The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) represents the interests of the Canadian mineral exploration and development industry. The association was established in 1932 in response to a proposed government regulation that threatened the livelihood of Ontario prospectors. A timeline of the association's history is available here, along with a written history that can be found here. Today, 81 years after its founding, the association is a national organization with 9,000 individual members (including prospectors, developers, geoscientists, consultants, mining executives, and students, as well as those involved in the drilling, financial, investment, legal and other support fields) and 1,254 corporate members (including senior, mid-size and junior mining companies and organizations providing services to the mineral industry).

The work of the association is guided by the following mission statement:

The PDAC exists to protect and promote the interests of the Canadian mineral exploration sector and to ensure a robust mining industry in Canada. The PDAC will encourage the highest standards of technical, environmental, safety and social practices in Canada and internationally. 

The association’s activities and the services it provides fall generally into three categories: advocacy, information, and networking. The association is best known for its annual convention, trade show, and investors exchange. In 2012, this event attracted 30,369 attendees from 125 countries.

The work of the association is carried out by a 48-member board of directors, nineteen active committees; and a permanent staff.

In 2012, the board of directors approved a five-year strategic plan for the association. This blueprint identified three priority areas on which the association will be focusing much of its resources and efforts: access to land, Aboriginal affairs and access to capital. Considerable effort and resources will also be allocated to corporate social responsibility (CSR), human resources, student initiatives, communications and public affairs, as well as heightening our ability to host the world-renowned PDAC Convention.

Members are kept up-to-date on PDAC activities and industry matters through PDAC In Brief, published four times a year; PDAC e-News & Activities, a monthly emailed newsletter; PDAC's Annual Report, an annual summary of the work of the association; Exploration and Development Highlights, an annual publication summarizing developments in the Canadian industry over the previous twelve months; and occasional publications.