Message from the President

All of us involved with this project are proud of having brought the St. Lawrence Wollastonite Deposit into production.  This is the first new industrial minerals mine approved in Southern Ontario in more than 30 years, the only wollastonite mining operation in Canada, and one of just a handful in the world.  Canadian Wollastonite also set a new green standard for sustainable mine development, as recognized by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

Our primary mineral is wollastonite, a calcium silicate which we describe as “a white mineral for a green world”.  Wollastonite’s acicular (needle-like) shape adds strength to anything it is mixed into, allowing for the manufacture of lighter, thinner products. The needle-shaped crystals also are proving to be effective as a natural pesticide in controlling grubs and slugs in crops, lawns, and gardens.

Chemically, wollastonite is a single mineral source of calcium, silicon and magnesium.  This is important because it allows wollastonite to replace several carbonate sources of these elements without the associated release of carbon dioxide, allowing manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprints.

New research has also demonstrated that the calcium in wollastonite is weakly bonded and readily separates in the presence of soil acids, phosphorous, and heavy metals.  The free calcium oxides preferentially bond with these toxic elements effectively sequestering them by mineral absorption. Thus it can be used to neutralize these toxic substances.

A great deal of research is underway using wollastonite to improve plant health, improve water quality, mitigate toxic spills, clean up industrial brownfields, and reverse acid rain damage in forests and wetlands.  Canadian Wollastonite is currently working with more than a dozen universities researching these applications.  Please check our blog and research sections frequently for updates.

Wollastonite is truly a white mineral for a green world.

Bio

Bob Vasily is the President of Canadian Wollastonite.  Bob is the founder of the company and his ecologically-sound development plan led to Canadian Wollastonite being the first industrial minerals mine to be approved in Southern Ontario in more than 30 years.

Bob received a B.A. in Philosophy/Psychology from the University of Guelph, and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University/Queens University.