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PDAC e-News and Activities, October 16, 2009 - No. 67
Page Index
President Jon Baird debates Bill C-300 with
sponsor of the bill
Mary-Claire Ward Geoscience Award: Applications
now invited
Resources to help companies implement new
accounting standards
Researchers study social impacts of abandoned
mines in the North
Corporate accountability overseas
conference ● Gatineau, Quebec ● November 3
Carbon finance workshops ● Toronto &
Vancouver ● Oct 28-30 & Nov 23-25
New video library on careers in exploration and
mining is now available
Risk mitigation & CSR in Africa seminar ●
Toronto ● Oct 22
Bacon & Eggheads breakfast ● Climate change and Arctic
Sea ice ● Ottawa ● Oct 29
President Jon
Baird debates Bill C-300 with sponsor of the bill
An audience of 80 people, some from industry and others from the NGO
community, attended a debate on Bill C-300 on the evening of Thursday,
October 15 at the offices of McMillan LLP. The bill, sponsored by
Liberal MP John McKay, seeks to impose punitive sanctions on extractive
companies found to be in violation of corporate social responsibility
standards. For the bill were McKay and Sara Seck of the University of
Western Ontario’s law faculty. Opposed were PDAC President Jon Baird and
Robert Wisner, a partner with McMillan. The debate on the bill continued
on CBC Radio’s The Current the following morning. The 15-minute segment,
featuring Baird and McKay, can be heard at
CBC.
Executive Director Tony Andrews will be putting the PDAC’s position on
Bill C-300 to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and
International Trade on October 27. The PDAC’s position is
here. Members might also be interested in the transcript
of the committee’s October 8 deliberations when presentations were made
by two NGOs and the Mining Association of Canada. Contact
Saley Lawton for a copy.
Mary-Claire Ward
Geoscience Award: Applications now invited
Applications are invited for the sixth Mary-Claire Ward Geoscience
Award. Given annually to a graduate student at a Canadian university
whose thesis incorporates geoscience mapping as a significant component,
the award consists of a $3,000 cash prize and a certificate. The award
commemorates Mary-Claire Ward who worked hard to advance geoscience
mapping in Canada. She died in 2004. The deadline for applications is
December 15, 2009, and the selection committee will announce the name of
the winner on February 1, 2010. The presentation of the award will be
made either at the PDAC’s annual convention in Toronto next March or at
the GAC’s annual meeting in Calgary in May 2010, depending on the
preference of the winning student. Travel and accommodation expenses
will be covered either by the PDAC or by the GAC, depending on where the
presentation is made. Full details about the award and application forms
are available
here.
Resources to help
companies implement new accounting standards
We have compiled a list of resources, including courses, webinars, and
written material, that have been developed to help companies understand
and convert to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
As was noted in the last issue of e-news, all Canadian publicly
accountable enterprises will be moving to the new standards on January
1, 2011. The standards affect all public exploration and mining
companies. The transition year starts this coming January. Developing a
transition plan now, i.e., before January, could save your company time,
money and headaches. The list of resources is
here.
Researchers study
social impacts of abandoned mines in the North
A study on the social and economic legacies of decommissioned mines in
the North is being conducted by a research team from Memorial
University. The project, Abandoned Mines in Northern Canada, will
involve interviewing aboriginal groups and other northerners about their
experiences with nearby mines. According to Arn Keeling, a geography
professor and member of the research team, the results of the study
could be helpful to mining companies wanting to revive old mines or
start new ones but facing resistance from nearby residents. The study’s
results would be “enormously beneficial to them not to make the mistakes
of their predecessor” and allow them to understand communities’
anxieties or concerns about development. The story, as reported by CBC
News, is here.
Corporate accountability overseas conference ● Gatineau, Quebec ●
November 3
Registration is now open for a one-day, multi-stakeholder conference on
corporate accountability in Canada’s extractive industries operating
abroad. The conference, which is co-sponsored by the Mining Association
of Canada and the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, will be
held at the Holiday Inn in Gatineau, Quebec, and will be of interest to
industry, government, civil society, academia and students. Space is
limited to 150 participants. There is no fee for this conference but
registration is required. Details are
here.
Carbon finance
workshops ● Toronto & Vancouver ● Oct 28-30 & Nov 23-25
An upcoming series of carbon finance workshops, to be held in Toronto
(October 28-30) and Vancouver (November 23-25), will explore the growing
importance of carbon issues in project financing and management both in
Canada and internationally. Workshop topics include carbon markets
mechanisms; clean tech finance and carbon markets; risks associated with
the emergence of carbon markets; and current national and international
initiatives. Registration rates vary. The fee for the entire three-day
workshop is $2,200. The per diem rate is $800. Full details are
here.
New video library
on careers in exploration and mining is now available
A careers video library is the latest tool to be launched by the Mining
Industry Human Resources Council (HR) to help career seekers and the
general public learn about employment in the mineral industry. In one
series, workers from companies including Teck, Caracle Creek
International Consulting, Cameco, Iron Ore Company of Canada, and
IAMGold were filmed during their working day, and they talk about their
jobs and choice of career. Another series features specific careers,
e.g., engineer, geologist, prospector, environmental technician, heavy
equipment operator, electrician, surveyor, underground and surface miner
and health and safety coordinator. The videos are available
here or on YouTube
here.
Risk mitigation
& CSR in Africa seminar ● Toronto ● Oct 22
A one-day seminar, Risk mitigation and corporate social responsibility
in Africa: Striking a balance, will be held in Toronto on Thursday,
October 22. The seminar, organized by the Canada-South Africa Chamber of
Business, will feature expert speakers, panel discussions, case studies
and networking opportunities. Registration fee for non-Chamber members
is $175. Full program details are
here
and a registration form is
here.
Bacon & Eggheads
breakfast ● Climate change and Arctic Sea ice ● Ottawa ● Oct 29
The Bacon & Eggheads breakfast lecture series aims to inform
parliamentarians in Ottawa about current research and issues in science
and engineering. The lectures are open to members of the public at a
cost of $20. The next one, taking place on Thursday, October 29, will be
presented by David G. Barber. He is the director of the University of
Manitoba’s Centre for Earth Observation Science and leader of the
Circumpolar Flaw Lead system study, the largest of the international
Polar Year studies. Dr. Barber will discuss the changes he has observed
in the high latitudes and the consequences of these changes on
ecosystems, people, resource development, security and sovereignty.
Full
details.
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