PDAC 2019 Offers Educational Sessions, Honors Industry Leaders


PDAC delegates inspect specimens at the Core Shack.
The annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) convention kicks off March 3, 2019, at the Toronto Convention Center. The technical program offers delegates ample opportunities to learn and network. The opening session and keynote take place Monday morning, but sessions are planned for Sunday afternoon. The event concludes on Wednesday, March 6. The keynote session on Monday focuses on the next generation. Throughout the three days, speakers will give presentations ranging from diamond exploration to geometallurgy to new discoveries.

The program has its educational value, however, many prospectors flock to the convention to attract attention from investors. Toronto is a banking center and the TSX and TSX-V finances more mining startups than any other exchange. The Core Shack is packed with prospectors displaying core samples from different projects around the world. It’s not uncommon to hear exploration geologists explaining to investors how to see the minerals in the core samples.

PDAC also offers delegates several opportunities to mingle with various receptions throughout the event. Several functions have been organized, such as the Student-Industry Networking Luncheon, the Trade Show Reception and the Awards Gala, where PDAC will recognize industry leadership with six awards. Now in its 41st year, the PDAC Awards Gala is often referred to as the Oscar’s for the mining industry. Hosted at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on Tuesday evening, March 5, tickets are limited and pre-registration is required. This year’s award recipients include:

Peregrine Diamonds, which will receive the Bill Dennis Award for the discovery of the Chidliak Diamond District on Baffin Island, Nunavut. It unveiled 74 kimberlites, one of which has a nearly 18-million- carat inferred mineral resource.

Don Bubar, who will receive the Distinguished Service Award for his efforts with raising awareness about the importance of engagement between companies and indigenous communities.

NexGen Energy, a uranium exploration and development company focused on Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, will receive the Environmental & Social Responsibility Award for giving back to the province by investing in community initiatives focused on education, health and economic development.

Gordon Maxwell, a respected geologist and member of Sachigo Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario, will receive the Skookum Jim for his 35-year career that has taken him around the world evaluating projects and potential acquisitions.

Cardinal Resources, which will receive the Thayer Lindsley Award for the Namdini Project, a rapidly evolving gold discovery in the northeast corner of Ghana.

Nemaska Lithium will receive the Viola R. MacMillan Award to for its work related to the Whabouchi project. Located in the James Bay region of Québec, it is one of North America’s largest spodumene deposits. The company successfully completed a C$1 billion financing package in May to build a unique lithium hydroxide and carbonate production facility, in tandem with a spodumene mine.

For those interested in exploration, PDAC is a must-attend event (www.pdac.ca).

As featured in Womp 2018 Vol 12 - www.womp-int.com