As the PROSPECTORS AND DEVELOPERS OF CANADA (PDAC) wound down its convention last week, it took time to honour the best and brightest in the industry during 2007.
The Thayer Lindsley International Discovery Award went to the team from AURELIAN RESOURCES. They were honoured for their discovery of an epithermal gold-silver occurrence on the company's Condor property in southeast Ecuador. The Fruta Del Norte deposit is estimated to be 58.9 million tonnes grading 7.23 g/t Au and 11.8 g/t Ag. That's over 13.0 million oz of contained gold, just for starters.
The Bill Dennis Prospector of the Year Award went to the team from OSISKO EXPLORATION (Sean Roosen, Robert Ware and John Burzynski). They expanded the existing gold resource at the former Canadian Malartic mine in the Abitibi camp in northwest Quebec. Production is planned for 2010 and is relying on an inferred resource of 8.43 million oz of gold in mineralization that grades 0.935 g/t Au.
Lukas H. Lundin, chairman of LUNDIN MINING CORP., received the Viola R. MacMillan Developer's Award for management and financing for the exploration and development of mineral resources. He led the Canadian company through its rapid growth and guided it in pursuit of international opportunities.
Two Distinguished Service Awards were made. One went to Maureen C. Jensen for her service to the PDAC. The second went to Donald K. Mustard for his support of geoscientific research, tireless work for industry association and for mentoring a cadre of professional geoscientists.
The e3 Environmental Excellence in Exploration Award was presented to FONDS RESTO-ACTION NUNAVIK, a Quebec-based initiative that is raising funds for the remediation of abandoned exploration sites in the Nunavik region of the province. Andr Gaumond, president of VIRGINIA GOLD MINES, spearheaded the initiative and is managing the program.
The first Skookum Jim Award honouring Aboriginal excellence and achievement in support of the Canadian mineral industry was won by the ATHABASCA BASIN DEVELOPMENT LP. This organization of seven communities in northern Saskatchewan promotes the hiring of Aboriginal people, and it has six divisions that offer services to exploration and mining companies. The award takes its name from one of this country's first prospectors.
For more information about the PDAC and its annual general meeting held earlier this month visit www.PDAC.ca.
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