What have been some highlights for CIM in 2020?

CIM continues to encourage relevant dialogue across mining’s wide ecosystem – not only in Canada but globally. CIM undertakes its outreach and shares industry best practices and technical knowledge through its award-winning magazine, as well as a quarterly peer-reviewed international CIM Journal. However, the pandemic has accelerated our programming pivot toward digital. Webinars, virtual conferences and podcasts are now a critical part of our strategy.

For instance, our Virtual Capital Projects Symposium, the first of its kind in 2020, was very successful. The biggest challenge for the organization is adapting trade shows to a virtual format successfully. Engagement with members is critical and we are always brainstorming new solutions to extend our reach.

Finally, some of the biggest accomplishments are the publication of three best-practices guidelines focused on mineral reserve and mineral resource reporting, exploration and property valuation; the creation of a new Health & Safety Society within CIM; and the launch of CIM Academy, which hosts recordings of hundreds of technical presentations. COVID-19 has changed the world drastically and CIM is changing with it to accommodate to the new ways of doing business.

Can you speak to the resilience of the mining sector and its importance to the economies of Ontario and more broadly Canada?

Ontario is the largest producer of gold, platinum-group metals and nickel in Canada, as well as the second-largest producer of copper. Ontario’s mining industry is an instrumental component of the economic strength of Canada and the pandemic has highlighted the essential nature of the industry and its role as a job-creation engine. Mining employs over 500,000 workers nationally and many more indirectly in adjacent industries such as manufacturing and construction. Also, the mining sector is the largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples. In Canada overall, the sector contributes C$100 billion or 5% of total annual GDP.

The theme of CIM’s virtual annual Convention this May is “Resilient and Thriving: Together in a Changing World,” which speaks specifically to this ability of the mining industry to adapt and evolve, whether that is through the acceleration of automation and digitization or ensuring the health and wellbeing of our workforce during these challenging times. 

What role is technology playing in making Canadian mining more sustainable and competitive?

Technology clusters and supply service clusters, such as MineConnect™ based out of Sudbury, contribute to wealth and job creation; they also represent interesting synergies for the mineral sector. Enabling technologies such as underground communication, cloud computing, and software systems make mining safer and more efficient. Mining is an industry that benefits greatly from the utilization of technology and machinery solutions. Technology has, for example, allowed better planning and oversight in matters such as inventory tracking. 

Technology also helps secure mining’s license to operate by ensuring the integrity and stability of infrastructure systems such as tailings dams. The social side of the mining equation, working closely with communities, is facilitated by technology as well. Tools such as augmented and virtual reality, for example, can allow engagements and interactions with communities to better familiarize them with project details and the mining process. And, from a different angle, the transition to technologies such as battery electric vehicles and energy storage to reduce carbon emissions, will require the raw materials such as cobalt and nickel, that Ontario has a long history of producing.

What are some of the biggest knowledge gaps CIM wants to address?

CIM’s role is to engage society to help them become more informed about the minerals industry and to highlight the importance of minerals across sectors and activities. CIM currently has a project in the proposal stage with Science North, a science center in Sudbury, to leverage gamification to share a better appreciation of the science present in the exploration, extraction and processing of mineral resources. Another aspect of mineral literacy is supporting the training of our next generation of industry professionals through measures such as mentoring programs and scholarships. We work with institutions to address the decline in demand for geology and engineering higher education programs, which are crucial for establishing the future success of the industry. Broadly speaking, the three knowledge gaps that CIM is focused on addressing are: health and safety, sustainability, and diversity.

Why do you think enrollment in mining-related higher education programs is down?

The mining profession is very competitive in terms of salary and compensation but struggles from a negative perception issue. This hinders interest in the profession. Perceptions can be changed over time, but industry must deliver in health, safety, inclusion and sustainability to attract and retain talent.

Another challenge is addressing job security issues in mining that come from its cyclical nature that are so tied into commodity prices. Remote work technologies will help make operations more accessible and attractive for future employees, so that is a positive, but we need professionals across the full range of trades, operations, technical services, and in the management and leadership roles. One of CIM’s main tasks is making society aware of these diverse career opportunities.