In 1902, the Orford Copper Company and the Canadian Copper Company joined to create the International Nickel Company (whose management was based in the United States). The Copper Cliff operations where ore was extracted and smelted were still referred to as the Canadian Copper Company. The matte (ore with a relatively higher nickel or copper content that resulted from the smelting process) was shipped to the United States to be refined.

This state of affairs would continue unchanged until 1916.