What have been the main developments at MineConnect over the past year?  

MineConnect has grown to nearly 300 members, making it the largest mining supply and services association in Canada, seeing a 50% growth in membership since rebranding in 2020. MineConnect has decided to expand and represent suppliers across the entire Ontario province, instead of just northern Ontario. An exciting development over the past year has been our partnership with the Goodman School of Mines to bring their ‘Mine Opportunity Challenge’ to high school students across northern Ontario, specifically Timmins, North Bay and Thunder Bay. The ‘Mine Opportunity Challenge’ is an engaging game that digs deep into the world of mineral resources where students collaborate to become the “wealthiest” team by successfully answering questions and completing challenges and activities hosted by local mining industry companies and suppliers. The events held thus far have been extremely successful at increasing awareness about mining as a career path and we are now working with Cambrian College to digitize the game to make it more accessible. Our members require a larger skilled workforce, so we continue to find innovative ways to address this challenge. 

At the 2024 CIM Connect Convention, MineConnect partnered with the Mining Suppliers Association of British Columbia, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership and 48e Nord International of Québec to host a panel of mine operators from the respective provinces, discussing their projects and how they can engage suppliers. We have also made inroads with different regions internationally - including the DRC’s Lualaba province, which is experiencing tremendous growth. MineConnect will continue to host and attend events, build initiatives, and foster partnerships with other provinces, domestically and internationally, to connect our suppliers with various mining industries and help them grow their businesses. 

MineConnect also supports and partners with ‘Women in Mining’ chapters, and because we have a significant network of members, we can help bring their message that diversity should be looked at as an opportunity to more industry players. 

Can you share how MineConnect’s partnership with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority (NNRDA) has evolved?

This partnership has been mutually beneficial, allowing our members to expand their services into a thriving US mining market, filling various gaps within the Nevada mining industry supply chain. In December 2023, NNRDA launched its "Silver Link" program designed to identify and recruit specific mining supply and service providers to enhance northeastern Nevada’s supply chain.  As part of this initiative, the "Master Links" element facilitates partnerships with trade organizations to streamline recruitment efforts, and once designated as a Master Link, companies can enjoy various benefits, including insider access to request for proposals (RFPs). MineConnect was the first organization to join the program as a Master Link, and our members will have the first right of refusal to bid on RFPs for 30 days. If one of our companies is successful, there is a pool of funds to assist them with business licensing and other costs to be able to work in Nevada. The “Silver Link” program is still in its infancy, but once it gains traction, I believe it will be tremendously successful in connecting Nevada’s mining industry with experienced Canadian service providers that can address industry challenges, and we hope to see this program eventually expand to include the Arizona and Utah regions.   

What are the biggest challenges facing MineConnect’s members? 

Attracting and retaining talent is still a major challenge, and MineConnect continues to focus on building initiatives to address this challenge, especially partnering with schools and academic institutions to create awareness of career opportunities within the mining industry. 

As permitting is a time-consuming process, suppliers often have to wait years before they can start executing their services on a project, which is quite frustrating.  From a junior’s perspective, access to capital remains a major challenge. 

Do you have a final message? 

In 2024, MineConnect and the City of Greater Sudbury hosted a media ‘fam tour’ to show off expertise, technology, and mining points of interest, and to familiarize people with the significant mining supply and services sector in Sudbury. This tour was extremely successful, and we plan to do it again, possibly in Thunder Bay in the spring of 2025.