TORONTO - The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) honoured those individuals and companies who make exceptional contributions to the mining industry at its annual awards banquet on March 7, 2011, in Toronto. The winners are:
The Bill Dennis Award for a Canadian discovery or prospecting success went to Shawn Ryan of Ryan Gold for his gold discoveries in Yukon. Ryan worked for close to 15 years to locate the source of the alluvial gold found in the Klondike gold fields. In 2004 he identified the anomaly that led Underworld Resources to its White Gold deposit and a subsequent takeover by Kinross. Ryan's efforts and eventual success have had a positive impact on exploration in the Yukon, with a six-fold increase in exploration spending from $30 million at the beginning of this decade to an estimated $183 million in 2010.
The Environmental and Social Responsibility Award went to IamGold Corp. for excellence in environmental stewardship, community engagement, health and safety, particularly during exploration. IamGold has operating mines and exploration projects in West Africa, South America and Quebec.
The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Patricia Dillon for her many years of work on behalf of the PDAC and the Canadian mineral industry, especially to its education and human resources initiatives. She served as a PDAC director for 15 years and as the association's president from 2006 to 2008.
Phillip (Jerry) Asp is this year's winner of the Skookum Jim Award for Aboriginal achievement in the mineral industry. A former Chief of the Tahltan Band Council, Asp established the Tahltan Nation Development Corp. to provide construction and maintenance services to northern BC mines. He also negotiated two mining impact and benefits agreements, the first for the Golden Bear mine that set the template for later Tahltan projects, and the second for the Eskay Creek mine.
The Viola R. MacMillan Award for company or mine development went to Agnico-Eagle Mines for its growth as a gold producer. An ambitious four-year mine-building program initiated in 2006 has transformed the company. Today Agnico-Eagle has six operating gold mines in Canada, Finland and Mexico. Its gold reserves have increased significantly, and the company ranks among the top 10 gold producers in the world, based on market capitalization.
The Thayer Lindsley Award for an international mineral discovery was presented to Anglo American for its Los Sulfatos copper deposit in Chile.
This year's Special Achievement Award went to Chile's mining minister, Laurence Golborne for his role is the rescue of 33 miners trapped underground for 69 days.
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