A recent study from the Mining Association of B.C has found that Sparwood and Elkford mines were among the greatest supporters of small and medium-sized mining supply businesses in the province in 2022.
Sparwood and Elkford ranked among the top five rural communities with greatest financial contributions to rural mining supply businesses and ranked in the top 10 for highest supply chain spending province-wide. Sparwood mines contributed $188 million and Elkford mines gave $168 million to rural B.C businesses, behind Vancouver, Kamloops, Prince George and Burnaby.
Overall, B.C mines gave a total of $3.7 billion to 4,000 urban and rural businesses across the province in 200 communities. Vancouver mines were the greatest spenders with $532 million going to supply businesses.
Michael Goehring, president and CEO of Mining Association of B.C, said this data is significant considering the small size of both these communities.
“Sparwood and Elkford are very important in the mining supply chain and supply hundreds of goods and services to the Elk Valley,” he said.
Sparwood also had the fourth largest number of mining businesses in the province, with 200 local suppliers.
“It’s fair to say that mine suppliers in the Elk Valley likely generate more of their revenue from mines in the valley than from mines elsewhere or businesses elsewhere,” said Goehring.
Another key finding of the study was that financial support for indigenous-affiliated supply chain businesses is increasing, although there was no data in the study to indicate where Indigenous businesses were located.
“The amount of procurement between our member companies and indigenous affiliated suppliers increased in 2022 from 2021. In 2022, 150 First Nations affiliated businesses provided $520 million worth of goods and services to B.C’s mines and smelters. That was up $61 million from 2021,” Goehring explained.