THE MINING INDUSTRY
> By Mike Commito and Steve Gravel
Rebranding mining M
ining needs a rebrand. That was the statement that Pierre Julien, past President of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) said to the attendees at the final day of this year’s CIM convention in Vancouver in May. Julien even went a step further by saying the mining brand, as we know it, is dead. He said that the word mining has such a negative connotation with so many Canadians, that for the industry to continue to thrive well into the 21st century, it would need to be called something else. As we listened to his remarks from the audience, we were struck by his words and began to think, how could we rebrand mining? Would it even be possible? It would be an ambitious undertaking. As far as we know, an entire industry has never been rebranded before. Sure, certain
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mainstay products have undergone revitalization campaigns over the years to reposition its value and importance in the market, but a sector has never been renamed. For as long as mining has been around, it has been defined by the legacy it leaves behind. For many, mining represents pollution and degradation of the environment. If you were to ask someone what they first think of when they hear the word mining, they might say belching smokestacks from smelter facilities or tailings ponds where mine waste is stored. Although we know the economic importance of mining and how the industry will remain critical as part of the energy transition to combat climate change, we cannot escape the longstanding narrative that mining is dirty and bad for the environment. But mining is not what it used to be. Take Sudbury, Ontario,
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DOES MINING NEED A REBRAND?
www.canadianminingjournal.com
2022-07-25 1:53 PM
