Kevin Holland - (File Photo/Acadia Broadcasting)

Thunder Bay – Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland says the mining boom is on following the recent purchase of the former Abitibi mill site by Avalon Advanced Materials.

The company plans to use the site for a lithium processing facility, and Holland believes an investment of this calibre might peak the interests of others.

“To have a company make that investment and have that confidence in Thunder Bay I think is really going to bode well for us as we move forward, not just the mining industry and the mining sector, but any other industry.”

500 jobs are expected to be created in the region, with the potential of more through various other lithium exploration projects by other companies.

Due to its use in electric vehicles and batteries, lithium is a critical mineral, something which plays a key role in the Ford Government’s economic strategy for Ontario.