Given the substantial production volume and diversity of the Canadian mining industry, it is not surprising that it has a significant impact on the economy. In 2017, the mining industry contributed some 97 billion Canadian dollars to Canada's gross domestic product (gdp), while the real gdp contribution amounted to 24.6 billion Canadian dollars that year. The mining industry has the highest average wages/salaries of any industry in the country, and as of 2017 there were nearly 426,000 people directly employed by the mining industry, and a further 206,000 people indirectly employed.
A significant amount of the world's leading mining companies are headquartered in Canada, operating domestically and internationally. For example, Barrick Gold and Teck Resources are both headquartered in Toronto, and the largest potash producing company in the world, Nutrien (PotashCorp prior to the 2018 merger with Agrium) is based in Saskatchewan. Additionally, there are more than 3,700 companies that supply the financial, environmental, engineering, geotechnical, and other services to the mining activities throughout the country.
