Canada is the world’s largest zinc and second largest nickel and lead producer. Canada's zinc and lead production in 2003 was pegged at 744,037t and 77,140t respectively.

Most of Canada’s base metals are hosted by massive sulphide sources (e.g. the Sudbury complex) as well as porphyry deposits (e.g. the Highlands Valley Porphyry). Zinc mines have been found in every province and territory with the exception of Alberta and Prince Edward Island.

In most cases copper is produced as a co product with nickel, zinc, lead and gold. A small number of producers, including Noranda, Inco, Falconbridge, Teck Cominco, Boliden and Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting, dominate base metal production in Canada.

Although Noranda is a world leading zinc and nickel producer, it also produces significant amounts of copper from four lead – zinc – silver mining operations in New Brunswick and Quebec. The Gaspe underground mine, situated at Needle Mountain, Quebec, closed in 1999. The Gallen Mine near Rouyn-Noranda in Quebec was reopened in 1997 with an estimated further 3 years of production from probable reserves containing 1.1 Mt grading at an average copper grade 4.7% zinc, 0.16% copper and minor gold and silver. After a shaky start, Noranda has begun production at the copper – zinc Bell Allard Mine situated in northern Quebec. The mine has an estimated five year life from proven reserves of 980 000t of ore averaging 11.8% zinc and 1.1% copper.

Teck Cominco is one of the world’s largest zinc producers, also producing lead, copper, molybdenum and germanium. Teck Cominco operates several base metal mines across Canada, including the world’s most northerly mine, Polaris, at Little Cornwallis Island, Nunavut. The Polaris mine (in which Teck Corp. has a 22.5% interest) has identified additional ore reserves, which may extend the life of mine. At the end of 1998, Polaris had proven and probable reserves estimated at 3 Mt grading at 12.8% zinc and 3.3% lead.

Boliden acquired the Myra Falls underground zinc copper mines on Vancouver Island, British Columbia in 1998. After suspending operations for several months due to poor ground conditions, production resumed in March 1999. The mine has estimated proven and probable reserves of over 6.7 Mt grading at an average of 7.7% zinc, 1.5% copper, 0.4 % lead, 1.4 g/t gold and 35 g/t silver.

The Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Anglo American and operates several mines in Manitoba. Of note are the two new developing mines, Chisel North and the 777 project.

A relative junior to the base metal scene in Canada is Breakwater Resources, which has acquired two of Cambior’s mines for $48 million. Breakwater now has three base metal mines, two in Quebec (the Bouchard Hebert and Langlois mines) and the Nanivisik mine on Baffin Island, Nunavut.

The Howards Pass zinc deposit located on the border between the Yukon and Nunavut has been described as one of the largest undeveloped zinc deposits in the world. Copper Ridge Explorations Inc. are currently evaluating the deposit.

There are few primary antimony mines in Canada, with most production as by products of base metal mining operations. Roycefield resources owns the Beaver Brook antimony mine in Newfoundland which has been placed on care and maintenance since 1998. The deposit has probable reserves of grading at over 4.1% antimony.

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http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/mms-smm/busi-indu/cmy-amc/2008revu/htm-com/lea-plo-eng.htm

INTRODUCTION

Lead has been known since ancient times and is one of several metals that were discovered during the early periods of human history. Some experts believe that lead was used as early as 5000 B.C. The oldest archaeological evidence of lead use by humans is a figurine found in the Dardanelles area of Asia Minor dating from 3800 B.C.

Lead was used in coinage in China about 2000 B.C. and was mined by the Greeks from about 1200 B.C. to make coins, ornaments, weights, and many other articles. One of lead’s most enduring uses has been as pipe for the transportation of water. Romans manufactured lead pipes in one standard length and in several diameters, and used it extensively in municipal water systems. The Latin word for lead is plumbum, which forms the root of modern English words such as “plumber” and “plumbing,” as well as the chemical symbol for lead, Pb.

Almost all lead is obtained from sulphide ores in which the most common lead mineral is galena (PbS). It is usually found in combination with other sulphide ores, most frequently those of zinc, and also those of copper. Other lead-containing minerals include cerussite (PbCO3) and anglesite (PbSO4).

HISTORY OF LEAD MINING IN CANADA

Lead-zinc ores were originally discovered in the Kootenay region of British Columbia in the 1820s. Active prospecting in the area dates from 1865 and mining commenced shortly thereafter. In the early years, the ores from British Columbia were sent to the United States for smelting and refining.

The now-famous Sullivan mine started operation near Kimberley, British Columbia, in the early 1900s and continued to produce lead until its closure in December 2001. By 1914, the Sullivan mine was the largest lead producer in Canada – a position it held for 50 years until the Pine Point mine in the Northwest Territories completed its first year of operation in 1966. Pine Point closed in 1988. The Kingdon mine at Galetta, on the Ottawa River near Arnprior, Ontario, was discovered in 1884, operated briefly in the 1880s, and was reactivated in 1914, producing lead and zinc ore until the early 1930s. The discovery, by the Geological Survey of Canada, of lead and zinc ores on Baffin Island in the mid-1950s led to the development of the Nanisivik mine in the mid-1970s. The mine closed in September 2002. The discovery of lead-zinc on Little Cornwallis Island in 1971 led to the development of the Polaris mine. Operated by Teck Cominco, the mine had the distinction of being the most northerly base-metal mine until its closure at the end of August 2002 after 20 years of operation.

(Just go read the article for yet more and more and more information. It's too long to post here in its entirety.)