ONTARIO - Toronto's Noront Resources, in partnership with Ontario's Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and its Ministry of Northern Development Mines & Forestry, is offering the Prospectors & Developers of Canada's (PDAC) Mining Matters outreach summer camps in two First Nations communities this month. The camps are being held in Webequie and Marten Falls.
The program will introduce 60 Aboriginal youth, ranging from ages nine to 19, to a wide range of practical geological and mineral exploration activities including prospecting, claim staking, mapping, the use of GPS technology and the application of environmental geochemistry. Mining Matters also highlights the array of job opportunities available in the minerals industry.
Leanne Hall, Noront VP human resources, said in a news release, "Introducing the youth of these First Nation communities to rocks, minerals and geology in a fun, educational camp setting is an honour. These young people are our future, and there is no time like the present to invest in their learning of our great mining industry."
Mining Matters includes programming developed with special attention to the local geology of the camp location and utilizes local mentors who work in the minerals industry. Raising the students' awareness of the minerals industry and its importance in our everyday lives is critical to encouraging post secondary interest in geology and Earth science courses of study.
The importance of the traditional role of Aboriginal peoples in land and resources management is quickly gaining recognition in Canada. Agnico-Eagle Mines and De Beers Canada, to name but two, have benefitted greatly from First Nations knowledge and people at their respective Meadowbank gold and Victor diamond mines. Noront, with its interests in base metals in the James Bay Lowlands, is probably looking forward to a similar successful partnership for its McFaulds Lake project.
To learn more about the Mining Matters program, please visit www.PDAC.ca/MiningMatters.
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