Here are the newest mining projects in British Columbia that have recently become permitted (via major permits, amendments, or environmental assessment approvals) or newly operating/started production in late 2025 or early 2026, based on the most current public announcements and government sources. The focus of this update is strictly on those fitting “newly operating or permitted” — meaning extensions/amendments enabling continued or expanded operations where they were nearing end-of-life, re-openings of historic sites, or fresh starts. Pure exploration or early-stage proposals (e.g., Lawyers-Ranch in public comment, Baptiste Nickel in early engagement, Eskay Creek pending minister decision) are excluded as they aren’t yet permitted/operating.
- Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine Expansion/Extension (Centerra Gold)
- Location: Near Fort St. James, northern BC.
- Status: Final permit amendments issued in January 2026 (announced around Jan 21, 2026, described as the “first mine permit of 2026”). This extends operations through 2035 (previously set to end around 2028) and allows production increase from 60,000 to 66,500 tonnes per day.
- Details: Selected in 2025 for BC’s expedited permitting/fast-tracking process under the government’s Look West Strategy for major projects. Supports hundreds of existing jobs and economic stability in critical minerals (copper-gold). It’s an expansion of an existing operating mine, not a brand-new greenfield project.
- This has been a high-profile win for Premier Eby and the NDP government amid focus on mining as an economic driver.
- Dome Mountain Gold Mine Re-Opening (Blue Lagoon Resources Inc.)
- Location: Near Smithers, northern BC (drive-to, all-year access).
- Status: Fully permitted in February 2025 (one of only a handful of full mining permits issued in BC that year); mine officially inaugurated/re-opened in July 2025; underground gold production commenced in Q4 2025 (October 2025 onward). Recent updates (e.g., January 2026) include adding a second underground shift for higher throughput.
- Details: Re-opening of a historic high-grade underground gold mine (vein system with exploration upside). Provides a low-risk path to production via access to nearby milling. This qualifies as newly operating after permitting to restart.
- Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension (Teck Highland Valley Copper Partnership)
- Location: Near Logan Lake, southern interior BC.
- Status: Environmental assessment certificate issued June 17, 2025, approving modifications for an 18-year life extension (beyond planned 2028 limits). Subject to additional required permits (some may have followed).
- Details: Involves expanding the existing open pit, infrastructure upgrades, and ~1,526 hectares of new disturbance; estimated $1.5 billion in construction costs plus operational spending. It’s a major extension of one of BC’s largest existing copper mines, enabling continued operations with increased capacity.
Other notes:
- BC’s government has emphasized faster permitting overall (e.g., major mining permits 37% faster in recent reports), with goals for four new mines/expansions operational by 2032.
- No brand-new greenfield mines (from zero to production) appear to have started operations in the past year; most “new” activity involves extensions, re-openings, or phased developments at existing sites (e.g., Blackwater gold mine expansions/phases announced late 2025 but already permitted earlier).