AWARDS: PDAC unveils list of 2015 winners

TORONTO - The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada is set to honour six industry leaders at the PDAC 2015 Convention in Toronto. The annual PDAC awards showcase the achievements of companies, individuals and groups in the mineral...

TORONTO - The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada is set to honour six industry leaders at the PDAC 2015 Convention in Toronto. The annual PDAC awards showcase the achievements of companies, individuals and groups in the mineral exploration and mining sector by highlighting the best in domestic and international mineral discovery, mine development, Aboriginal achievement, environmental and social responsibility, and distinguished service.

Recipients of the 2015 annual awards will be celebrated at the association's Awards Evening on Monday, March 2 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel during the PDAC 2015 Convention.

Award recipients are selected by the PDAC's board of directors based on the recommendations of the association's awards committee. A summary of the awards and recipients are listed below.

David Palmer, president and CEO of Probe Mines, is the recipient of this year's Bill Dennis Award for a Canadian mineral discovery or prospecting success. He is receiving the award for the Borden gold project, a discovery located near Chapleau, ON. The project is an exciting and important new gold discovery that continues to evolve, grow and improve with continued exploration. Located in a previously unexplored area of Ontario, the discovery could potentially be the beginning of a significant new gold district in Canada.

Matt Manson, president and CEO of Stornoway Diamond Corp., is the recipient of this year's Viola R. MacMillan Award for company or mine development. He is receiving the award for leading Stornoway's team in the continuing development of the company's Renard Project located in the James Bay region of Québec. The team completed its $946 million project financing package this past July, more than 13 years after the project's initial discovery. The project is now under construction, with production scheduled to commence in the second half of 2016.

The Ivanhoe Mines Kamoa discovery team is the recipient of this year's Thayer Lindsley Award for international mineral discoveries. The team is receiving the award for discovery of the Kamoa copper deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The deposit is located in the Central African copper belt on the western edge of the Katangan basin, approximately 25 km west of the Kolwezi district. The deposit is a new and blind grassroots discovery in an area previously written off by other explorers because of its lack of Mines Series rocks, as well as of surface mineralization. The Kamoa team was led by Dr. David Broughton, executive VP of exploration at Ivanhoe Mines, and Thomas Rogers, director of exploration, African Mining Consultants. In addition, the team included David Edwards, Kamoa geology manager, Ivanhoe Mines; Dr. Douglas Haynes, director, Douglas Haynes Discovery; Dr. Ross McGowan, formerly of African Mining Consultants and currently CEO at Armada Exploration; and Steven McMullan, site manager at Ivanhoe Mines' Kipushi project, and principal geoscientist, African Mining Consultants.

Bill Pearson is the recipient of this year's Distinguished Service Award. He is receiving the award for his outstanding contribution and dedication to Canada's mineral and exploration industry in which he has worked for over 40 years. He convened the first meeting of the Committee for the Professional Registration of Geoscientists of Ontario (CPRGO) in March 1989, which he chaired for seven years. He was president of the Association of Geoscientists of Ontario (AGO) from 1996 to 2000 and was the founding president of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO) from 2000 to 2003. In addition to his work for the geoscience profession in Ontario, Pearson was instrumental in the formation of the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists (CCPG now Geoscientists Canada), where he served as one of CCPG's founding directors.

Noront Resources is the recipient of this year's Environmental and Social Responsibility Award. The company is receiving the award for its accomplishments and commitment to social initiatives in Northern Ontario. Over the years, Noront has expanded its community engagement program to include education, skills training, youth programming and economic development in the area. The company has built a partnership with Matawa's Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS) and Confederation College in Thunder Bay to create the Ring of Fire Aboriginal Training Alliance (ROFATA). Noront also supports programs aimed at overcoming barriers to higher education among aboriginal communities, including Mining Matters, an organization that educates students about Canada's geology and mineral resources, and DAREarts, a movie-making youth camp that helps students better understand mining and a donations and sponsorship program.

Sam Bosum is the winner of this year's Skookum Jim Award for Aboriginal achievement in the mineral industry. He is receiving the award for his work bridging the gap between the Oujé-Bougoumou Cree Nation and the mineral industry, as well as his continued efforts to encourage and mentor Cree youth to pursue their future careers, including that of geologist. Bosum has been working with mining and exploration companies in the Chibougamau region of Québec for nearly 50 years. He is currently the president of Native Exploration Services, an Aboriginal-owned company that offers significant employment and business opportunities in the region and is considered a major employer in the Oujé-Bougoumou Cree Nation. He has been a member of the Band Council of the Oujé-Bougoumou Cree Nation for the past 38 years.

Make plans to visit this year's PDAC by going online at PDAC.ca/convention

Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Mar 27 2024 - Mar 28 2024
Mar 27 2024 - Mar 27 2024
Apr 08 2024 - Apr 09 2024
Apr 15 2024 - Apr 16 2024