 |
|
|
PDAC e-News and Activities, July 21, 2008 - No. 56
Page Index
Principles & performance guidelines for
responsible exploration close to completion
Ontario Premier announces 50% of northern boreal to
be withdrawn from commercial activity
Federal government releases report on northern
regulatory systems
Coroner’s report makes three recommendations
following fatal attack by bear
Awards committee seeks nominations for 2009 annual
awards
Invitation to join fact-finding mission to
Indonesia
Mining HR council invites members to speak about the
industry and their careers
Fairmont Royal York is offering discounted summer
getaway rates
Principles & performance guidelines for
responsible exploration close to completion
In its work to promote responsible exploration and good practices in the
industry, the PDAC is developing a framework for sustainable development
and responsible exploration. Components of this framework will be
principles and performance guidelines, performance criteria reporting
guidelines, an enhanced version of e3, and health and safety guidelines.
A verification system will also be considered. Together, they will
represent the ‘what to do,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how to do it’ elements of
responsible exploration. The principles and performance guidelines are
now at an advanced stage, and are available
here. An accompanying glossary of terms has also been compiled and
is available
here. These documents were developed after extensive consultation,
including three mineral industry workshops and two multi-stakeholder
focus groups held in 2007 and 2008. The enhanced version of e3 and the
health and safety guidelines are also underway, and members will be
informed as soon as they become available.
Ontario Premier announces 50% of northern
boreal to be withdrawn from commercial activity
On Monday, July 14, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced his government’s
intention to withdraw 50% (or up to 225,000 sq. kms) of Ontario’s
northern boreal forests and peat lands from commercial activity. At the
same time, he also announced that the province’s mining act would be
reviewed and revised and that some form of resource revenue sharing
would be instituted for the province’s aboriginal peoples. We understand
from the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines that this
announcement constitutes, in essence, McGuinty’s vision, first made as
an election promise five years ago. There were few details in the
Premier’s announcement of how these plans would be realized. We know at
this stage that the review of the mining act will be relatively short
with new regulations in place towards the end of 2009. The selection of
those parts of the boreal forests to be withdrawn will be made after a
process of community based consultations; this process will take
anywhere from 10 to 15 years. Details of the Premier’s announcement are
available
here and a backgrounder is
here. For further information, contact
Philip
Bousquet, program director, regulatory affairs.
Federal government releases report on
northern regulatory systems
On Thursday, July 17, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development Chuck Strahl, released the report of Neil McCrank, special
representative for the Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative. The
report, entitled The Road to Improvement, is the product of meetings
with northerners and numerous written submissions collected over six
months. Although McCrank focused on the Northwest Territories, his
report also includes specific recommendations for Nunavut and Yukon. In
total, there are 22 recommendations offered by McCrank which he believes
will bring about improvements to the regulatory process in the North.
The report is available
here. As part of this review, the PDAC, NWT and Nunavut Chamber of
Mines and the Mining Association of Canada had made a
written submission to McCrank on behalf of the mineral industry. For
further information, contact
Philip
Bousquet, program director, regulatory affairs.
Coroner’s report makes three
recommendations following fatal attack by bear
Jean-Francois Pagé, an employee of Aurora Geosciences Ltd., was attacked
by a bear and killed while staking mining claims in the area between
False Canyon and Weasel Lake near Ross River, Yukon, in April 2006. In a
coroner’s report issued on July 12, the cause of death was determined to
be accidental, as a result of multiple injuries consistent with bear
mauling. Last year, the company was charged with negligence in relation
to the incident. However, the charges were stayed by the Yukon Workers’
Compensation Health and Safety Board earlier this year. The coroner’s
report directs its three recommendations to Aurora Geosciences. However,
they do have general industry application. They are:
-
ensure workers receive training on recognizing
bear den habitat before they start field work;
-
provide workers with animal deterrents such as
bear spray, air horns and bangers; and
-
consider scheduling flights over survey and
claim lines prior to the deployment of crew to assess potential
hazards including bear dens and animal movement.
The coroner’s report is
here. Also
available here is an article by Sarah Vanderwolf that appeared in the
Whitehorse Star on July 11.
Awards committee seeks nominations for 2009
annual awards
The presentation of our annual awards is a highlight for many people in
our industry, not least for the recipients themselves. The awards
ceremony, described once as the mining industry’s equivalent to the
Academy Awards, is a lovely occasion which honours the awards winners
with dignity, grace, and sometimes humour. The next ceremony will be
held in Toronto on the evening of Monday, March 2, 2009, and the awards
committee is now inviting nominations for the six awards. Two recognize
the discoverer(s) of a significant mineral deposit (if it’s in Canada,
then the discoverer qualifies for the Bill Dennis prospector of the year
award; if it’s anywhere in the world, then he/she or the team qualifies
for the Thayer Lindsley international discovery award. A further two
awards – the distinguished service and Skookum Jim awards – honour
achievement or contribution to the mineral industry. The Skookum Jim
award is reserved for aboriginal achievement. The remaining two awards
are for individuals who have excelled in managing and/or financing an
exploration company (Viola R. MacMillan developer’s award) or who have
demonstrated excellence in environmental protection and/or the
establishment of good community relationships during an exploration
project (e3 environmental excellence in exploration award). The
selection criteria and guidelines on how to submit a nomination are
here.
If you’d like to talk to someone before submitting a nomination, please
call Saley Lawton, tel 416 362 1969, ext. 225.
Invitation to join fact-finding mission
to Indonesia
The Canadian Embassy in Jakarta is inviting members to join a
fact-finding mission to Indonesia. The intent of the mission,
tentatively scheduled for the end of October 2008, is to explore mining
opportunities in Indonesia and to provide participants with an in-depth
picture of the business environment for mining investment. The program
is divided into two segments: the first, in Jakarta, will give
participants a chance to meet government officials, members of the
Indonesian Mining Association, and other people with expertise in mining
and the tax regime. The second segment will include customized visits to
locations outside Jakarta to meet with local authorities who are
responsible for issuing mining licences for their respective
jurisdictions. The full invitation is
here.
Mining HR council invites members to speak
about the industry and their careers
The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) is establishing a
speakers bureau and is inviting PDAC members to join it. The bureau will
consist of a cadre of speakers who have experience in the mining
industry, are passionate about it, and who are willing to share their
enthusiasm and insights. As a speaker, you may be invited to give a
presentation at a school, community centre, industry organization, or
career fair. You decide which type of group you’d prefer to speak to.
You can also determine the geographic radius you’d prefer and the timing
that best suits you. Presentation requests will be sent by email, at
which time you can decide whether to accept or not. Speakers are
asked to commit to a minimum of two presentations a year, and MiHR will
provide you with tools for the presentation. Further details are
here.
Fairmont Royal York is offering
discounted summer getaway rates
The Fairmont Royal York in downtown Toronto is offering members a
special rate of $149 per night as part of its annual appreciation summer
getaway program. This rate, which is subject to availability, applies to
reservations made from now until September 4. For more information or to
book a room at this special rate, call 416 860 5089 or email
ryh.reservations@fairmont.com.
|
|
