Happy Anniversary!

In small letters at the base of the cover of every issue of this magazine, you can see the words, “Canada’s First Mining Publication”–not that age is equivalent to success, but I believe in leading from our strengths. In continuous publication since 1882, this journal has chronicled the significant events as this country’s mines passed from fledgling to modern to high-tech.

Over 123 years, this magazine has benefited from the work of many people. Some have put in long years of service. But one of the longest-serving employees of all, field editor Marilyn Scales, has just celebrated 30 years with this company, 28 of those writing for CMJ.

Marilyn (her surname was Pabst then) started out as a typesetter in November 1975, with a fine arts BA and the need to earn a living. By the time she joined the staff of CMJ as an editorial assistant in 1978, the company was owned by Southam Business Publications and domiciled in Westmount, Que.

Editor Richard Fish soon saw to it that she went underground, initially at the old Main mine in Flin Flon, Man. She quickly immersed herself in technical literature until she could competently describe any mine, mill or smelter.

When the magazine was moved to Don Mills (a Toronto suburb) in 1981, Marilyn stayed in Montreal with her new husband, Kim Scales, still working in the Westmount office. But when Kim took a job in Ottawa the next year, Marilyn changed her title to “field editor” and became a home-based employee, ahead of her time, and before the days of modems and the Internet. She has since moved to a Constance Bay west of Ottawa, where she does weekly battle with the local Internet hookup.

I met Marilyn in 1987, and we have been colleagues and friends ever since. I have the greatest respect for her–the speed and accuracy of her writing; her dedication in finding new and better ways to do her job. She has willingly taken on full responsibility for our annual issue (the Mining Sourcebook), as well as the Buyers’ Guide, and more recently our weekly Online News Alert–a tremendous job from which there is no break.

To thank Marilyn for spending more than half her life in travel, research, keeping up industry contacts, writing, editing and pulling our her hair on behalf of CMJ, our company (Hollinger Canadian Newspaper’s Business Information Group) presented Marilyn with a gift–a Canadian diamond. The stone was mined at BHP Billiton’s Ekati mine northeast of Yellowknife and was cut and polished by Diarough. I congratulate Marilyn on this accomplishment, and thank Hollinger for providing such a fitting gift for the occasion.

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On behalf of the entire staff at Canadian Mining Journal, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers and valued advertisers. Wishing you and yours many good wishes for the holidays and a safe and prosperous 2006.

–Ray Perks, publisher