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PDAC e-News and Activities, February 6, 2008 - No. 51
Page Index
Please return your ballot for the election of
directors by February 27
Safety alert urges caution when working or traveling on ice
Final draft of proposed Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly
of First Nations
Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative
International Mining Café – Wednesday, March 5 – Toronto – no
registration fee
Please return your ballot for the election of
directors by February 27
Scott Jobin-Bevans, chair of the Nominating Committee, wishes to
remind all members that their election ballots for the sixteen places on
the board of directors must be returned to the scrutineer by Wednesday,
February 27. Ballots were mailed out on February 1. If you have already
returned your ballot, thank you. If you have not, we urge you to make
your selection and to return the ballot as quickly as possible. The
board of directors is responsible for setting the association’s position
and policy on all major issues affecting the industry and is responsible
for the overall stewardship of the association’s affairs. For more
information, contact Scott.
Safety alert urges caution when working or traveling on ice
The PDAC and Association for Mineral Exploration BC have jointly issued
a safety alert about the dangers of working or traveling on ice,
indicating that ice thickness is not necessarily a guarantee of safety
and pointing out precautions that can be taken. The alert also advises
that tents should be equipped with smoke and CO detectors in good
working order. Click
here for the full alert.
Final draft of proposed Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly
of First Nations is available for member feedback
In 2004, PDAC formed an Aboriginal Affairs Committee with a mission to
promote greater participation by aboriginal peoples in the mineral
industry, and greater understanding and cooperation between aboriginal
communities and mineral exploration and mining companies. The
association has since undertaken a number of initiatives to achieve this
goal including promoting dialogue, advocating for more rapid resolution
of land claims and government resource revenue sharing with aboriginal
peoples.
In 2007, the National Chief of the AFN announced
the Corporate Challenge, an initiative designed to challenge companies
to increase business activities with First Nations and encourage
partnerships between companies and communities. Both PDAC and the AFN
agree that First Nations and the mineral industry are natural partners,
and in much of northern Canada mineral exploration and development is
one of the few business activities capable of generating the wealth
necessary for remote aboriginal communities to achieve economic
self-sufficiency. Accordingly, PDAC and AFN propose under this MOU to
work together to promote greater participation by First Nations people
in the mineral industry, encourage partnerships between companies and
communities and to cooperate on public policy issues of mutual interest.
This MOU was drafted in collaboration with AFN representatives following
models used by other industry associations and companies. We invite
feedback from members on this important initiative prior to its formal
signing, which is scheduled to take place during the 2008 PDAC
convention. The MOU is available
here. Please send any comments
you have to Philip Bousquet.
Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative
An open forum on the Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative was held
for members of the industry during Mineral Exploration Roundup in
Vancouver. Approximately 40 individuals, most of whom are directly
involved in mineral exploration and mine development, attended the event
on Monday, January 28. The progress of the working group set up by the
three industry associations (NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines; PDAC; and
the Mining Association of Canada) to respond to this initiative was
reviewed. This was followed by a presentation by Neil McCrank, the
special representative whom the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs
has appointed to conduct this initiative. Mr. McCrank’s mandate is to
deliver his final report to the Minister by mid-April, and he is asking
for written submissions no later than the end of February. During his
presentation, Mr. McCrank posed several questions. We urge members with
an interest in this topic to consider these questions and to offer
recommendations for improving the regulatory regime in the North. Case
studies to demonstrate a point are particularly valuable. Please send
your comments by Monday, February 11 to
Philip Bousquet. The questions
and a list of topics distributed in preparation for the open forum are
here.
International Mining Café – Wednesday, March 5 – Toronto – no
registration fee
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, in
collaboration with Natural Resources Canada, is organizing an
International Mining Café to brief Canadian companies on global business
opportunities in the mining sector. The day-long event (8 a.m. to 4.30
p.m.) will be held in Ballrooms A & B, Hotel Intercontinental, 225 Front
Street West, Toronto, and will include presentations on countries in
Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Pre-scheduled,
individual meetings will also be arranged to give participants a chance
to meet Canadian trade commissioners who cover the mining sector and who
are posted at Canadian embassies and consulates around the world. This
is an excellent and efficient way for companies and individuals to
obtain information about overseas mining prospects and investment
climates of particular jurisdictions. There is no registration fee and
participants do not have to be registered for PDAC Convention 2008.
However, registration for the café is required before February 25. To
register or to obtain more information, send an email to
ctbconsulting@rogers.com. |
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