.C.