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CANADIANMINING
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 VOL. 142, NO.2
JOURNAL
CARBON MANAGEMENT 12 Certified energy manager Emily Thorn Corthay discusses how miners can
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prepare for a net zero future.
15 MINING WORKFORCE
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16 How miners can compete for the talent they need. 18 Why creating a culture of engagement is essential to Mining 4.0.
CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL
MINING IN ONTARIO
21 Ontario Mining Association president Chris Hodgson reflects on the
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lessons of the pandemic.
23 Iamgold starts construction at the Côté gold joint venture in Ontario. 28 CMJ takes a look at the recent wave of investment in Ontario’s historic Red Lake gold camp.
34 MEDATech brings battery electric technology to open pit mining. 37 Mining innovation hub Sudbury rolls with the pandemic punches. 42 A message from northern Ontario mining supply organization
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MineConnect.
DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITORIAL | Why telling better stories is critical to the future of mining. 5 LAW | Sander Grieve of Bennet Jones outlines the risks and opportunites presented by the intense investor focus on ESG. 6 CSR & MINING | Carolyn Burns of the Devonshire Initiative discusses how cross-sector collaboration can help solve the ‘wicked problems’ of mining. 8 UNEARTHING TRENDS | EY’s Dean Braunsteiner and Eric Simmons examine how digital tools can help companies with both the speed and quality of their reporting. 9 FAST NEWS | Updates from across the mining ecosystem. 44 ON THE MOVE | Tracking executive, management and board changes in Canada’s mining sector.
www.canadianminingjournal.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
ABOUT THE COVER
Pure Gold Mining’s PureGold mine in Red Lake, Ont. Credit: Pure Gold Mining.
Coming in April 2021 Canadian Mining Journal looks at battery minerals, BEVs and the electric mine. Plus a feature report on ESG.
For More Information
Please visit www.canadianminingjournal.com for regular updates on what’s happening with Canadian mining companies and their personnel both here and abroad. A digital version of the magazine is also available at www.digital.canadianminingjournal.com
CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |
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FROM THE EDITOR FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 Vol. 142 – No. 2
CANADIANMINING Why telling better stories is critical to the future of mining Alisha Hiyate
O
ur sector has long lamented the disconnect between the importance of metals to modern life and urbanites’ ignorance of – and even disdain for – mining. In part, mining’s perception problem comes from the fact that as raw materials, the metals and minerals the sector produces are so removed from the consumer. The big exception of course, is diamonds, which still have not fully recovered from the “blood diamond” tarnish. Blockchain initiatives to trace mined gems from their source to the customer – put in place by both De Beers (Tracr) and Lucara Diamonds (Clara) – are positive initiatives on this front. But, even though the diamond sector is well aware of the power of branding (Diamonds being Forever and all) and speaking directly to consumers, the sector hasn’t been willing enough to tell the many positive stories it has to tell with regards to its contributions to the economies of countries such as Botswana and Canada, and to local communities. That’s just as true for the wider mining sector, and it’s becoming more and more clear that the industry needs to learn how to reach out to the public, beyond investor and stakeholder groups. In particular, it’s critical to engage younger generations – mining’s future investors, consumers and potential workforce (see page 15). The Ontario Mining Association, in its #thisismining campaign launched in 2019 as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, has provided a great model for doing this well. The campaign itself, which highlights millennials who work in the mining industry and some of the interesting and unexpected aspects of their lives in mining, is real and honest, bypassing the corporate speak and mining jargon that turn people off instantly. And the OMA’s partnership with Amber Mac, a tech media personality – who has 124,000 followers on Twitter – to put together a “This is Mining” podcast was especially smart. Both Millennials and Gen Z innately understand and care about tech, and pointing out the intertwined nature of technology with metals is a great “way in” to get their attention. The wider public enthusiasm for a green economy is also giving the industry a spectacular opportunity to rebrand itself. Elon Musk’s search for low-carbon metals for production of Tesla’s electric vehicles has been a huge gift here. According to a Mining Association of Canada survey conducted last March by Abacus Data, Canadians like the idea of our mining sector playing a key role in the transition to a greener, low-carbon economy. Of those surveyed, 88% supported government action to position Canada as a preferred source for critical minerals. Seizing on that sentiment is key to attracting new investors and new talent. Making the most of these opportunities, however, will depend on miners’ willingness to be transparent, tell their stories and engage with the public at large. That may be a tall order for an industry that, with its history of mostly getting mainstream coverage for negative news, may be wary of reaching outside of its own bubble. CMJ
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MINING JOURNAL
225 Duncan Mill Rd. Suite 320, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3K9 JOURNAL Tel. (416) 510-6789 Fax (416) 510-5138 www.canadianminingjournal.com Editor-in-Chief Alisha Hiyate 416-510-6742 ahiyate@canadianminingjournal.com Twitter: @Cdn_Mining_Jrnl
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News Editor Magda Gardner CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL mgardner@canadianminingjournal.com Production Manager Jessica Jubb jjubb@glacierbizinfo.com Art Director Barbara Burrows Advisory Board David Brown (Golder Associates) Michael Fox (Indigenous Community Engagement) Scott Hayne (Redpath Canada) Gary Poxleitner (SRK) Manager of Product Distribution Jackie Dupuis 403-209-3507 jdupuis@glacierrig.com Publisher & Sales Robert Seagraves 416-510-6891 rseagraves@canadianminingjournal.com Sales, Western Canada George Agelopoulos 416-510-5104 gagelopoulos@northernminer.com Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-888-502-3456 ext 2 or 43734 Circulation Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-800-387-2446 ext 3505 Group Publisher Anthony Vaccaro
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Canadian Mining Journal provides articles and information of practical use to those who work in the technical, administrative
and supervisory aspects of exploration, mining and processing in the Canadian mineral exploration and mining industry. Canadian Mining Journal (ISSN 0008-4492) is published 10 times a year by Glacier Resource Innovation Group (GRIG). GRIG is located at 225 Duncan Mill Rd., Ste. 320, Toronto, ON, M3B 3K9. Phone (416) 510-6891. Legal deposit: National Library, Ottawa. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and may be used only for your personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is prohibited. To make use of any of this material you must first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyright. For further information please contact Robert Seagraves at 416-510-6891. Subscriptions – Canada: $51.95 per year; $81.50 for two years. USA: US$64.95 per year. Foreign: US$77.95 per year. Single copies: Canada $10; USA and foreign: US$10. Canadian subscribers must add HST and Provincial tax where necessary. HST registration # 809744071RT001. From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-387-2446 ext 3505; Fax: 403-245-8666 ; E-mail: jdupuis@jwnenergy.com Mail to: Jackie Dupuis, 2nd Flr. 816–55th Ave. N.E. Calgary, Alberta T2E 6Y4. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
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LAW
ESG focus brings risks – and opportunities – to the mining sector By Sander Grieve
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renewed focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns is being realized by the business community worldwide. ESG itself isn’t new, but the momentum it has recently gained, fuelled by colliding forces of awareness focused on particular issues, the power of the internet to provide immediate critical feedback and the pandemic, is remarkable. Each industry, mining included, is confronting an emerging literacy on ESG which is being communicated directly with business leaders. This has arrived with a focus on questioning efforts and authenticity on the core issues of ESG. Ten years ago, corporate leaders worried about the holder of one share, purchased with the hopeful expectations of bringing embarrassing questions before a shareholder meeting. Now, corporate leaders are seeing their largest shareholders question – even in public – ESG performance, disclosure and goals. Not to diminish challenges likely to particular commodities and industries, but with change comes not only new risks, but opportunities to claim a role in a changing and increasingly sustainable economy. ESG wave built on Canadian shores Canadian courts have been leading the way in the growth of ESG as they have set out a broader view of what corporate laws mean when they direct boards to act in the “best interests of a corporation” and what interests may properly form part of an evaluation of those interests. In 2004, the Supreme Court of Canada, in Peoples Department Stores Inc. v. Wise, found that although directors must consider the best interests in the corporation, it may also be appropriate, although not mandatory, to consider the impact of corporate decisions on shareholders or particular groups of stakeholders. The Supreme Court went further in 2008 with its ruling in BCE Inc. v. 1976 Debentureholders – stating that when the directors are evaluating the best interests of the corporation, they generally need to be looking at its long-term interests, and should be given deference when they take into account stakeholder interests. The government went further with recent amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act that built upon BCE by enumerating that directors may consider a variety of factors in assessing the best interests of the corporation, including, the interests of shareholders, employees, retirees and pensioners, creditors, consumers, and governments, the environment and the long-term interests of the corporation. These changes set the stage for the current evolution of ESG.
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
Embedding ESG into a company’s operations Here are some steps that mining companies can take to promote a holistic approach to ESG: Make it an executive and board priority. Make sure your senior management and advisors understand the importance of ESG to the company’s performance and long-term sustainability. ESG must be cross-functional. Be sure there are aren’t silos where ESG isn’t integrated. Engage with your stakeholders and communties of interest – your shareholders, employees, customers, NGOs, insurers and others. Understand how your competitors are dealing with it and how they identify and report on ESG issues. There are some very good examples of mining companies that have taken the lead in relentless reporting. Think about the opportunities that ESG creates to enhance your relationships with shareholders and potential investors who in many cases have already decided that ESG is key to long-term prospects. Establish and address the key material ESG issues where you do business – priorities, laws and reporting requirements can differ in various jurisdictions. A company’s strategy needs to be tailored to its operations. The opportunities for mining While the headline is one of challenge, the narrative is one the mining industry should embrace with relish. Canada, in general, and our mining industry, in particular, have been leaders in elements of ESG law and practice. Parts of the ESG matrix have been important in mining for some time, including: relationships with local communities, including, most importantly with First Nations communities; consultation processes; and over the last number of years, new disclosure standards – including Extractive Sector Transparency measures. Most impressive as of late is the way the mining sector embraced project and community health in response to Covid19 with new labs, testing and safety protocols. Above all, we need to aggressively remind public and policy makers that there is no “E” in ESG without the mines to supply the raw materials CMJ for any energy transition. SANDER GRIEVE is a partner and head of the mining industry team at Bennett Jones, Toronto. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |
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CSR & MINING
The more the merrier: Cross-sector collaboration in mining By Carolyn Burn
C
ross-sector collaboration happens when representatives from more then one sector come together to achieve a ‘slightly common goal.’ There are two things that are important to note about this definition. First, the term collaboration speaks to a relationship that is action-oriented, or goal-based. This is different from engagement, which speaks to building a relationship. The two might be intertwined, but not all engagement is collaboration. Second, working together means you are not working against each other or working alone. Working towards a ‘slightly’ common goal doesn’t mean that organizations (or individuals for that matter) always agree with each other or are even totally aligned. More often than not, the best collaborations happen between groups and people that don’t align or agree on very much. But to collaborate you must have one shared vision or goal that directs the group and brings people together. Cross-sector collaboration is particularly useful when we are trying to solve ‘wicked problems,’ and we all know the mining sector is full of these. In mining, we need to work across sectors in order to drive inclusive economic development; respect and protect human rights; address the climate crisis; build a low-carbon economy; and come out on the other side of Covid-19. Cross-sector collaboration can take many forms. There are three different ways CSC can help solve (or chip away at) these wicked problems. Driving behavioural change Cross-sector collaboration is an effective way to drive behaviour change. This can include changing physical actions and decisions, or the policies that influence those 6 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
actions. Constructive advocacy is a good example of how cross-sector collaboration can change behaviour. This is a strategy that NGOs increasingly use in their relationship with mining companies and investors. To drive behaviour and policy change related to human rights and climate change, these organizations are co-creating policies, trainings, guidance or undergoing third-party assessments. This form of CSC is where the ‘shared vision’ becomes really important. Sometimes organizations agree on that shared vision and codify it in a formal agreement. But formal agreement isn’t always possible. In many cases, organizations focus on alignment, which requires less formal commitment or accountability. Alignment usually rests on a social contract between organizations to behave or participate in a specific way. It is common in CSC because organizations can be aligned around one issue but have different objectives and purposes.
Cross-sector collaboration is particularly useful when we are trying to solve ‘wicked problems.’ In mining, we need to work across sectors in order to drive inclusive economic development; respect and protect human rights; address the climate crisis build a low-carbon economy; and come out on the other side of Covid-19.
Building relationships Cross-sector collaboration is an excellent way to build relationships. As I mentioned earlier, it is distinct but very much intertwined with engagement. CSC can lead to stronger relationships between sectors which supports better decision making, community-led development, and it can help a company obtain and maintain a social licence to operate. Each sector offers its own convening power. Organizations can support each others’ objectives by bringing a different set of stakeholders together. Many companies participate in CSC in order to build stronger relationships and build trust with external stakeholder groups. NGOs can help companies build stronger relation-
Share and leverage resources Cross-sector collaboration can help us share and leverage resources or expertise. When people think about cross-sector collaboration they often think about companies providing donations or financing for specific development programs. This is an important form of cross-sector collaboration, but not the only way organizations share expertise and resources. Inkind contributions, such as space, transportation and time are also common in CSC. In the early stages of the Covid19 pandemic, donating PPE, supporting sanitation infrastructure and delivering Covid-19 awareness campaigns were a common in-kind contribution from companies and NGOs alike.
ships with community leaders as well as unrepresented group. Likewise, companies can help local NGOs build regional and national relationships with stakeholders they might not otherwise have access to.
www.canadianminingjournal.com
We often assume that CSC is about the mining company sharing resources with NGOs, but that idea neglects the very important contributions that NGOs provide. For example, if a mining company and NGO partner to scale a scholarship program that has been running for many years, the mining company may bring funding and access to employment opportunities to the table and the NGO may bring the relationships with community members and the established processes to administer the scholarship program. Both of these contributions have value and need to be acknowledged. Sharing expertise can focus on local dynamics, development or mining activity and can contribute to stronger relationships as highlighted above. It can also include sharing information about how to navigate certain systems. For example, a local NGO can help a mining company understand local history or local dynamics. Conversely, a mining company can help a local NGO navigate decision-making systems related to land use and regulation. Despite the many benefits and oppor-
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tunities of cross-sector collaboration, it isn’t always a silver bullet. There are many instances where CSC isn’t the best path forward. Cross-sector collaboration is not always efficient or fast; it can take many months and sometimes years for organizations to be ready to work together. They might need to build a basic foundation of trust, or gather the resources and processes required to work together. Other times, historical tension or conflict can keep organizations (or the people that represent those organizations) from working together. Sometimes the best path forward is to work within our sector (our peers) or focus our energy within our own organization. If you think that cross-sector collaboration could help your organization change behaviours, build relationships or share resources, there are few things you should think about. 1. Look at your current partners. What sectors are they in? What is the objective of the collaboration? What type of collaboration is it? What are the activities? What does that tell you about your cur-
rent approach? Is CSC integrated into your organizations/departments strategy? Is it deliberate? Do you put resources behind it? Do you take a passive approach? You may participate in CSC because it happens naturally, but it wasn’t a formal strategy. Are there other ways cross-sector collaboration could support your organizational objectives? Where could you work with another sector to change behaviour, build relationships or share resources in order to achieve your objectives? 2.
What do you need to move that forward? Would your organizations culture support CSC? Do you have the time and resources to work with other sectors? Do you have the base level of trust and knowledge about the other sector? CMJ 3.
CAROLYN BURNS is Executive Director of the Devonshire Initiative, a multi-stakeholder forum that supports cross-sector collaboration to support sustained positive outcomes for miningimpacted communities
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UNEARTHING TRENDS
Could quality reporting be the block that helps you build trust in a digital world? By Dean Braunsteiner and Eric Simmons
A
s the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated, a lot can happen in three months. But, to date, many public companies take up to three months to turn around quarterly financial statements – meaning stakeholders are potentially relying on inaccurate or outdated information to inform their decisions. This just isn’t fast enough in a post-pandemic world. As mining and metals companies look to build and preserve trust with internal and external stakeholders, they need to address the barriers that prevent speed to market while providing quality assurance on their reporting. Analyzing the current state Timeliness, accuracy and relevancy of information are critical to quality reporting, but there are barriers that prevent companies from achieving the ideal state. One of the biggest barriers: data optimization. There are many cases where companies struggle to fully integrate digital tools and optimize their data, leading to missed opportunities to identify gaps or opportunities, and instances where decisions are made using bad data. We see this manifest itself through disconnects between what’s happening at site versus what gets aggregated and reported to executives (such as information on production or procurement), or fundamental errors in things like resource models that can drive critical development decisions. On top of this, the reporting model is undergoing a great transition – evolving beyond financial statements to meet the demands of stakeholders and capital markets. Stakeholders are looking for increasing points of information – including everything from increased transparency on cash costs, sustainability reporting, conflict minerals assurance and capital project spending – so that they understand not just the financial performance of a company, but its ability to create and deliver long-term value. To accommodate this new landscape, mining companies will have to shift to deliver internal and external stakeholders with quick, easy-to-digest, accurate and meaningful financial and non-financial information to help inform their decisions. We’ve seen a lot of progress in the sector, but more needs to be done if companies want to build trust and gain a greater competitive share in the capital markets. Enhancing assurance through digital tools One of the greatest opportunities in quality reporting relates to 8 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
One of the greatest opportunities in quality reporting relates to the implementation of data analysis, including more advanced technologies such as intelligent automation and machine learning. the implementation of data analysis, including more advanced technologies such as intelligent automation and machine learning. We’re seeing cases of the latter being applied to identify unusual contract items, abnormalities in operational performance or to even predict equipment failure and maintenance timelines. By applying these technologies and subjecting them to assurance procedures, companies can quickly and reliably give valuable insights to stakeholders. For example, boards are often tasked with approving and monitoring billion-dollar capital project budgets, and could benefit from these technologies by gaining an added level of transparency and assurance on capital spend in real-time, as well as procurement insights such as vendor management analysis or supply chain and working capital analysis (e.g. analysis of vendor payment terms). Implementing these tools is critical to providing greater assurance, not just for financial statements and earnings releases, but to increase trust and transparency in performance areas where stakeholder expectations are evolving and governance frameworks in some jurisdictions are still catching up – such as greenhouse gas emissions. Building trust to access capital Reporting is evolving and those that can actively address areas of timeliness, accuracy and relevancy will benefit through share price performance or ease of access to capital. With economic recovery on the horizon, and mining companies looking to ramp-up major projects, addressing these reporting initiatives upfront will be vital to help distinguish the company from its peers and secure budgets needed for growth. CMJ DEAN BRAUNSTEINER and ERIC SIMMONS are Assurance Partners with EY Canada’s Mining and Metals practice. For more information, visit ey.com/en_ca/mining-metals.
www.canadianminingjournal.com
FAST NEWS • INFRASTRUCTURE |
Updates from across the mining ecosytem
Redpath completes largest bored raise by volume in the Americas
IN FEBRUARY, the Redpath Group reached a major milestone, completing an 875-metre-long by 6.3-metre-diameter raise at the Niobec mine in Quebec. The raise is the largest by volume ever completed in the Americas and in the Northern Hemisphere and is the third biggest globally. The Redbore 90EX raise drill, manufactured by Redpath in North Bay, Ont., was chosen as the most appropriate unit to complete the project. The remarkable achievement was a team effort that started in 2019, when Niobec approached Redpath. “Having worked together previously, Redpath’s project team understood Niobec’s needs for achieving a fully integrated process, ensuring the lowest possible end cost, coupled with the highest standards of safety and productivity. The engineering and construction teams of our two companies worked in partnership to achieve this goal. The project finished safely and ahead of schedule,” Johan Davel, general manager of Redpath Raiseboring, said in a release. The Niobec mine, held by private equity firm Magris, is located approximately 200 km north of Quebec City and is the only underground niobium mine, and one of the three main niobium producers in the world. The mine’s current production accounts for roughtly 8-10% of the world’s output. Redpath provides services to the mining industry that include underground construction, shaft sinking, raiseboring, mine contracting, raise mining, mine development, engineering and technical services. CMJ
Redpath crew at the Niobec mine in Quebec, after completing an 875-metre-long raise in February. CREDIT: REDPATH GROUP
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FAST NEWS • COMMUNICATIONS |
Updates from across the mining ecosytem
Nokia and Symboticware to develop IIoT solutions for underground
SYMBOTICWARE, an industry leader in real-time data management solutions for global mining operations, has announced a collaboration with Nokia on private wireless and industrial internet-of-things (IIoT) to transform connectivity and improve communications and location services. The partnership brings forward a complete digital solution in real-time connectivity for the underground mining industry. The solution combines Nokia’s industrial-grade wireless connectivity with machine health and productivity data for real-time analysis, using Symboticware’s telemetry technology. This collaboration enables artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning – both critical enablers for the future of underground mining. Historically, connectivity in underground mining relied on Wi-Fi solutions which lack the low latency and reliability required for sup-
porting next-generation IIoT applications. With industrial-grade private wireless from Nokia, underground operations will now have access to improved communications, accurate location tracking of equipment and personnel, ultimately streamlining operations to improve productivity and safety. “This is a solid development in the area of underground operations,” Kirk Petroski, Symboticware founder and chairman, said in a release. “As pioneers in both our fields, the Nokia and Symboticware collaboration will help to move AI and machine learning forward, which are capabilities that will play a major role in the future of this industry.” “Having pioneered the patented store-andforward technology, Symboticware is no stranger to solving challenges underground,” added Shawn Sparling, VP of enterprise and public sector, Nokia Canada. “This expertise,
combined with our leadership in private wireless deployments, will bring best-of-breed data into the space of real-time mining operations. And it will let our customers benefit from immediate access to comprehensive information, even in the most challenging underground environments.” A full implementation of Symboticware and Nokia LTE is currently underway at the Norcat underground test mine and will be available on the market in 2021. Symboticware is an industry leader that provides an industrial IoT hardware and software platform to help customers unlock, collect and analyze valuable data from their industrial mobile and fixed assets to help improve business outcomes. CMJ
2021
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• TRAINING |
Caterpillar, ThoroughTec announce global agreement
CATERPILLAR MINING and ThoroughTec Simulation have completed a global co-operation agreement aimed at bringing the latest generation, simulator-based equipment training solutions to Caterpillar customers. These solutions are intended to help improve safety, boost productivity, increase machine availability and create more sustainable mining operations. Under the agreement, Caterpillar will recommend ThoroughTec Simulation as an approved supplier of mining equipment simulators. In turn, Caterpillar will provide ThoroughTec Simulation exclusive access to confidential machine technical data and engineering expertise – enabling ThoroughTec to continue strengthening its capabilities as a leading global supplier of advanced mining equipment simulators. ThoroughTec has been designing advanced, high-fidelity training simulators for almost 25 years, and has grown into one of the world’s leading training technology organizations. The company has deployed hundreds of simulators around the globe and is
ThroughTec simulator for the CAT 797B haul truck.
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their value and fidelity. When combined with actual machine data and operating characteristics, these simulators are expected to significantly enhance the overall operator training experience. CMJ
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11
CARBON MANAGEMENT
Caterpillar has introduced a trolley assist system for Cat electric drive mining trucks. CREDIT: CATERPILLAR
ARE YOU READY FOR A LOWCARBON WORLD? How a certified energy manager can help miners prepare for a net zero future By Emily Thorn Corthay
N
et zero carbon mining is not a question of “if” but “when.” Most of the majors – including Glencore, Vale, BHP and Rio Tinto – have announced pledges to become net zero carbon miners by 2050. The majority of majors have committed at least $1 billion each towards climate change mitigation, mainly through electrification, renewable energy, and energy management investments. Usually at least 80% of a mine’s carbon footprint comes from energy, so energy management is key to any miner’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint. With the federal government recently announcing that the carbon price will rise annually from $40/t CO2e currently to $170/t CO2e in 2030, the business case for net zero carbon mining has become much more attractive. Clearly, advanced energy management, carbon management, and carbon neutrality are a growing trend in mining. We also see this trend in some consumer-focused companies, such as Microsoft, which has announced: “By 2030, Microsoft will be carbon negative, and by 2050, Microsoft will remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975.” Many of the best and brightest young workers like the idea
12 | CANADIAN
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of being part of something like that. Investors, bankers, managers of private capital and political leaders like the idea too, or at least can see which way the wind is blowing. They have targets and goals to meet, and increasingly those have to do with limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, there are ways for mining companies to avoid getting left behind in the competition for employees, funding and political support – and even to pull towards the front of the pack in a world that rewards good energy and carbon performance. o rehen i e erifia le ata nee in or n in We can see how this is working out in practice through a recently approved application for multi-millions of dollars in government funding for energy and carbon management at a Canadian base metal mine (anonymous due to confidentiality agreements). There are many such funds, including BC Hydro’s PowerSmart program, Enbridge’s Industrial Custom Solutions & Incentives, the Independent Electricity System Operator in Ontario’s SaveOnEnergy program, and Energir’s energy efficiency programs in Quebec. www.canadianminingjournal.com
Our firm, Thorn Associates, exclusively provides industrial energy and carbon management consulting services, focusing on the mining and metals sector. We collaborate with miners and mineral processors to create energy and carbon reduction or carbon neutral strategies, energy audits, energy efficiency and GHG reduction studies and implementation, energy management information systems consulting and more. In collaboration with another engineering firm, we helped the mining company meet the grant application’s requirement for detailed, quantifiable and verifiable numbers on expected energy savings including electricity, diesel fuel and natural gas. We were also expected to identify and quantify (in dollars) ancillary benefits including maintenance. We considered infrastructure changes required by the expected switch from diesel to electric vehicles and considered other ancillary benefits such as improved employee health (with fewer diesel emissions), dust reduction, and a less noisy work environment. The ability to prove the expected savings had to be baked into the designs right from the start of the process, through a measurement and verification plan that is aligned with an international protocol. This included thinking ahead to determine what would need to be measured, and in some cases installing more electrical and natural gas meters than would normally be expected. We also had to show how we would calibrate all this measurement equipment. Using sophisticated modelling, a base case was established, and a reporting period established for the verification – several years in which the data must be sent to the government to verify the performance of the energy-saving and carbon-reducing measures. This funding application example shows some of the trends in energy and carbon management today. One trend is that detailed, realistic performance data is becoming increasingly available, to help put numbers on the options. For example, we worked with a mining company that had aging air compressors underground that needed to be replaced soon. Our analysis determined that the best option lay in outright replacement of multiple 1000 HP compressors, with units that were smaller, more efficient and had a better turndown ratio, to save energy, improve operational flexibility and reduce maintenance. Given the size of the capital expenditure, having good data on the expected operational improvements and cost savings, helped “sell” the idea from a financial point of view. Of course, the flip side of being able to measure energy savings – both expected and actual – is that mining companies find them-
selves being pressured to do that measurement. Then, they’re expected to take effective steps to reduce unnecessary energy expense and carbon production. This pressure can come from the requirements of financing programs offered by various levels of government. But it can also come from bank financing or investors who want to be sure that their money is in good hands, with companies that will remain competitive even in an increasingly carbon-constrained world. hi tin the co etiti e lan ca e This new focus on energy and carbon management has big strategic implications. For example, it may improve the competitiveness of orebodies that are located within reach of grid electrical power – provided that electricity is generated from renewable or at least emissions-free sources. In Canada, this means that mines in provinces like Ontario, Quebec, B.C., and Manitoba have a competitive advantage, in that their electricity grid is powered mostly by renewable or at least non-GHG-producing sources (e.g. nuclear). In some provinces with grids largely powered by fossil fuels, such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, miners may have to set up their own purchase power agreements with green energy sources, to get full climate-related benefits from using electrical power. Increasingly, mines that are located off-grid will be able to build a better business case for generating their own power using wind or solar. Self-generated power may also help manage the risks of relying too much on grid electricity. Over-reliance means that a major input – power – lies in someone else’s hands. As an example, our firm worked with a mining company in South America that had a contract for 15 MW of grid power, and they wanted to do an expansion. The electrical utility refused to supply additional power – until the mining company installed power factor correction capacitors to improve the power quality. Although the capacitors are currently being installed, the mine is nonetheless investigating renewable electricity options on-site. In some parts of the world, the reliability of power supply – and its price – is a major risk that must be understood and mitigated. There may be significant fluctuations in cost, depending on time of day. This can influence whether the mine stores electrical power in batteries, or shifts its energy-intensive operations to off-peak times, for example doing planned maintenance work during electric utility peak times. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
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Battery-powered vehicles have received a great deal of attention. An alternative or additional option to battery-powered vehicles is trolley assist. Trolley assist uses a pantograph to connect to overhead trolley lines (similar to a streetcar) to enhance productivity by improving speed-on-grade. Caterpillar, for example, released trolley assist systems for electric trucks in February 2020. We performed a technical and economic analysis for a Canadian underground mining client to evaluate whether battery electric vehicles (BEVs), trolley assist with diesel or trolley assist with BEVs made the most economic sense. While electric mine vehicles are still in their early stages, it’s important for mining companies to look towards a future in which this is possible – such as designing their access tunnels to accommodate a pantograph that may require more space (which can also increase excavation costs). Trolley assist may be more practical in open pit mines, given the need to move large volumes of ore. cce in ener y an car on ana e ent enefit Competing in this new world of energy and carbon restrictions starts at the design stage for a new mine, expansion or retrofit. Many mines are designed in a “silo” process – electrical, mechanical, structural and other types of engineering are often done separately. There may be only limited effort to make sure that the design is as energy and carbon-efficient as possible. A skilled professional such as a certified energy manager (CEM) can lead an interdisciplinary team to take a holistic look at the design through an Energy Design Review and indicate ways to reduce energy costs. Experience shows that annual savings of 30-40% are often attainable if you start this work in the conceptual or prefeasibility design stage. With energy at or near the top of expenditure categories, these savings add up significantly year after year. For existing mines, steps for de-risking energy and carbon price escalation include having a carbon reduction roadmap and using an Energy Management Information System. Energy audits help as well and should be followed by studying the energy-saving opportunities the audits reveal, leading to applications for funding energy-efficient and low-carbon investments. These actions, ideally within an ISO 50001 framework, will meet energy and carbon-related investor environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements. Having verifiable data on energy use will help mining companies compete as customer expectations change. This includes demand for no-carbon minerals by companies such as Tesla. Good carbon and energy management can also put mining companies on track to meeting the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals, which include climate action and the promotion of affordable and clean energy, as a way to improve marCMJ ket competitiveness. Emily Thorn Corthay, P.Eng., MASc., CEM, CMVP, was named the 2020 International Energy Engineer of the Year by the Association of Energy Engineers. She is founder and CEO of Thorn Associates (www. thorn.ca).
www.canadianminingjournal.com
MINING FOR TALENT 16 | How miners can compete
for the workers they need
18 | Keys to creating a culture
IMAGE: ISROCK/ POCO BW; JWANENG DIAMOND MINE
of engagement
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
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MINING WORKFORCE
HOW MINERS CAN COMPETE FOR THE TALENT THEY NEED The importance of emotional intelligence, reputation management, and career development opportunities
At Norcat’s test mine in Onaping, Ont. CREDIT: NORCAT
By Don Duval THE 2020 Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) National Employer Labour Market Survey asked Canadian mining companies to identify the biggest challenges they anticipate in meeting their workforce requirements in the coming years. Not surprisingly, 91% stated one of their biggest challenges will be finding, attracting, and hiring qualified or skilled workers. Almost as many, 82%, cited upgrading the skills of supervisors and managers will be one of their biggest challenges. Next, 73% voiced significant challenges in attracting a more diversified workforce, and 64% stated retaining employees will be one of their biggest challenges. Collectively, these insights would alarm most HR professionals, but when coupled with the Canada-wide forecasted need for more than 100,000 new mine workers over the next 10 years, these concerns only becomes more heightened and exacerbated. Recognizing this perfect storm of growing industry-wide human capital demands coupled with a perceived shrinking supply of workforce candidates, mining executives are working to build and 16 | CANADIAN
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deploy strategies that will help them win at both employee recruitment and retention. This said, I am keen to share some insights that may help mining industry leaders seeking to deploy creative solutions to address these growing industry-wide challenges. I want to start with setting context by sharing a quote from a recent seminar I attended that featured Aron Ain, the CEO and chairman for UKG, a $3-billion global company and best selling author of WorkInspired. During the event, Ain reminded everyone that “People join organizations because of the organizations, but they leave because of who they work for.” This concise and clear phrase should force all mining leaders to pause and reflect on how this influences your talent attraction, recruitment, and retention strategies. Over the past nearly 10 years working with skilled labour companies around the world, I have come to learn that one of the most important success factors in retaining quality employees is ensuring they have a respectful and meaningful relationship with their supervisor. To accomplish this,
it is imperative that supervisors not only have the technical skills and credentials to do their job effectively, but also understand how to engage, empathize with, and lead their subordinates to do their jobs efficiently, productively, and safely. Is it difficult to assess the dynamic of this relationship? No, it’s not. However, it is surprising to find that many organizations today still conduct what I call “traditional” employee engagement surveys and processes that often ask questions centred on the employees’ relationship with the company – not their managers. If great people, many of whom have lots of employment options, often leave companies because of their managers, shouldn’t mining companies ask more questions to assess the health and dynamic of these relationships? Do your managers care about the people they manage? Are they familiar with the ambitions of the workers they lead? Would your employees recommend to a friend to work for their manager? As already noted, 82% of mining leaders cited upgrading the skills of supervisors and managers will be one of their biggest challenges in the coming years. As www.canadianminingjournal.com
part of this “upgrade” I would encourage all would-be and existing supervisors to fully understand the concept and importance of emotional intelligence. Why? Research has demonstrated time and time again it is the single biggest attribute of successful and engaging leaders. Given this, I would suggest that 100% of mining executives should consider developing strong supervisors as the single most important human capital challenge facing the Canadian mining industry for the foreseeable future. Recruiting new talent Assuming you have created or can create a working culture and dynamic that can retain great employees, I want to shift gears and focus on the challenge of attracting and recruiting new talent. Borrowing again from Aron Ain, one of my favourite stories he shares is framed by borrowing a tactic from the TV show Undercover Boss. When Ain was aware of new potential hires coming in for an interview for a job with his company, he would often arrange to “coincidentally” be sitting in his company’s reception area. Ain, incognito, would strike up a casual conversation with the candidate and ultimately ask the question, “Why do you want to work here?” More often than not the respondents would say “Because this is a great company to work for.” Which inevitably led Ain to counter with: “How do you know that if you don’t actually work here?” At this moment, the unsuspecting employment candidates would disclose they often read reviews and articles on glassdoor.com and indeed.com, among other sources, that provide a forum allowing employees of any company to write about what it’s actually like to work there. If mining leaders aren’t familiar with these or similar websites, they need to be. If you don’t think your company is being reviewed on these sites, you are probably wrong. This story was solely intended to highlight an important theme. If you have a strong culture where workers are having an engaging, positive, and inspiring experience, you need to encourage your employees to “tell those stories” and publish them and promote them on channels where prospective workers go to find career information. Don’t think it’s important? According to a recent survey from Fractl FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
published on CNBC, one in three workers has turned down a job offer after reading negative reviews about a company online. Yes, some of the reviews are not authentic. Yes, many of the reviews are negative posts offered up by disgruntled employees. But that’s not the point of sharing this story. The intent is to provoke an evaluation of how you leverage your employee experiences to convey and promote to your target audience that your company is a great place to work. It matters and will matter even more in the coming years. These challenges and opportunities also come at a time when the Canadian mining industry is undergoing a technology transformation unlike any other time in the industry’s history. Investments in battery-electric equipment, tele-remote/ autonomous control systems, and communication infrastructure, among others, are all rooted in improving the economics, productivity, and health and safety of mining operations. However, I would encourage mining leaders to further evaluate and promote these technology
investments as a competitive differentiator to win the battle for talent. What do I mean by this? Recent research published in the Harvard Business Review shows employee opportunities for career development have become one of the most important factors in workplace happiness and engagement. Yes, you need to pay workers enough to take the “money discussion off the table,” but once that is accomplished, mining companies need to consider creating opportunities for ongoing learning and growth, for workers to have jobs that use the “latest and greatest” technologies that are engaging and safe, and enabling a culture rooted in competent, strong, and empathetic supervisors. Combining these attributes, although easier said than done, will be imperative for Canadian mining companies to win the many battles to recruit and retain CMJ great employees. Don Duval is the CEO of Norcat, a not-forprofit technology and innovation centre based in Sudbury, Ont. (www.norcat.org).
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WHY CREATING A CULTURE OF ENGAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO MINING 4.0 By Karen Chovan
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tiated – diversity and inclusion – will be the most critical to our success in change. Thankfully, we have embarked on the inclusion of people of different genders and cultures, people working in different sectors and disciplines, including the non-technical realm, and also different generations. Because if we want a real chance to succeed in this rapidly changing world, to fill our workforce demands, and to create new types of roles within our sector, we need to open the doors to new thinking. But the trick isn’t just opening the door. We need to draw new people in, show them how inviting, interesting and inclusive a space we have. We need to create a culture of engagement, and open and collaborative environments in which we can all contribute, to feel safe at work, to be able to share our ideas and be ourselves without risk. And we need to have the mechanisms and tools in place to support that collaborative, inclusive space. A great barrier In mining, unfortunately, we’re really great at creating silos and disengagement – with divided disciplines and specializations, separated business units, and also divisions in rank. People are doing their work, as directed, head down, and checking boxes to show when their work is complete, to demonstrate their productivity. www.canadianminingjournal.com
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THERE IS NO doubt that the mining industry has been thrown into a massive and accelerated state of flux. It seems all of a sudden, we’ve jumped into the modern world of big data, IoT, system digitization, automation, remote work and the virtual and augmented technologies that make it more effective. At the same time, our already complex systems are being challenged with growing demands and operating conditions: social and environmental performance expectations, climate change and net zero initiatives for emissions, energy, water and waste, combined with lower grades, greater deposit depths, and generally harder to find resources. Thrown on top of all of this, we have an aging workforce, with much of our collective experience and knowledge retiring from the sector, and the next generation with an extremely limited interest in mining. We really have our work cut out for us. Luckily, we have started taking steps towards solving these grand challenges, opening the door and asking for help. Every day we hear more stories about engagement of digital experts from other sectors, testing of technology applied outside of mining, and even companies hosting challenges where we’re inviting anyone to bring forth their innovations and creative minds. It is all very exciting. I’d like to suggest that the most positive movement we’ve ini-
Generally speaking, we have existing barriers and divisions across any real different ways of thinking, and that is a really tough place to start. We won’t get very far if we can’t come to a common understanding of just what it is that we’re trying to do – we need to “speak the same language.” And we can’t get on the same page and collaborate if no one is engaged, if no one cares, or if they don’t have the ability to influence anything. The science: autonomy, relatedness and competence Psychologically, there are three basic human needs that need to be met, if we ever want to increase motivation, engagement and collaboration. These are autonomy, relatedness, and competence. And what is perhaps most important, is that all three need to be met – without even one, the others will diminish. Autonomy is... our need to perceive that we have choices, that what we are doing is of our own volition, and that they are the source of our own actions. Relatedness is… our need for connection to the things we do, and to feel that we are contributing to something greater than ourselves, as well as connection to others without concerns of ulterior motives, our need to care about and be cared about by others. Competence is… our need and ongoing pursuit of increasing knowledge, to feel effective at meeting everday challenges and opportunities, to demonstrate skill over time, and to feel a sense of growth and flourishing.
sonnel are introduced (particularly with new roles), when there are new initiatives or during major implementations of new technology, software, or operational processes. People are most uncertain during these times, and this openness and inclusiveness can help ease stresses for your people. Getting started Put up a white board, fill a wall with poster paper, or post a virtual whiteboard that anyone can access. Provide loads of colourful, sticky notes and pens, (or provide instruction on how to do the same virtually) and leave it up for a week or two. Pick a focus area for engagement. Invite people to comment on the things that drive them crazy, the things that hold up their work, the processes or actions they think need to change, the tasks that are redundant, or simply big questions or concerns about an initiative or pending change. You know, all those things you go home and complain about to your partner… Make sure, of course, that there are clear rules in place and monitor the board to catch notes that break them. Leaving unprofessional comments up can cause frustration, even anger. After all, this is an anonymous wall and we’ve all heard of the broken window syndrome – we don’t want to go down that spiral! The benefits A bit of engagement, and a bit of health and wellness, both tucked into an opportunity for making improvements, and perCONTINUED ON PAGE 20 haps some increased productivity?
What is beneficial about this is that, as a leader, you can create environments for your team where all of these needs can be met. You don’t need to wait for some HR initiative or organizational management strategy to roll out or to gain more training to make some shifts. Fundamentals If you’re struggling with engagement of your teams, getting people on the same page, or having them work effectively together, these are fundamental: 1 Create a safe space and means for your employees to raise questions, issues and/or improvement suggestions – even if those thoughts are submitted anonymously – and then respond honestly to each and every one of those. 2 Create forums or meetings for open dialogue – to discuss the bigger picture and gain a common understanding of what those goals or objectives really look like, and how each team and individual can contribute to them. 3 Ensure a means for everyone’s participation, including those introverts and quieter voices who are often never heard, on projects, on goal setting, on discussing issues and potential solutions. 4 Keep the dialogue positive, inquisitive – encourage listening when it’s not a person’s turn to speak, and questioning/exploring to understand those different views and ideas. These can be extremely important, particularly when strategic direction or organizational structure is changing, when new perFEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
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On engagement, you’ve just opened a flood gate for people to have a voice in a secure way – it’s like Put up a white board, gold! Most people, when they know fill a wall with o ter it is anonymous, will come forth to paper, or post a virtual speak up. whiteboard that anyone On wellness, this is a way for people to relieve a bit of stress, to can access. Provide get things off their chest. In my loads of colourful, case, this has always made me feel sticky notes and pens, better, and I’m sure it is for others. (or provide instruction Haven’t you ever voiced something that has been on your mind for a on how to do the same while? It relieves that burden, and virtually) and leave it you feel like you can move on. up for a week or two. trust, and from trust comes more openness to discuss People with lower stress levels the bigger workplace issues or the complex challenges often tend to be more productive and thoughtful, so it does have some project and team benefits we need to address. So what are you waiting for? CMJ too. On the process side, once complete, you have a whole list of Karen Chovan is the CEO and founder of Enviro Integration Strategies things that you can start to dig into, for dialogue, or simply to Inc. (www.envirointegration.com), chair of CIM Environmental and make improvements. The more comments on similar themes, Social Responsibility Society, and an Edumine instructor (https://learn. edumine.com). EIS is focused on reducing risks and creating value in tailings the higher priority these topics should receive. Perhaps the greatest benefit of starting down this path is that and mine waste management and facilitating the integration of sustainable all of these things will help you and your teams to start to build and circular practices into mining.
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MINING WORKFORCE
Mining in ONTARIO Lessons from the pandemic By Chris Hodgson
I
t is an understatement to say that 2020, the year the Ontario Mining Association turned 100 years old, was not the anniversary year we had imagined. While there was no opportunity to mark the occasion as our community may have wished, the crisis we all lived through revealed the resiliency, resourcefulness and strategic importance of the Ontario mining industry. Despite the challenges experienced, what we have learned is a cause for celebration, and the lessons will help define the future of our industry and the province. Lesson 1: Our safety culture matters more than ever. In moments of unprecedented crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, an effective response hinges on leadership and a culture that enables rapid recognition and mitigation of risk. One of the defining features of the Ontario mining industry is our commitment to health and safety as a core value that influences decision making at all times and levels. As a result, Ontario is one of the safest mining jurisdictions in the world, and mining is one of the safest industries in Ontario, achieving a 96% improvement in lost time injury frequency over the past 30 years. Our ongoing collaborative journey towards enhanced safety practices and the goal of zero harm, has meant that we are FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
not only equipped with standards and procedures necessary to achieve a safe working environment, but also with deeply engrained norms that shape the mindsets, attitudes and behaviour of our people. For example, miners across Ontario, start their day with a safety meeting, bringing attention to risks, while ensuring that safety is at the forefront of their minds. The longstanding dedication to safety helps Ontario mining companies to build organizational resilience to enable proactive, flexible and innovative responses to unexpected circumstances. From the onset of the public health crisis, mining companies were able to mobilize rapid collective action, adapting existing protocols and developing novel prevention and mitigation policies and practices to prevent the spread of Covid19. They tapped into knowledge from other jurisdictions and shared strategies (including through the OMA), meaning that they were consistently ahead of the curve in everything from simple protective measures, such as universal mask wearing, to testing of employees as part of enhanced onsite screening processes. Their leadership was recognized by industry peers and the government, and they were asked to share their approaches. It is a testament to the strength of our safety culture and our people’s expertise
that, throughout a global pandemic and provincial emergency declaration, our industry managed to operate safely as an essential workplace in Ontario – sustaining northern economies and keeping people across the province employed. Undoubtedly, our safety culture has been strengthened by our current experiences, and will continue to be the basis of our competitive advantage in the future. Lesson 2: Mining is essential – now and in the future. If this was not clear earlier, it is obvious now that mining is indispensable for our response to, and recovery from, this crisis. As an industry providing the materials that are at the front end of our healthcare, manufacturing, and supply chains, mining was deemed essential by the province throughout the pandemic. As we plan for recovery, mining remains not just a provider of good, high-paying jobs; it is the foundation of our supply chains and integral to every sector in the economy, including the green-technology sectors. Many see the pandemic as an inflection point in history – an opportunity to disrupt past practices that have not served us well and build a more resilient, sustainable economy. Prime Minister Trudeau recently pointed out that the mining sector “will
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MINING IN ONTARIO be crucial for a green recovery and will help drive the clean transition that we need.” In his September 2020 Speech from the Throne, he emphasized the importance of mining in leading societal change, stating: “A good example of adapting to a carbon-neutral future is building zero-emissions vehicles and batteries. Canada has the resources – from nickel to copper – needed for these clean technologies. This – combined with Canadian expertise – is Canada’s competitive edge.” Not only does Canada have the resources – including 13 of the 35 minerals that the U.S. has identified as critical to its economic and national security, Ontario holds great potential to uncover more of the commodities needed to meet growing global demand, as developed economies adopt net-zero emissions targets and green recovery stimulus policies. Moreover, we mine these commodities responsibly, and with a smaller carbon footprint than other jurisdictions. Companies like Tesla recognize this – the company has been seeking to buy Canadian low-carbon nickel, a key ingredient in the batteries that power the company’s electric cars. During the Covid-
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19 pandemic we saw a surge in exploration projects, a new gold mine (Pure Gold) that entered production, and the accelerated development of a cobalt refinery. The federal and Ontario governments announced a joint investment in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing. This is a strategic move, which has the potential to boost the local mining industry. The greening of the global economy, including transforming the power generation grid, is undoubtedly good news for our sector, and commodities analysts are now predicting a mining supercycle – driven not just by economic growth, but by a global energy transition. Industry leaders such as Robert Friedland also stress that buyers will want to know that the commodities they are getting for their electric cars or lithium-ion batteries were mined responsibly. Speaking at the recent AME Roundup, he said that, “everything will be priced in relation to its ESG (environmental, social and governance policy) components.” Ontario is in a remarkably good position to take advantage of these developments. However, we are still a high-cost
jurisdiction, which drives profits down relative to other mineral producing regions. Strategic decisions will need to be implemented to improve Ontario’s competitiveness and ability to attract investment. As society demands swifter action on adopting clean technologies, it seems that these decisions will take on more urgency and garner greater consensus. Lesson 3: Mines make good neighbours and employers. The pandemic revealed how deeply intertwined Ontario mining companies are with the communities in which they operate. Miners were able to step in with meaningful Covid-19 assistance, providing not only significant financial contributions, but partnering with local organizations to address gaps and deliver the help that was most acutely needed – be it personal protective equipment for local first responders, or supplies for food banks facing greater demand. They were able to offer a variety of supports to vulnerable rural and Indigenous communities, providing logistical support for them to access critical supplies and resources, including testing solutions to help limit the spread of the virus. The list of actions they undertook is truly impressive. One hopes that one of the enduring lessons of 2020 is a renewed awareness of the importance of a caring and respectful community. For OMA members, looking out for others was expressed in their Covid-19 relief efforts, and also in efforts to understand and address the challenges faced by employees and their families. This enhanced awareness of human psychological needs and mental health is changing work environments for many. Vale, for instance, has adopted a new working model that combines onsite, near-site, and remote jobs. A variety of on-the-job wellness, cultural and family programs that came into being or were expanded during the pandemic are here to stay. As Ontario mining continues to operate as an essential service, people and safety will be a cornerstone of responsible business behaviour that drives our sector’s CMJ success now, and into the future. CHRIS HODGSON is president of the Ontario Mining Association (www.oma.on.ca).
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MINING IN ONTARIO
IAMGOLD
takes the autonomous route
Côté JV project will be Canada’s first autonomous open pit gold mine By Magda Gardner
W
ith construction underway at the gold project in northern Ontario, roughly halfway between Timmins and Sudbury and 20 km southwest of Gogama, Iamgold is working to develop Ontario’s first autonomous open pit mine at the site. This involves plans for fully autonomous drills and trucks, with manned loading and support equipment. The project – a 70/30 joint venture with Japan-based Sumitomo Metal Mining – has an estimated mine life of 18 years, based on a 2018 feasibility study. After receiving key permits related to impacts on fish habitats and tailings management last June, Iamgold announced that it would be proceeding with the construction of Côté in July and held a ground-breaking ceremony in September. First gold is expected in the second half of 2023, with full production expected by mid-2024. “We are building a mine to be around for twenty-five, thirty years, so we are not building a mine of 1970, we are looking to build the mine of 2030,” Gordon Stothart, Iamgold’s president and CEO, said in a January interview with CMJ. The Toronto-based company already has autonomous drilling capability at some of its other mines, such as the Essakane FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
Site plan for the Côté gold JV, in northern Ontario. CREDIT: IAMGOLD
open pit in Burkina Faso, with rigs moving between holes on a pattern autonomously. In addition to autonomous drilling, Côté will also employ autonomous technology to hauling; the autonomous system will figure out the appropriate destination for mining trucks, based on the type of material being loaded (ore versus waste). In terms of safety for the system planned for Côté, Stothart says that, with the press of a button, anybody will be able shut down the whole system, if required. Iamgold’s plans for the site include an ultimate pit that would be approximately 1,600 metres long, 1,250 metres wide and up to 500 metres deep. Implementation from the get-go In terms of the rationale behind the choice to use autonomous technology at Côté, Stothart notes that the time to make decision to use this type of machinery is at the outset of a project. For instance, in terms of training, the workforce will only need technician-level training specific to autonomous equipment. Stothart also explained that while autonomous or remote capability has been available for some of the larger pit trucks for over 30 years, it’s taken a long time to implement. Reasons include the cap-
ital investments required and that, once the decision is made, a company is locked into it for the life of the mine. “We looked around and we (saw that) the technology was becoming mature with some very positive implementations in Australia and Chile, and starting to come into Canada,” he said. As part of its on-the-ground research on autonomous mining units, members of Iamgold’s technical team travelled to operating sites already using autonomous technology: this included mines in Chile and Australia, as well as the Fort Hill oilsands mine in Alberta. The amenability of pit drills and trucks to automation is related to the types of jobs done by these units, which do not require a lot of onboard control, unlike front-end loaders. The automation of equipment brings with it several potential benefits, Stothart says. These include reduced maintenance costs, as the units are continuously operating at their optimal levels, as well as increased availability and a detailed operating record. “We don’t have shift change, we don’t have lunch hour, we are not shutting down equipment because the radio or the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
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John Yakabuski, Ontario’s minister of natural resources; Gordon Stothart, president and CEO of Iamgold; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Marc Serré, Sudbury MP; and Paul Lefebvre, Nickel Belt MP and parliamentary secretary, at the ground-breaking ceremony for Côté in September 2020. CREDIT: ADAM SCOTTI
air conditioning in the truck or the heater isn’t working. You’re buying a $2 to $3-million piece of equipment, and you’re going to get maximum use out of it.” Caterpillar and Epiroc are involved with supplying the autonomous units for Côté. Collaborative mine build Based on the 2018 feasibility, and incorporating technical updates published in July 2020, Côté is expected to generate an average of 367,000 gold oz. annually over 18 years of mine life at all-in sustaining costs of US$771 per oz. The latest capital cost estimate for the 36,000 t/d operation was at US$1.3 billion, with an additional US$1.1 billion required in sustaining capital over the life of the mine. Assuming US$1,350 per oz. gold, the after-tax net present value for the development comes in at US$1.1 billion, at a 5% discount rate, with a 15.3% internal rate of return and a 3.7-year payback. While historically, Iamgold has been a “build-your-own” company, building assets such as the Westwood underground mine in Quebec and the Rosebel open pit operation in Suriname, the company decided on a different development approach for Côté. “For a project the size of Côté, plus the fact that it’s a JV operation, it made sense for us to go to an EPCM (engineering, procurement and construction manage24 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
ment) contract.” Scotland-based Wood, through its predecessor AMEC, has been involved with the project since 2011 and Iamgold continues to work with Wood on the development. The engineering and consulting company’s mining and minerals division has capabilities ranging from initial concept studies through to project delivery and operations. Wood is in charge of executing the EPCM contract for Côté. Iamgold also has a development team based out of Longueuil in Quebec that is closely working with the company, in addition to an operations readiness team at Côté and project and operations team members in Sudbury. Stothart adds that the recent mining market downturn and resulting slowdown in mine development present a unique opportunity for a new build. “There are not a lot of other projects in construction right now, it gives us good access to engineering support and top-quality contractors.” Incremental development In a January interview with CMJ, Dave Lawson, president of Wood’s mining and minerals business, highlighted the importance of client relationships throughout the conceptual, design and development stages. Wood, as AMEC, started working on
Côté in 2011, with a contract for approximately US$50,000. AMEC then completed the 2017 prefeasibility for the project and Wood delivered the 2018 feasibility study (Wood’s acquisition of AMEC closed in October 2017). While it’s not typical for the same consulting and engineering company to work on a mining project from exploration through to the mine build, Lawson notes that Wood’s breadth of service offerings made this continuity possible. According to Lawson, one of the unique aspects about Côté is that the client moved ahead with the project in stages – engineering, followed by procurement, and now, construction (the incremental approach was, in part, due to permitting and financing constraints, as well as due to the gold price). “It did allow us to spend more time on the engineering phase and I think we’re going to see that is a benefit as we go forward,” Lawson said. “One of the benefits of having this extra time on the engineering was to be able to analyze certain situations and find ways to do it cheaper and quicker or better.” Delivering a mine As Wood delivers the EPCM contract for Côté, it will hire specialized companies, on behalf of Iamgold, for specialized www.canadianminingjournal.com
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Iamgold president and CEO Gordon Stothart, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford break ground at the Côté gold project. CREDIT: ADAM SCOTTI
work. With pit construction and stockpiling starting up in the first half of 2021, the project handover to the operations team is expected to be complete in late 2023. “It’s really a set up where we manage the contractors and we manage the engineering and we report into Côté gold. We have a project sponsor group, it meets once every couple of months to overview the project and make sure that the project team – both
The Côté camp in October 2020. CREDIT: IAMGOLD
the client’s team and our team – are working in harmony and that the direction of travel for the project is correct.” In terms of ensuring a smooth transition from development to operations, Lawson describes this process as a gradual shift where, as a plant ramps up, Wood starts to back away and the client gets progressively more involved. For this to happen, a commissioning team needs to be hired during
the engineering phase and the client needs start putting an operations team in place during mine construction. Lawson notes that a successful rampup ultimately comes back to having an established relationship with trust between the operator and Wood, and seeing it “not as an exercise in building a plant but seeing it as an exercise in producing an operating mine.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
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MINING IN ONTARIO He adds: “There’s no point in building it and then walking away if it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do.” A design with upside While Iamgold has held its interest in Côté for close to 10 years – the company acquired the project in 2012 – its vision for the operation has evolved with time. When it first acquired the asset for $608 million in cash, Côté hosted 35 million tonnes of indicated resources grading 0.82 g/t gold for 930,000 gold oz. and 204 million tonnes of inferred resources at 0.91 g/t gold for 5.9 million oz. “Our original vision was for a bigger project, more along the lines of double the size of what we are actually building,” Stothart says. Iamgold ultimately decided that the price tag associated with a project of that size was not appropriate for a company of its size. Wood, through AMEC, consulted on the project and outlined approximately
US$425 million in savings from developing a smaller throughput operation. In 2017, Iamgold also decided to bring in Sumitomo as a joint venture partner. Today, total measured and indicated resources stand at 365.5 million tonnes grading 0.87 g/t gold for a total of 10.2 million oz. Additional inferred resources include 189.6 million tonnes at 0.6 g/t gold for 3.8 million oz. There are a total of 7.3 million oz. of proven and probable reserves within the measured and indicated resource. With this substantial resource upside beyond established reserves, Stothart notes that the company is committed to developing the current design version of the asset before considering an expansion. “We’re going to be pretty pedantic with building the project we said we’re going to build. Historically, at Iamgold, we’ve been pretty conservative with our estimates, what we expect costs and construction periods to be, and historically we’ve done better than we said we were going to do.”
He adds that given the company’s track record, he would not be surprised if the mine exceeds both cost and throughput expectations. The executive also highlights a few find – Gosselin – less than 2 km away from the proposed Côté pits where an initial resource is expected this year. The benefits of autonomous haulage and drilling will likely be an important consideration in any potential future economic assessment of a mine expansion, together with empirical knowledge from Côté. In January, Iamgold released assay results for 24 diamond drill holes completed as part of a delineation drill program at Gosselin. The drill highlights include 417.3 metres of 0.95 g/t gold; 353 metres of 1.04 g/t gold; and 202 metres of 1.22 g/t gold. Given that the Côté project is within a 540-sq.-km land package, Stothart is optimistic in his outlook for the asset. “I think this operation is going to be around for a long, long time.” CMJ
Canada’s Next Gold Producer Proven Mine Builders and Operators Exploration Upside in the Red Lake Gold Camp
WWW.BATTLENORTHGOLD.COM For more information, please visit www.battlenorthgold.com and refer to Battle North’s public disclosure documents under its profile at www.sedar.com and on its website (including the Technical Report for the Bateman Gold Project dated January 21, 2021, and the Company’s news releases dated February 9 and February 16, 2021, and their respective cautionary statements).
26 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
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Evolution Mining’s Red Lake complex, with Cochenour infrastructure in foreground.
MINING IN ONTARIO
CREDIT: EVOLUTION MINING
Rediscovering
RED LAKE
Historic, high-grade gold camp is seeing intense mining, development and exploration By Canadian Mining Journal Staff
Between Evolution Mining’s investment in the Red Lake mine, Great Bear Resources’ exploration success at Dixie, Pure Gold Mining opening up a second mine in the camp, and Battle North Gold planning a third – Red Lake is seeing renewed interest.
E
volution Mining made its entrance into Red Lake, Ont., only last year, after striking a deal with Newmont for the historic Red Lake gold complex in late 2019. The complex has a long and prolific history, with production of more than 25 million oz. at grades of over 20 g/t gold since the late 1940s. Once the crown jewel in Goldcorp’s portfolio, the mine suffered from underinvestment and declining grades and resources in recent years. But, in line with its strategy of acquiring assets with long life potential in “well-endowed geological terranes,” Evolution saw the opportunity to turn it into a cornerstone asset, while restoring Red Lake to some of its former glory. It paid Newmont US$375 million for the mine upfront, with another US$100 million contingent on new discoveries. Over a first-phase, three-year plan, the Australian miner plans to increase production to 200,000 oz. gold annually at all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of less than US$1,000 per oz. To do so, it 28 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
committed to spending US$50 million in exploration on drilling of over 100,000 metres per year to grow resources and reserves. “There’s lots of work ahead of us at Red Lake, but I am confident that we are well on our way to restoring the operation to being one of Canada’s premier gold mines,” said Evolution’s executive chairman, Jake Klein, on a conference call in February. Production at the complex, which consists of the Red Lake and Campbell mines, still has a ways to go. In the six months ended in December 2020, the operation produced 60,347 oz. gold at AISC of A$1,997 (US$1,571) per oz. But step by step, Evolution has been following through with its improvements. Not quite a year into its ownership of the mine (the acquisition closed in April 2020), the miner says its transformation plan is ahead of schedule. So far, Evolution has boosted reserves and resources at the mine, increased development rates, and shut its Red Lake mill temporarily to focus on improving performance at its Campbell mill. It also downsized the mine workforce by 26%. With improvements at the Campbell mill taking hold and the facility recently reaching full capacity (97% utilization), the company reported in early 2021 that it will restart the Red Lake mill shortly, using stockpiled ore. www.canadianminingjournal.com
In February, Evolution also approved the development of a The Cochenour headframe. new A$60-70 million decline CREDIT: EVOLUTION MINING that will extend to 1,200 metres depth and boost mine production. The Campbell Young Dickenson decline will open up two new mine fronts that don’t rely on existing shaft infrastructure. Starting in the third quarter of 2022, the decline is expected to add production of 1 million tonnes per year, and provide access to the Upper Campbell deposit – which contains over half of the mine’s recently announced 2.9 million oz. gold in reserves. That production increase will mean the operation will go from a position of not being able to feed the two mills onsite (which, together have a capacity of 1.1-1.3 million t/y) to being mill constrained in the second half of 2022. (In the six months ending December 2020, the operation produced just shy of 300,000 tonnes.) A study, slated for release in the second quarter, is underway to determine whether the best solution will be a mill expansion or a new mill. It will also lay out a plan for the company to reach its ultimate goal of 300,000-500,000 oz. a year of production at Red Lake. Assuming the study is positive, it will progress to the prefeasibility stage. The reserves announced in February – 2.9 million oz. gold in 13.2 million tonnes at 6.9 g/t, based on A$1,450 per oz. gold – are a good start towards that. “The significant gold endowment we have announced today makes us very confident about Red Lake being a core, long-life, low-cost asset in our portfolio.” Klein commented. Last fall, Evolution announced a global resource estimate of 11 million oz. at the property. The JORC-compliant resource stands at 22.8 million indicated tonnes grading 7.7 g/t gold for 5.7 million oz. and 25.5 million inferred tonnes grading 6.49 g/t gold for 5.3 million oz. Pure Gold Mining A second Red Lake mine began production in December, with Pure Gold Mining announcing the first gold pour at its mine, just southwest of the Red Lake complex. The company’s PureGold operation hosts the past-producing Madsen mine, which generated 2.5 million oz. gold over its history, beginning in the late 1930s. The site also hosted some newer infrastructure built in the 1990s by Claude Resources. As such, the mine was completed in a relatively short period after Pure Gold approved construction in August 2019. A February 2019 feasibility study projected an initial capex of $95 million, and average annual production of 80,000 oz. gold at all-in sustaining costs of US$787 per oz. over a 12-year mine life. Commercial production at the operation, with expected lifeof-mine average grades of 9 g/t gold, is on track for the second quarter. But even as it ramps up to full production of 800 t/d, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
Above: Drill core from Cochenour. CREDIT: EVOLUTION MINING
Pure Gold is focused on growth. While the feasibility outlined a first-phase mine, the company is already looking at opportunities to increase the mining rate to up to 1,000 t/d by establishing a second mine access, in addition to the main West ramp at PureGold. Work began on the East portal last year, with the ramp now expected to provide access to ore stopes at the east end of the mine 12 months earlier than scheduled in the feasibility. Studies for a phase three expansion of the mine and mill to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
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MINING IN ONTARIO more than 1,200 t/d are also starting this year. Mining methods at the operation include longhole stoping, conventional cutand-fill, and mechanized cutand-fill. Processing includes a gravity circuit, pre-oxidation, leaching, a carbon-in-pulp circuit and electrowinning, and then refining to produce doré gold. With the first-phase mine fully funded, Pure Gold plans to fund its growth through cash flow. Mining of current reserves, which stand at 3.5 million tonnes grading 9 g/t gold for 1 million oz., is expected to generate $1.2 billion in pre-tax cash flow at current gold prices. Based on the success of ongoing drilling, which has hit high-grade mineralization near the main ramp and other infrastructure, the company believes it can add low-cost, near-term tonnes to the mine. Exploration and expansion drilling continues through the mine ramp-up, with at least 50,000 metres planned for the year. Pure Gold is also working to accelerate access to deep highgrade zones at the operation. In particular, the company is looking forward to the fourth quarter, when expects to set up access to drill the ultra-high-grade 8-Zone from underground. The 8-Zone already has an indicated resource of 458,000 tonnes grading 20.5 g/t gold for 301,000 oz. Historic drilling
30 | CANADIAN
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Pure Gold Mining began production at its PureGold mine in late 2020. CREDIT: PURE GOLD MINING
from underground has returned intervals including 4.3 metres of 466 g/t gold, 5.5 metres of 342.4 g/t gold and 8.2 metres of 120.4 g/t gold. Situated roughly 1 km below surface, the zone is open up and downplunge, and is geologically analogous to the Red Lake mine’s famous High-Grade Zone, which made Red Lake one of the lowest-cost, highest grade producers in the world in the early 2000s. Resources at PureGold have so far been defined to 1,200
www.canadianminingjournal.com
Battle North Gold’s Bateman project, in Red Lake. CREDIT: BATTLE NORTH GOLD
gold system that includes several nearby, near-surface deposits, Wedge, Russet South and Fork, that are included in resources.
metres depth, with indicated resources at 7.2 million tonnes at 8.9 g/t gold for 2.1 million oz. Inferred resources add 1.9 million tonnes at 7.7 g/t gold for 467,000 oz. A resource update incorporating another 50,000 metres of drilling is due in the second quarter. Once the mine achieves commercial production (also expected in the second quarter), Pure Gold will announce its first guidance numbers for the year. Pure Gold’s holdings extend for 47 sq. km and host a 7-km
E N G I N E E R I N G
Battle North Gold Red Lake will soon have a third mine, with Battle North Gold planning to start commercial production at its Bateman project before the end of 2022. In February, the junior approved construction of the project, and capital spending of $59.1 million for the year. (With an additional $17.8 million in capitalized operating costs and $4 million spent last year on construction total capital comes to $80.9 million.) Ore processing at the project’s 1,800 t/d mill (which is permitted for up to 1,250 t/d) is expected to start in late 2021, with a first gold pour possible before the end of the year. Between its cash reserves ($65 million as of Nov. 5) and a US$40-million, 5-year, senior secured credit facility with Macquarie Bank, the development is fully financed. Most of the mine infrastructure at Bateman is already in place. The mine was briefly put into production by Battle North – previously Rubicon Resources – in 2015, but without the benefit of completing a feasibility study. Trial mining demonstrated grades and tonnages that were lower than expected, with the geology of the nuggety F2 deposit proving more complex than previously CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
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MINING IN ONTARIO Drilling at the LP Fault at Great Bear Resources’ Dixie project.
understood. Since then, the company has worked to better understand the deposit, including more closely spaced drilling, and a new geological model that was validated with a 35,000-tonne bulk sample taken in 2018. As outlined in an October 2020 feasbility, Bateman contains proven and probable reserves of 3.6 million tonnes grading 5.54 g/t gold for 634,838 oz. The estimate was based on US$1,375 per oz. gold and a breakeven blended economic cutoff grade of 3.41 g/t gold. The feasibility defined a $109.3-million, 8.2-year, 1,315 t/d underground operation with a 21-month construction and ramp-up period that includes 14 months of gold production to offset some capital expenditures. During commercial operations, production is expected to average 79,308 gold oz. annually, at all-in sustaining costs of US$865 per oz. The study projected an after-tax internal rate of return of 50.3% and a net present value (at a 5% discount rate) of $305 million. Battle North plans to complete 3,300 metres of underground development in 2021. A ramp decline is being constructed to add
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CREDIT: GREAT BEAR RESOURCES
a second access point in addition to an existing 730-metre shaft. The company also is conducting a $7-million, 22,000-metre exploration program at its 288-sq.-km of holdings this year. Great Bear Resources Three and a half years into exploration, Great Bear Resources still hasn’t released an initial resource for its Dixie project in Red Lake. But drill results – and the junior’s market cap of $785 million – indicate it’s onto something big. In addition to vein-hosted, high-grade gold typical of Red Lake deposits, Great Bear has identified another type of mineralization at the 91.4-sq.-km project. At its LP Fault, the company has identified disseminated high-grade to lower-grade gold that is more typical of Hemlo style mineralization. The high-grade gold within a lower grade mineralized halo makes it a bulk tonnage target, and so far Great Bear has hit gold in all holes drilled along 4.2 km of the LP Fault. Drilling has shown both continuity of gold at LP and a consistent high-grade component with grades typically upwards of 20 g/t gold. The company drilled 112,000 metres at the Dixie project last year, with another 130,000 metres (budgeted at $25 million) planned for 2021. Recent high-grade highlights intercepts from LP have included: 17 metres of 13.07 g/t gold from 195.5 metres and 8.1 metres of 32.01 g/t gold from 103.8 metres depth. Bulk-tonnage highlights include 45.5 metres of 3.67 g/t starting at 72 metres depth. The company has now released results from 250 holes drilled at the LP Fault, with a total of 400 holes planned by the end of the year. The LP Fault system remains open in all directions. With five drill rigs deployed, this year’s focus is on infill drilling at LP as well as depth drill testing. High-priority targets across the 22-km strike length of Dixie will also be tested. In addition to LP, Dixie hosts the Dixie Limb and Hinge and Arrow zones, which host typical Red Lake style mineralization. Great Bear, which is aiming to release an initial resource for Dixie this year, will provide an update on its exploration program in March. After raising $70-million in a private placement of flow through and common shares in February, the company is well funded with more than $100 million in cash. CMJ www.canadianminingjournal.com
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MINING IN ONTARIO
BEVs
emerge from underground
MEDATech’s first battery-electric version of the Western Star 4900XD. CREDIT: MEDATECH
MEDATech develops battery version of the Western Star 4900XD for open pit mining By Alisha Hiyate
W
hen Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government’s zero emission vehicle incentive would be extended to mining fleets at last year’s PDAC convention in Toronto, he made sure to mention two Ontario companies – MacLean Engineering and Kovatera – that supplied battery electric equipment to Newmont’s Borden mine in Ontario, the country’s first all-electric mine. But one name was missing from Trudeau’s made-in-Canada battery-electric roll call – MEDATech. “What he failed to say was both those companies are using our AltDrive technology,” says MEDATech’s president, Robert Rennie. MEDATech (which stands for mobile equipment design automation technology) developed its fully electric AltDrive powertrain technology more than a decade ago, and over the last five years, the Collingwood-based company has become a key part34 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
ner for OEMs looking to electrify. In addition to supplying them with its AltDrive technology, MEDATech has assisted other companies with the integration of battery power and drive train components, and provided sophisticated vehicle management software for BEVs. Although MEDATech has Robert Rennie. CREDIT: MEDATECH been on the cutting edge of recent mining equipment innovation in Ontario (including helping Torex Resources engineer and develop its proprietary Muckahi technology, the brainchild of former CEO Fred Stanford), as a behind-the-scenes provider www.canadianminingjournal.com
of components and engineering knowledge to other OEMs, the company has remained out of the spotlight. That is, until now. That’s because MEDATech has developed, in partnership with ABB and Western Star, the first heavy duty battery electric truck for surface mining to hit the North American market. A diesel-to-battery battery conversion of the Western Star 4900XD, the first truck retrofit was completed in December. Configured with a dump box for open pit mining haulage, the truck has a capacity of 24 tonnes, but it could also be used to run a mobile crane or as a water truck. With a focus on service trucks, MEDATech is aiming to move the needle on electrification, beyond the light vehicles and underground mobile equipment that now available as BEVs. By retrofitting an existing diesel truck with electric components, MEDATech will be one of the first to market with such a truck. While the vehicle is not yet commercially available, a key step toward that is coming in March. That’s when ABB – which has a decade of experience in developing fast-charging systems – will deliver a quick-charge system that will make the truck a much more attractive option for mining operations. Nouveau Monde The story of this new electric vehicle began several years ago, when Nouveau Monde approached MEDATech for help in defining a path to becoming fully electric. The junior was trying to advance its Matawinie graphite project in Quebec as Canada’s first all-electric open pit mine. However, the electric rock trucks Nouveau Monde needed didn’t yet exist. MEDATech and ABB agreed to help Nouveau Monde in fleshing out its plans for an electric fleet, contributing to the company’s 2018 feasibility study for Matawinie. (Nouveau Monde is now working with a province-led electrification initiative that includes Propulsion Quebec to develop and test conversions of diesel trucks for the operation.) During that process, Rennie spoke to a number of OEMs about developing a battery electric surface haul truck, but came up empty. “No one really wanted to talk to us four years ago,” he said. “For most companies, it wasn’t on their radar for surface hauling.” While the benefits of using BEVs in underground mining – eliminating diesel emissions and carcinogens, and saving on ventilation costs – were compelling and immediate, the benefits to applying the technology in surface operations were less obvious. Then Rennie connected with Western Star, a company owned by Daimler, which happened to have a surface hauling vehicle suitable for conversion. Through the company, MEDATech also found an eager partner in Quebec-based Western Star dealer Tardif, which is keen on driving the program from the Western Star side. Applying its experience in retrofitting underground diesel vehicles with its AltDrive technology to the 4900XD, MEDATech completed the first retrofit in December. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
“This drive train is the same drive train we have built 30, 45 times now between the MacLean and Kovaterra products,” Rennie says. “The difference in this is we have installed much more battery in this truck, but the AltDrive system is exactly the same.” While at the moment, it can only be conventionally charged, Rennie says the truck has performed well in initial tests. “We’re quite happy with the product.” The truck is powerful. Its AltDrive system is configured to continuously output almost double the torque of the original diesel engine. “We can go faster and haul more payload every time with an electric drive train when you make a horsepower to horsepower comparison, strictly because of the higher torques of electric motors and the much improved efficiency,” Rennie says. Ultra-fast charging With a 150-kW onboard charger built specifically for MEDATech, the batteries can be charged in about 2.5 hours from fully drained. However, things will really get interesting in March, when ABB’s quick-charging system is delivered. “The real differentiating factor on this truck is it will be the first commercially available truck with an ultra-fast charging system,” Rennie adds. The lithium-ion battery chemistry can accept a high charge rate (or C-rate) of 5-10 C’s, as opposed to 1-2 C’s, the norm CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |
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Think You've Been Harmed by Products Containing Imerys Talc? Your Rights May Be Affected and Your Injury Claims May Be Eliminated. Your Vote Will Help Determine How Injury Claims are Treated. Submit Your Vote by March 25, 2021. IF YOU HAVE A TALC PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM,
your rights are affected by an upcoming vote on a plan of reorganization (the “Plan”) as part of the bankruptcy proceedings of Imerys Talc America, Inc., Imerys Talc Vermont, Inc. and Imerys Talc Canada Inc. (collectively, the “North American Debtors”). Imerys Talc Italy S.p.A (“ITI”) may also file (but has not yet filed) a chapter 11 case in the United States. “Debtors” means the North American Debtors and, if it files a chapter 11 case before the Plan is confirmed, ITI. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan, which is available at ITArestructuring.com (the “Case Website”).
THE DEBTORS FILED A DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
(available at the Case Website) containing information that will help you decide how to vote on the Plan, which proposes to set up a trust to resolve all Talc Personal Injury Claims. Your legal rights will be affected if the Plan is approved. Only holders of “Talc Personal Injury Claims,” or their attorneys on their behalf, are entitled to receive a ballot to vote on the Plan. Holders of Claims and Equity Interests in all other Classes under the Plan are presumed to accept the Plan, because they are either Unimpaired by the Plan or are Plan Proponents. If you have a Talc Personal Injury Claim, you or your attorney on your behalf, as permitted by the Voting Procedures, have the right to vote on the Plan. The deadline by which ballots must be received by the Debtors’ solicitation agent, Prime Clerk LLC (“Prime Clerk”) is March 25, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. ET. If you are unsure whether your attorney is authorized to vote on your behalf, please contact your attorney. Both the Tort Claimants’ Committee and the representative of future talc claimants support the Plan.
IF THE PLAN IS APPROVED BY THE BANKRUPTCY COURT AND THE DISTRICT COURT, all Talc Personal Injury
Claims will be channeled to the Talc Personal Injury Trust and resolved pursuant to the Trust Distribution Procedures. If you are the holder of (a) a Talc Personal Injury Claim and you vote to accept the Plan, (b) a Claim that is presumed to accept the Plan, (c) a Talc Personal Injury Claim and you vote against the Plan and do not opt out of the releases, or (d) a Talc Personal Injury Claim entitled to vote for or against the Plan and you do not vote for or against the Plan and do not opt out of the releases provided in the Plan (subject to certain limitations described in the Plan), you will be presumed to grant the “Releases by Holders of Claims” set forth in Article XII of the Plan. Please read the Plan and other Plan Documents carefully for details about how the Plan, if approved, will affect your rights.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE PLAN.
The deadline to file an objection is May 28, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. ET. There are requirements that must be followed to file an objection, which are set forth in the Voting Procedures Order. Objections received after the deadline may not be considered by the Bankruptcy Court and may be deemed overruled without further notice. You can obtain additional information or instructions, review the Plan Documents, or obtain a solicitation package with a ballot to vote, by contacting Prime Clerk. Imerys Ballot Processing Center c/o Prime Clerk LLC One Grand Central Place 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1440 New York, NY 10165. Visit: ITArestructuring.com Request More Information: imerysinfo@primeclerk.com Request Ballot with Solicitation Package to Vote on the Plan: imerysballotrequests@primeclerk.com Call: (844) 339-4096 (Toll-Free) / +1 347 919 5767 (International)
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MINING IN ONTARIO today for lithium-ion bateries. The quick-charge capability means 380 kW of power can be delivered to the battery in just 12 minutes. However, that comes with a caveat – you can’t wait until the battery is dead to charge it. “We have to keep the battery in a certain specific sweet spot, or state of charge,” Rennie explains. “All this is very highly engineered and according to the duty cycle or the work cycle that the vehicle is expected to do.” Moreover, the company says that research shows fast-charging will be more efficient than battery-swapping in terms of both costs and logistics. (A paper coauthored by MEDATech and McMaster University, available on MEDATech’s website, for example, demonstrated that in an underground scenario, costs of battery swapping over a five-year period were up to 65% higher.) Fast charging is a critical feature to make battery electric technology viable for industrial fleets, which, unlike your average Tesla, operate 24/7. ABB was a natural partner to supply a quick-charging system as the company already has fastcharging stations up to 450 KW widely available for buses, both in North America and Europe. “A heavy equipment fast-charging system will be built to fit challenging environmental mining site conditions and allow for minimized charging times,” says Nic Beutler, global product manager for power systems and infrastructure solutions at ABB. “It will be the next evolution in fast charging.” Key features of the system include: safe operation through improved connection and charging process, charging that matches the rhythm of mining operations, open standards for interoperability across vehicle types, and intelligent planning and management for optimum grid design, Beutler adds. Pathway to electrification Rennie readily admits that the big drawback to retrofitting a vehicle rather than building it from scratch as a BEV is the expense. The electric version of the 4900XD is double the cost of the diesel truck, he says. But such vehicles are what miners need to test electric equipment at their sites and begin the transition toward BEVs. “Conversions are a pathway to trialling an electric version of the vehicle when it’s not available,” he notes. That said, Rennie anticipates that costs will come down as Western Star begins to send trucks to MEDATech in a configuration specifically meant for installation of the battery components, without the diesel engine. In addition, the cost comparison with diesel machines looks a lot better when you consider the longer machine life of electric vehicles, lower maintenance costs that come with fewer moving parts in an electric drive train, and fuel savings. “When you buy a battery system, you’re buying way more than just a motor and a bunch of electronics and a battery. You’re actually prepaying for all your fuel.” With the growing pressure on miners to reduce their carbon intensity, it’s no wonder the company is seeing interest from companies wanting to test the truck, including Anglo American. The truck will soon be available to Tardif clients in Quebec for CMJ testing. www.canadianminingjournal.com
ONTARIO
Hard-Line Solutions technology at the Norcat test mine. CREDIT: NORCAT
SUDBURY
rolls with the pandemic punches
A
t the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic last March, Norcat CEO Don Duval expected demand for the organization’s services – which are centred on providing a place to develop, test, and buy and sell mining technology – to “come to a grinding halt.” Instead, in the early days of the pandemic, the Sudbury, Ont.-based, nonprofit innovation centre was busier than ever. “In mid-May to June, we saw a massive increase,” Duval says. For the four months ending in July, Norcat saw its pipeline demand from companies seeking to use its underground test mine for mining technology development and demonstration increase by 500%. In an interview in January, Duval said that pace has largely continued through the pandemic. The pop in activity at Norcat continues a trend toward adoption of new technology and innovation in mining that predated the pandemic. That growing interest prompted the organization to invest in a new, $4-million facility, with construction starting in 2019. The official opening of the 12,500-sq.-ft. Norcat
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
Northern Ontario’s mining innovation hub is doing surprisingly well – but the implications of Laurentian’s financial woes are still unknown By Alisha Hiyate
Underground Centre, next to the Norcat test mine in Onaping, is slated for March. Duval believes the pace of new technology development and testing picked up during the pandemic for several reasons. In addition to the ongoing pressure for miners to modernize their operations, the “unprecendented” deployment of capital by the federal government in response to the pandemic also played a part. That capital came from an array of programs – everything from the wage subsidy to FedNor’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund and the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) – and helped juice activity in startups.
“This cash provided efficient capital to a huge array of technology companies that was used to sustain employment but also further build the business, build reference customers, and enhance product development to get into the market,” Duval says. In addition, the past five years has seen the rise of venture capital in the mining sector – a pool of capital that simply didn’t exist previously (for example, the Sudbury Catalyst Fund and the Business Development Bank of Canada’s Industrial Innovation Fund). Moreover, Duval believes the shock of the disruption caused by the pandemic combined with people working from home with fewer distractions, stimulated creativity for many people. Essential service designation As part of the unique mining innovation hub that has developed in the Sudbury region, Norcat’s experience can be seen as an indication of an ecosytem that, by and large, has held up well during the pandemic. The one glaring exception of course, is Laurentian University’s filing for creditor protection in early February.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
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37
ONTARIO While it’s too early to say how Laurentian’s insolvency will affect the complex mining innovation ecosystem in Ontario’s north, there’s little doubt that it will have knock on effects (see sidebar on page 41.) For the other organizations in that ecosystem, including miners, mine supply companies, and other R&D and academic institutions, the designation of mining as an essential service across Canada and globally has been the biggest factor supporting their relative health. While Sudbury’s economic development division has been busy helping many local businesses weather the pandemic storm, mining has been somewhat sheltered from those difficulties. “The mining industry, including supply and services, has not required much if any assistance,” says Brett Williamson, director of economic development for the City of Greater Sudbury. As for the mine operations, they have risen to the challenges of operating safely during the pandemic. “They’ve done a phenomenal job in our opinion of bringing the testing into the mine sites and keeping the workers safe. And where there has been the occasional case, they’ve moved quickly to contain any impact,” Williamson says. “They’re probably the best example of any industry right now that has been largely untouched.” Paul Bradette, executive director of Sudbury mine service and supply organization MineConnect, says the sector’s
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MacLean Engineering, a leader in battery electric technology, has partnered with Cambrian College to train maintenance technicians. CREDIT: MACLEAN ENGINEERING
essential service status has meant that mine supply companies – 300-plus of which are based in the Sudbury region – have been able to continue doing business. “To a large degree, we have not been impacted like other sectors have,” said Bradette, who ends a three-year term with MineConnect in March (he is returning
to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines after a secondment). A strong gold price has also helped: “Operators have some cash flow to undertake projects,” he noted. Still costs have risen as suppliers have adopted safety measures, including spliting shifts to ensure employees can maintain enough distance, purchasing PPE, installing physical dividers in work spaces, and sending employees out on service calls in separate vehicles to maintain distance. Government funding available to help defray PPE purchase costs has helped some MineConnect members, as has the wage subsidy. Programs such as the Covid19 Technology Adoption Fund, which provides federal grants to help companies upgrade their online infrastructure and adopt new digital tools to service customers remotely, have also proven useful. Those tools have been important to survival as quarantine regulations make travel impractical for most suppliers, who already are short of skilled people, Bradette says. “If you sell a piece of equipment and you send someone to site for a week to www.canadianminingjournal.com
Glencore’s Craig mine, where its Onaping Depth project is on track for first production in 2023/24; Inset: Production hoist at the 1150-metre level. CREDIT: GLENCORE
help install it, with a quarantine of 14 days you lose that person for almost a month,” he notes. In some cases, it’s made sense for suppliers to adopt a virtual approach. For example, they may need to guide a local
mechanic in Mexico or Chile in repairing a piece of equipment for a client. “A number of our companies have adopted some new technology, have spent some money to upgrade that – which is an enabler for them to do these things,” Bradette says. For Lively, Ont.-based Maestro Digital Mines, the situation has been reversed: the disruption of the pandemic has forced its clients to adopt digital communication CONTINUED ON PAGE 40
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |
39
ONTARIO technology they were previously reluctant to use. The company, which makes environmental sensors and easy-to-install hardware that allows digital communications at the mine face, has long used such digital communication technologies internally. “We were well engaged with all these tools, but our clients weren’t – they didn’t appreciate that type of engagement,” says Maestro’s vice-president of marketing and sales, Michael Gribbons. Now, the company’s clients have come around. In fact, Maestro just had its best year yet in terms of sales and profits. That said, it’s been tough to build new relationships in parts of the world such as Latin America, where a personal touch and face-to-face meetings are part of the cultural expectations. But the positives for the company, which is celebrating 10 years in business this year, have so far outweighed the negatives. Working from home has made the entire Maestro team more productive,
Gribbons says, including some members who had previously spent half their time on the road. “We’re not going back to the old ways so easily.” Charging ahead The rise of battery electric vehicles affords another unique advantage for Sudbury as it’s both a source of battery minerals (including nickel and copper) and a growing hub of BEV mining equipment suppliers. Both Glencore’s US$700-million Onaping Depth project and Vale’s $760-million Copper Cliff Deep expansions include the adoption of battery electric fleets. Meanwhile, Cambrian College and Collège Boréal have both put together training programs for BEV maintenance – reinforcing the region’s rising expertise in BEVs. In January, Cambrian announced a training and applied research partnership with MacLean Engineering, that includes a BEV maintenance course for heavy duty technicians already working
cutline TK CREDIT: TK
New investments
Other companies are entering – or re-entering – Sudbury.
Ongoing investments in mining operations, and in supplier capacity in and around Sudbury – some of which have occurred since the pandemic’s start – are encouraging. On the mining side, in addition to ongoing investments by Glencore and Vale, Iamgold recently announced it will be going ahead with construction of its 70%owned autonomous Côté open pit gold mine, near Gogama. The operation is expected to employ 1,000 people during construction and 400-500 during operations. Personnel will be transported to site via hub cities Sudbury (200 km away) and Thunder Bay (130 km away). On the supplier side, several companies are in the midst of expansions, including Ionic Mechatronics, which is doubling the size of its facilities to 24,000 sq. ft. and Rocvent Mine & Tunnel Ventilation, which has invested in a newly renovated 30,000 sq. ft. facility. Technica Mining, meanwhile, has started a new service drilling division.
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Jennmar, a Pittsburg-based company specializing in ground control products, re-established a presence in Sudbury last fall after selling some of its assets and leaving the city in 2014. The company has acquired a facility for manufacturing, sales and distribution and plans to grow to 40 employees over next few years. And in January, Philadelphiabased drone supplier Exyn Technologies opened up its first international office outside of Sudbury – in the new Norcat Underground Centre. “We believe Sudbury is a key geography for mining and we love the focus on technology and safety in the area,” said Raffi Jabrayan, director, markets and industries at Exyn. “We currently have existing clients and new clients that will be served better with us being located in Sudbury.”
www.canadianminingjournal.com
Laurentian insolvency looms over Sudbury Shocking news came out of Laurentian University at the beginning of February. President Robert Haché declared the university insolvent and said it would be filing for creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) – an unheard of act for an educational institution. Since then, a clearer picture of Laurentian’s troubles has emerged, and it appears that the pandemic worsened what was already an unsustainable financial situation for the university. Laurentian, one of the largest employers in Sudbury, has too few students (9,300) and too many programs (175). Only 30% of individual courses offered by the university have 15 or more students enrolled. And unlike other universities in the province, Laurentian hasn’t attracted enough high-paying international students to pay its bills. According to court documents, the school has run deficits for years, starting in 2014-15.
The atrium at the new Norcat Underground Centre. CREDIT: NORCAT
in the mining sector. And in February, Collège Boréal and Epiroc announced the start of a joint program to provide BEV maintenance training. Cambrian College has also announced plans to build a $2.8-million BEV lab at its Centre for Smart Mining. In February, the City of Sudbury committed $250,000 towards the lab, with the college hoping for another $2 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments. “The global market for BEVs is expected to grow to $17.5 billion by 2025,” said Brian Bigger, mayor of Greater Sudbury, commenting on the funding announcement. “I am proud to say that Sudbury is one of the early adopters of BEV technology and by offering specialized training and education, we will soon become the global hub for everything related to BEVs.” CMJ
Provincial tuition cuts of 10% in 2019 and then the disruptions of the pandemic added further financial pressure. Laurentian has long-term debt of $90 million and estimates it will have an operational deficit of $5.6 million for 2020-21. If there is any good news here, it’s that the problem appears to be contained to Laurentian. Lakehead University in Thunder Bay reports that it is “financially sound,” with vice-president, administration and finance Kathy Pozihun telling tbnewswatch.com in February that the university has had a policy in place since 2004 not to run deficits. Similarly, in response to questions from CMJ in February, Cambrian College in Sudbury noted in an email that it takes a “very measure, conservative approach” to
managing its finances that has allowed it to deliver balanced budgets every year. “We also have been consistent in recruiting both international and domestic students,” said Daniel Lessard, communications manager at Cambrian. “We have grown steadily over the last five years when it comes to international enrolment and have been able to maintain our domestic enrolment.” EFFECT ON RESEARCH As first reported by the Canadian Press, there is about $38 million in research grants, restricted donations and other third-party funds that have been spent inappropriately, on uses other than what they were intended for. The university’s board was not aware of the issue until December. In February, the university was granted $25 million in debtor-in-possession financing to see it through the semester. The funds will allow it to pay for operations, salaries, and to support continued research activities while it works out a restructuring plan. That plan, which is expected by April 30, is sure to shed more light on how the university intends to move forward. In early February, Haché expressed optimism about the university’s “exciting plan for a Laurentian 2.0.” Still, it’s hard to imagine that students, researchers, and any of the organizations in the region that work closely with Laurentian, will find much to be excited about in the pared back version of the university that is likely to come.
FLOOD BARRIER
www.triwaterbags.ca FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
MineConnect members visit Codelco’s Chuquicamata mine in Chile. CREDIT: MINECONNECT
A MESSAGE FROM MINECONNECT
By Paul Bradette
F
abricators, drilling suppliers, BEV manufacturers, logistics, software, engineering and training companies – these are only some of types of businesses that comprise a network of over 500 mining supply and service providers residing within a host of communities along the northern Ontario section of the TransCanada Highway. Together, these businesses represent combined annual revenues of $5.5 billion and employ over 23,000 people. The region itself is already rich in some of the planet’s most sought after natural resources, including gold, nickel, cobalt, lithium, palladium and platinum. It currently hosts 38 operating mines – both underground and open pit – plus 25 advanced mineral exploration projects in various stages of development, including the promising “Ring of Fire” which will someday supply much of the world’s primary minerals. Linking all of this together is MineConnect, a marketing, lead generation and communications/networking organization whose current membership of over 200 homegrown and global mining supply and service companies represents some of the most advanced, innovative and dedicated expertise available anywhere on the globe. Over the past 12 months, the organi42 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
zation went through a major rebranding initiative announced at PDAC 2020. MineConnect has now finalized its transition to a truly pan-northern body and continues to drive its new mandate forward. It has also completed a board recruitment process that brought on directors from all five major northern Ontario cities. Central to much of this activity has been the creation of a lead generation program backed by a global marketing campaign designed to drive traffic to the organization’s redesigned website www.mineconnect.com, and get the attention of regional and global mining companies regarding the tremendous innovations pouring out of Northern Ontario’s mining supply and services cluster. As a looming major player in the global mining scene, the association is responsible for the creation of a successful international trade program and has hosted delegations of some of the largest international mining companies from countries such as Mexico, Chile and Columbia, providing them with a first-hand opportunity to get to know Northern Ontario and its member companies. It has also delivered a number of outgoing missions, opening the doors to mine sites in the U.S. and South America, thus providing its members with new export opportunities. Its newest lead generation initia-
tive will be opening of a new storefront in Elko, Nev., in partnership with the Nevada Governor’s Office and supported by the Northern Ontario Export Program. As an Association, MineConnect continues to support its members with lead generation initiatives, information sessions, educational webinars and company/ market exposure opportunities designed to deliver value and push its primary mandate of assisting member companies grow their businesses. The impact of MineConnect’s influence is best summed up by the words of Tom Palangio, founder and CEO of Wipware. “We have been a member of MineConnect since its inception because it reinforces our connection with the global mining market and provides the intelligence needed to keep up with changing conditions throughout the world and the opportunities and trends our technology can bring,” he says. “It also helps us network with other suppliers to share information and support each other.” As its mission statement suggests, MineConnect’s mandate is to ensure its members are recognized throughout the globe as “Suppliers of Choice to the World.” From what we can see, it’s well on its way to achieving this! CMJ Paul Bradette is the outgoing executive director of MineConnect
n
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Executive, Management and Board Changes in Canada’s Mining Sector
MANAGEMENT MOVES
TOP MOVES IN THIS ISSUE
» Gerrie van der Westhuizen has been appointed VP of finance for Artemis Gold.
Jeremy Langford
Steve Reid
Cathy Bennett
Jeremy Langford is now the COO of Artemis Gold. He was most recently COO of gold producer Centamin and prior to that served as the COO and executive VP of construction and technical services for Endeavour Mining. Langford started his career as an engineer with the Royal Australian Navy and has 15 years of experience with operations management and asset development.
Steve Reid has been appointed board chair for Eldorado Gold, replacing George Albino, who will remain a director. Reid has been a director of the company since May 2013. He has over 40 years of mineral resource industry experience and served as executive VP and COO of Goldcorp between 2007 and 2012. In addition, Reid spent 13 years with Placer Dome in corporate, mine management and operating roles, and is currently on the boards of SSR Mining and Gold Fields.
Cathy Bennett has joined the board of Marathon Gold. Bennett has over 35 years of experience in the mining, government, energy, manufacturing and technology sectors. She was a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly between 2014 and 2018, serving as finance minister, president of the Treasury Board and minister for the Status of Women. Bennett is currently on the boards of the Business Development Bank of Canada and Kraken Robotics, among others.
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» Kevin Tomlinson has been named president, CEO and a director of C3 Metals. Alec Rowlands has joined the company as VP of investor relations. Stephen Hughes has returned following an illness and will continue as VP of exploration and a director. » Chris Pennimpede has joined the advisory board of Cache Exploration. » Tyler Rice has resigned as president of Cassiar Gold; Marco Roque, CEO of Cassiar, has taken over as president. » Following the acquisition of Alderley Gold, Chesapeake Gold has named Alan Pangbourne as CEO and a director; Randy Buffington has also joined the board. Taje Dhatt has been appointed VP, corporate strategy and development. Randy Reifel will continue as president and chairman. Gerald Sneddon and Greg Smith have stepped down from the board, and Sneddon has also resigned as executive VP of operations. Derek Green and Doug Flegg have joined the board. » Hein Raat has been named country manager of Sweden for District Metals. » Brock Gill has joined Eldorado Gold as senior VP, projects and transformation. » Ero Copper has promoted Anthea Bath, previously VP of technical services, to COO. Makko DeFilippo, previously VP of corporate development, is now president.
» FireFox Gold has named Sven Honig as general manager of exploration, and Mikko Nenonen exploration manager. » Fission Uranium has named Gary Haywood as VP project development. » Gambier Gold has named Michael Burns as VP of exploration. » The board of Gold Fields named Chris Griffith as the CEO designate and executive director. Griffith will succeed Nick Holland on Apr. 1. » Gold Standard Ventures has appointed Lawrence Radford as COO, Jordan Neeser as CFO and Michael McDonald as VP of corporate development and IR. Former CFO Michael Waldkirch, VP, general counsel and corporate secretary Glenn Kumoi, and manager of corporate development William Gehlen have left the company. » Honza Catchpole is now VP of exploration for GR Silver Mining. » Lindsay Hall is retiring from the senior VP and CFO role with Hecla Mining in March. Treasurer Russell Lawlar has also been appointed senior VP, CFO and treasurer. » Chad Williams, chair of Honey Badger Exploration, has been appointed interim CEO replacing Ed Baer. » Jack Henris has been appointed executive VP and COO of Hycroft Mining; James Berry has joined as VP of exploration and geology. » Alan Sexton has been named VP of exploration for LaSalle Exploration; Laurent Eustache has been appointed to the board.
BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS » Independent director Mark Wellings will become chair of Adventus Mining. Founding chairman Brian Dalton will not stand for re-election at the upcoming AGM. » Joel Dumaresq has resigned from the board of ArcWest Exploration. » Chris Lattanzi has retired from the board of Argonaut Gold. » Craig Nelsen has joined the board of ATEX Resources. » Nathalie Han has been named a director of Aurania Resources. » Bill Williams is now a director of Big Ridge Gold. » Donald Head has retired from the board of Bravada Gold. » Frederick Kempson is now a director of Brookmount Explorations. » Rory Taylor has joined the board of Buffalo Coal. » Bullfrog Gold has announced a name change to Augusta Gold. The company has named Richard Warke as executive chairman, and added Poonam Puri and John Boehner as non-executive directors. Len Boggio has also been appointed to the board, while David Beling has retired. Ed Dowling is now the chair of Copper Mountain Mining, » Libero Copper & Gold has appointed Ian Harris as president and CEO; Ernest Mast has joined the board. Thomas Mumford will manage Canadian exploration. » James Engdahl is now the CEO of MAS Gold, replacing Ronald Netolitzky. Netolitzky will continue as a consultant to the company and as chairman and director. » Timothy Heenan has been promoted to VP of exploration with Mirasol Resources. » Daniel Pace is now VP of exploration for Orogen Royalties; Pace takes over from Dave Groves. » Benoit Brunet, VP, finance and CFO and corporate secretary of Osisko Development, has accepted a role with the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ). » P2 Gold has named Michelle FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021
succeeding interim chair Bruce Aunger, who remains a director. » Darrell Rader has stepped down from the board of Defiance Silver. » Christopher Marsh is now on the board of Desert Gold Ventures. » Nelson Lau has been named a director of Evolution Global Frontier Ventures, replacing Richard Palone Jr. » David Velisek has been named a director of Evolving Gold. Robert Horsley has resigned as a director. » Mark Gibson has joined the board of Fjordland Exploration. » Mike Cowin is now a director of Gold Bull Resources. » Iamgold has adopted new board renewal guidelines that include the provision that average board tenure should not exceed 10 years. John Caldwell has decided to step down from the board and Mahendra Naik has decided not to stand for re-election at the upcoming shareholder meeting. » Susan Mathieu has joined the board of MAG Silver. » Fahad Al-Tamimi has been named chair of Mason Graphite; Peter Damouni and Simon Marcotte have also joined the board. Romero as executive VP and a director; Ken McNaughton has been appointed chief exploration officer. » Blaine Monaghan is now the president and CEO of Pacific Ridge Exploration. Former president and CEO Gerald Carlson has been appointed executive chairman. » Steve Dunn has resigned as president and CEO of Pasofino Gold, but will continue as a director. Ian Stalker, president and CEO for Africa is now Pasofino’s president and CEO. » Alex Holmes will resign as CEO of Plateau Energy Metals on Feb. 12, but will remain a director. Laurence Stefan, the company’s president and COO, will assume the role of interim CEO. » Rory Ritchie is now VP of exploration with Prosper Gold following the resignation of Dirk Tempelman-Kluit.
» Trumbull Fisher is now a director of Metallica Metals. » Steven Velimirovic has been a director of New Klondike Exploration following Cybill Tsung’s resignation. » Gilbert Clark has stepped down as a director of North American Nickel. » Michael Spreadborough has been named a director of Novo Resources. » Marc Henderson has joined the board of Nubian Resources as chair. » Brad White is now a director of Orca Gold. » Candace MacGibbon is now a director of Osisko Gold Royalties. » Robin Bienenstock has resigned from the board of Pretium Resources.
» Robert McMorran has resigned from the board of Sentinel Resources. » Kevin Gallagher has resigned from the board of Southstone Minerals. » Jeff Kennedy is now a director of Stroud Resources. » Damien Marantelli has been named a director of Superior Gold. » Ulrich Rath has resigned from the board of Tanzanian Gold. » Jonathan Shellabear is now a director of Tempus Resources following Brendan Borg’s resignation. » Oliver Andrews has resigned from the board of Thor Explorations. » Jeane Hull is now a director of Trevali Mining.
» Hua Huang has been appointed to the board of Pure Energy Minerals.
» Jessica Van Den Akker has joined the board of TriStar Gold with Brian Irwin stepping down.
» Jordan Potts has joined the board of Rockwealth Resources.
» Michael Waldkirch has been appointed to the board of U.S. Gold.
» Jay Sujir has resigned from the board of Roughrider Exploration; Dan Berkshire has joined the board.
» Drew Clark has joined Visionary Gold’s board.
» Tony Chedraoui and Michael Leskovec are now on the board of Rhyolite Resources.
» Robert Kang has been appointed to the board of Walcott Resources with John Mirko and Mike Cowin stepping down.
» Anna Tudela has been appointed to the board of Sabina Gold & Silver.
» Bhakti Pavani has been named to the board of Whitehorse Gold.
» Chris Haubrich has been named VP of business development with Pure Gold Mining.
» Robert Casaceli has been named VP of corporate development with UrbanGold Minerals.
» QC Copper and Gold has hired Denis McNichol as project geologist. » Egizio Bianchini has joined Stifel Financial as vicechairman, managing director, and head of mining investment banking for Stifel GMP. » Ehsan Salmabadi has been appointed VP of exploration with Stuhini Exploration. » Leif Nilsson has been appointed CEO of Surge Copper; Shane Ebert will continue as president and VP of exploration.
» Hubert Vallee has been named VP of project development for Vanadium One Iron. » VanadiumCorp has named Paul McGuigan as VP of business development and a director. » Doug Andrews has joined the geological team of Visible Gold Mines as a special advisor.
» Ewan Webster has been appointed president, CEO and a director of Thesis Gold.
» Vizsla Resources has promoted Charles Funk to technical director and Martin Dupuis to VP of technical services. The company has also named Hernando Rueda as country manager for Mexico.
» Donna Yoshimatsu is now VP of corporate development and investor relations with Trillium Gold Mines.
» Catalin Kilofliski is now the director of corporate development with Western Alaska Copper & Gold. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL |
45
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Robert Seagraves 416-510-6891 or 1-888-502-3456 ext. 2 rseagraves@canadianminingjournal.com
MODULARIZED SOLUTIONS PROVIDER • ISOLATION GATES • VENTILATION DOORS • SHAFT STEEL
Email: sales@luvan-group.com Mobile: +86 137 5825 8328 www.luvan-group.com
ADVERTISERS INDEX Argonaut Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Battle North Gold Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Borgford Equipment Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 BPT Components & Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Cambrian College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Eriez Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Hepburn Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Hexagon PPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 IAMGOLD Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Imerys Ballot Processing Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Jennmar Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Luvan Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 MEDATech Engineering Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Midwest Industrial Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Northern Wildflowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Nouveau Monde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 PR Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Provix Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Pure Gold Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Redpath Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Sandvik Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 SLR Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Smithco Side Dump Trailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SRK Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 T.D. Micronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 The Northern Miner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Titan Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 TriWater Bags Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Westpro Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
46 | CANADIAN
MINING JOURNAL
www.Argonautgold.com www.battlenorthgold.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.borgfordequipment.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bpt.on.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.cambriancollege.com/rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.eriez.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hepeng.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bit.ly/hexagonopsexcelmining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.iamgold.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.itarestructuring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.jennmar.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.luvan.com.cn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.medatech.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.minekleen.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.northernwildflowers.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nouveaumonde.group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.prengineering.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.provix.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.puregoldmining.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.redpathmining.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.rocktechnology.sandvik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.slrconsulting.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sidedump.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.srk.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.tdmicronic.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.northernminer.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.titanenviro.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.triwaterbags.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.westpromachinery.com ................................... .................................
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N E W ! PROVEN TO REDUCE DUST & ELIMINATE WATER BY 95%
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> meets strict Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS)
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Visit MineKleen.com or call (888) 762-3695. © 2020 Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc.
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