CIM Magazine June/July 2012 by CIM-ICM Publications

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CONTENTS|CONTENU CIM MAGAZINE | JUNE/JULY 2012 | JUIN/JUILLET 2012

TOOLS OF THE TRADE 10

Safety Compiled by A. Lopez-Pacheco

NEWS 14

The skinny on Australia’s fat new tax

Case closed CSR Counsellor’s decision helps

CSR is just the beginning Public-private

Fortescue and others face hikes by V. Heffernan clarify role in disputes by V. Heffernan and P. Braul partnerships usher in a new era of development by M. Goulet and P. Braul

14 COLUMNS 20 21 22 23 24

In memoriam In loving memory of Paul Stothart by P. Gratton Supply side CAMESE opens world to Canadian suppliers by J. Baird Eye on business Federal government adjusts mining tax credits by S. Saurez HR Outlook Industry and community collaboration helping to foster local employment opportunities by M. Sturk Standards Standards for Qualified Persons: how to evaluate relevant experience by C. Waldie

UPFRONT 28 30

Diverse tacklebox How the “Two Bobs” shaped HDI’s past and future by V. Danielson Efficiencies of (small) scale Why New Brunswick is looking so good this year by E. Moore

Reliability retool Teck’s maintenance and reliability program a journey, not a

Mine Training Society perseveres Partners help avert financial crisis despite

destination by K. Lagowski funding loss by K. Lagowski

Ballad of a “semi-working” man Equal measures of patience and experience keep Terry MacGibbon in business by J. Leuschen

and J. Whyte

Guest column – Professional development Plan your career (and life) from the perspective of your 90-year-old self by J. Martin

75 PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

4 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

CIM COMMUNITY 56

Custom fit Specialized MBA program sets stage

Cote-Nord Labrador welcomes CMP New

for future industry leaders by E. Hoffman

branch addresses iron ore region’s needs by E. Dyck Soar to new heights CIM program elevates leadership skills by E. Hoffman Atteinte de nouveaux sommets Un programme de l'ICM renforce les compétences en leadership par E. Hoffman

CIM Convention brings best, brightest Mining innovators collaborate to build industry’s future by P. Braul, W. K. Chan

Le congrès de ICM rassemble la crème de la crème de la profession Les innovateurs miniers collaborent pour bâtir l’avenir du secteur par P. Braul, W. K. Chan

FEATURE | ARTICLE VEDETTE 38

momentum through student outreach

Lodestars Guiding lights for the next generation of women in mining by R. Bergen,

Ré-imaginer l’industrie Attirer les femmes dans le secteur minier : « Il faut travailler en amont » par A. Dion-Ortega

Historical metallurgy Metallothermic reactions: a short history (Part 2) by F. Habashi

Gold stars for Hemlo Barrick’s Hemlo operation sets the pace in sustainable mining by E. Moore

A student’s perspective Conference perfect chance to learn and network by B. MacEachern All star line-up Meet CIM’s new distinguished lecturers by J. Cyr Alignment de vedettes Recontre avec les éminents conférenciers de l’ICM par J. Cyr

HISTORIES

PROJECT PROFILE | PROJET EN VEDETTE 50

by A. Lopez-

Pacheco

A. Dion-Ortega, A. Lopez-Pacheco and E. Moore

Teaching: the best way to learn M4S gains

TECHNICAL ABSTRACTS

Des étoiles dorées pour Hemlo Le site Hemlo de Barrick monte l’exemple en matière d’exploitation minière durable par E. Moore

CIM Journal

IN EVERY ISSUE

6 8 58 84 86

Editor’s message President’s notes / Mot du président Calendar Professional directory Mining Lore Boomtown businesswoman: the wide-ranging career of Nellie Cashman by C. Baldwin

June/July 2012 | 5

editor’s letter

Leadership and loss After spending nearly a week in Edmonton at the recent 2012 CIM Convention, I returned to the office charged up by the quantity and the quality of the exchanges I had. I think other members of the editorial team who had the good fortune to be there would agree: the event was a great opportunity to sound out ideas and rich terrain for developing new ones. The conversations we had will help seed editorial for the magazine for the rest of the year. An exchange I overheard at the convention helped confirm that this leadership-focused issue is as relevant as ever. A couple of fellows were getting acquainted and one, a geologist, said he worked at the Hemlo mine. “Oh, I didn’t realize that was still open,” was the response. The story of Barrick’s Hemlo Mine is one that needs to be told. It is this issue’s project profile, and not only continues to produce but has also earned the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining Leadership Award. The work its operators do has reduced the environmental impact of the mine and enhanced its social and economic benefits for the neighbouring communities. Those who make the news in open pits and underground shafts may not always be the most inclined to go tell it on the mountain – that job falls to us at CIM Magazine. Our aim for this issue has been to tell success stories and help recognize those who are making a difference. When we began planning these stories, we focused on leadership, both the principle and its practice, in the form of innovative and award-winning projects, programs, people and initiatives. For example, the Upfront story “Reliability retool,” by Krystyna Lagowski chronicles the now two-year-old maintenance overhaul underway at Teck Resources’ coal operations. In “Efficiencies of (small) scale,” Eavan Moore drills down to find out what has earned New Brunswick top billing among mining jurisdictions. Our feature, “Lodestars – the guiding lights for the next generation of women in mining,” aims to help raise the profile of one of our industry’s most underdeveloped and valuable commodities. Women still represent a dismal 14.4 per cent of the minerals industry workforce, and so we hope that the stories of the female leaders profiled serve as inspiration for young women who are exploring their own career options. Professional inspiration is also a theme that Julia Martin develops further in her guest column. Careers, she argues, are best evaluated from the perspective of a person’s 90-year-old self. Despite our planning, however, life often strays from the course we would choose. All of us at CIM want to add our voices to MAC president Pierre Gratton’s (pg. 20) in expressing our condolences to the family and friends who are mourning the death of Paul Stothart. Paul was MAC’s vice-president of economic affairs, a regular and well-loved contributor to this publication and one of this industry’s consummate leaders.

Ryan Bergen, senior editor

Editor-in-chief Angela Hamlyn, editor@cim.org Managing editor Wah Keung Chan, wkchan@cim.org Senior editor Ryan Bergen, rbergen@cim.org Section editors Features: Ryan Bergen, rbergen@cim.org News and Upfront: Peter Braul, pbraul@cim.org Columns, CIM Community, Histories and Technical Section:

Dinah Zeldin, dzeldin@cim.org Copy editor / Communications coordinator

Zoë Koulouris, zkoulouris@cim.org Web editor Nathan Hall, nhall@cim.org Publisher CIM Contributors Jon Baird, Correy Baldwin, Tanysha Pilgrim Castello, Joelle Cyr, Vivian Danielson, Antoine Dion-Ortega, David Dorken, Elise Dyck, Mireille Goulet, Pierre Gratton, Fathi Habashi, Virginia Heffernan, Ernest Hoffman, Krystyna Lagowski, Janice Leuschen, Breanna MacEachern, Eavan Moore, Alex Lopez-Pachecho, Laurie Ann Prevost, Karen Rolland, Erik Stout, Mark Stout, Melanie Sturk, Steve Suarez, Julia Martin, Craig Waldie, Jim Whyte Published 8 times a year by CIM 1250 – 3500 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West Westmount, QC, H3Z 3C1 Tel.: 514.939.2710; Fax: 514.939.2714 www.cim.org; Email: magazine@cim.org Subscriptions Included in CIM membership ($170.00); Non-members (Canada), $220.00/yr (PE, MB, SK, AB, NT, NU, YT add $11.00 GST, BC add $26.40 HST, ON, NB, NL add $28.60 HST, QC add $32.95 GST + PST, NS add $33.00 HST) Non-Members USA and International: US$240.00/year Single copies, $25.00. Advertising Sales Dovetail Communications Inc. 30 East Beaver Creek Rd., Ste. 202 Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1J2 Tel.: 905.886.6640; Fax: 905.886.6615; www.dvtail.com National Account Executives 905.886.6641 Janet Jeffery, jjeffery@dvtail.com, ext. 329 Neal Young, nyoung@dvtail.com, ext. 325

This month’s cover Shear Diamonds CEO Julie Lassonde David Dorken/dwdorken.com Layout and design by Clò Communications Inc. www.clocommunications.com Copyright©2012. All rights reserved. ISSN 1718-4177. Publications Mail No. 09786. Postage paid at CPA Saint-Laurent, QC. Dépôt légal: Bibliothèque nationale du Québec. The Institute, as a body, is not responsible for statements made or opinions advanced either in articles or in any discussion appearing in its publications.

Printed in Canada 6 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

errata

Old made new, new made to order In the “Old made new” piece in the Tools of the Trade (p. 14, May 2012) it should have been noted that Westpro is in fact two companies: Westpro Machinery Ltd., a manufacturer of new mineral processing equipment, and Westpro Contract Services Ltd., a subsidiary whose services include re-manufacture of existing equipment. The image accompanying the text depicts a new mill manufactured by Westpro Machinery, not a reconditioned one. Please also note that the name of the manager of mineral processing Brock Taplin was misspelled. We regret the error.

Red Dog still having its day In “Zinc: A balancing act” (p. 57, Dec. 2011/ Jan. 2012) we reported that Teck’s Red Dog Mine was being replaced by the Aqqulak Mine. In fact, only the initial deposit has been exhausted and the Red Dog plant will receive ore from the Aqqulak deposit.

MOVING ON UP NORCAT appoints Duval as new CEO Don Duval was appointed CEO of the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology Inc. (NORCAT), replacing Darryl Lake, the Centre’s founder. The Chatham, Ontario native, who starts his new position on July 9, plans to develop a new strategic plan for NORCAT with support from staff and community stakeholders. Duval has extensive knowledge of the business world, with various past roles focused on strategy and operations. “The NORCAT Board of Directors is looking forward to working with Don with his unique experience and enthusiasm,” said Board chair Dan Kochanowski. “Don is a dynamic leader who has demonstrated tremendous success. His leadership will be an asset to NORCAT.”

YOU HAVE BIG DREAMS. WE HAVE BIG PLANS. GOOD FIT. Over the next four years, Vale, a leading global natural resources company, will invest $10 billion in our Canadian mining operations to develop leading technologies, increase efficiencies and strengthen our global competitiveness. We are looking for professionals, including miners, electricians, engineers and geologists, who can help us make that happen. To find out just how big your next career move could be, visit valejobs.ca/gobig.

4:19 PM

June/July 2012 | 7

president’s notes

Staying the course What a resounding success the 2012 CIM Convention in Edmonton was, and what a way to start my term as CIM president! The presence of more than 1,400 delegates, over 1,700 exhibitors and 1,000 trade show visitors, as well as more than 3,700 participants in the M4S show, illustrates the strength of the CIM brand and the importance of mining to the Canadian economy.

Looking forward, I recently sat down with the CIM executive committee and Jean Vavrek to identify the key issues we face. Our platform for the next 12 months includes:

An event of this size requires the combined efforts of a dedicated team of CIM staffers and members. On CIM’s behalf, I want to thank the general co-chairs, Chuck Edwards and Tim Joseph; the technical committee chairs and presenters; the executive director, Jean Vavrek; the director of events, Lise Bujold; and the CIM staff. Our special thanks to the City of Edmonton for the warm Western welcome. Finally, we could not put on such an event without our generous sponsors, led by Caterpillar, P&H MinePro Services, BHP Billiton and SMS Equipment/Komatsu. Thank you!

CIM represents over 11,500 individual members and 200 corporate members, and membership is growing. The Institute is built around its volunteers, and I encourage all of you to be a part of the activities held across the country. I look forward to working and meeting with many of you in the year to come as we “stay the course” toward these objectives.

• The continued effort to expand our links to potential members and emerging opportunities abroad, such as in West Africa and Latin America where Canadian companies are active. • The ongoing business transformation project that comprises the overhaul of our IT systems and the launch of a new CIM website. • A focus on professional development, bringing young leaders into Branches and Societies and into the CIM Council. We also must make Toronto 2013 a success so that it can be a catalyst for future events in Canada’s mining financial centre as the annual CIM Convention moves to the Vancouver/Montreal two-city format.

Terence Bowles CIM President

Maintenir le cap Le congrès 2012 de l’ICM à Edmonton a connu un succès retentissant. Quelle merveilleuse façon d’amorcer mon mandat en tant que président de l’ICM ! Plus de 1 400 délégués, 1 700 exposants et 1 000 visiteurs, et plus de 3 700 participants se sont rendus au salon M4S, ce qui témoigne du dynamisme de la bannière de l’ICM et du rôle important que joue l’industrie minière au sein de l’économie canadienne. L’organisation d’un événement d’une telle ampleur nécessite les efforts combinés d’une équipe dévouée d’employés et de membres de l’ICM. Au nom de l’ICM, je tiens à remercier les co-présidents généraux, Chuck Edwards et Tim Joseph; les présentateurs et les présidents du comité technique ; le directeur général, Jean Vavrek ; la directrice des événements, Lise Bujold ; et le personnel de l’ICM. Quel formidable groupe de personnes dévouées ! Je souhaite remercier tout particulièrement la ville d’Edmonton pour son chaleureux accueil, typique de l’Ouest canadien. Enfin, la tenue d’un tel événement aurait été impensable sans nos généreux commanditaires, en tête desquels figurent Caterpillar, P&H MinePro Services, BHP Billiton et SMS Equipment/Komatsu. Merci !

notamment en Afrique de l’Ouest et en Amérique latine, où des entreprises canadiennes exercent des activités ; • avancer le projet de transformation opérationnelle en cours, y compris la réorganisation de nos systèmes de TI et le lancement d’un nouveau site Web de l’ICM ; • privilégier le perfectionnement professionnel et attirer les dirigeants de la relève vers des divisions et des sociétés et au sein du conseil de l’ICM. Enfin, tout mettre en œuvre pour assurer le succès de Toronto 2013 afin que ce congrès serve de catalyseur à des événements futurs dans le centre financier du secteur minier canadien, alors que le congrès annuel de l’ICM sera désormais présenté selon un format axé sur deux villes : à savoir, Vancouver et Montréal.

Le nombre des membres de l’ICM, qui compte plus de 11 500 membres individuels et 200 membres corporatifs, ne cesse de croître. L’Institut bénéficie de l’appui de ses bénévoles, et j’invite chacun d’entre vous à prendre part aux activités organisées partout au pays. J’espère avoir le plaisir de travailler avec vous et de vous rencontrer en J’ai récemment rencontré les membres du comité directeur de l’ICM et grand nombre au cours de l’année à venir, alors que nous « maintenons Jean Vavrek afin de définir les principaux enjeux auxquels nous faisons le cap » vers ces objectifs. face. Au cours des douze mois à venir, notre attention portera sur les aspects suivants :

• poursuivre nos efforts en vue de multiplier nos liens avec des mem- Terence Bowles bres potentiels et d’explorer de nouvelles possibilités à l’étranger, Président de l’ICM Traduit par CNW Group 8 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

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OF TOOLS THE TRADE

safety

◢ Due dust diligence Introduced last summer, the Sensidyne CDEM-1000 Coal Dust Explosibility Meter is a handheld instrument developed at the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), and commercialized as a joint effort between NIOSH and Sensidyne, LP. It was designed to be used by coal mine operators, safety officials and regulators as a screening tool to help manage daily rock dusting operations and mitigate explosion hazard potential. It displays a red indication for insufficient rock dust levels and a green indication when the minimum safe level of rock dust is reached. “For the first time, mine operators have a real-time device to help in identifying and mitigating the explosion hazards resulting from inadequate rock dust levels,” says Howard Mills, president, Sensidyne, LP.

◢ Vehicle safety updates in real time In February 2012, Doran announced the integration of the Doran 360 tire-pressure monitoring system and its SafetyTrax AVL fleet monitoring system, which provides dynamic, web-based software for fleets, including GPS, speed tracking and the ability to create ad-hoc or scheduled reports. “From a safety standpoint, the integration allows the mines to know – in realtime – if a vehicle has critically low-tire pressure, which could prevent a blowout, and it also sends high-temperature alerts,” says Jim Samocki, Doran’s general manager. “It can send email alerts or text messages to a mine-site manager or a control room so that if a driver is ignoring the in-cab monitor, somebody else can have eyes on it to help make the driver accountable.”

◢ An ear through the ground MagneLink Magnetic Communication System is a new, self-contained, through-the-earth wireless system that provides post-accident, two-way, emergency voice and text communications for the coal mining industry, independent of surface or in-mine infrastructure. The system transmits via magnetic waves through the earth. “It was designed for a post-accident situation to allow miners and those on the surface to communicate,” says Lockheed Martin’s MagneLink program manager Warren Gross. “But you can interface other data to the MagneLink, whether it is leaky feeder radios, tracking systems or other sensor data. That means there are other potential uses for this product, including using it as a subaerial wide network that allows the surface rescue team to communicate with all the miners down below and provide them with situational updates.”

10 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

OF TOOLS THE TRADE

safety

◢ Man tracker

◢ Reliable refuge MineARC Systems’ new HRM-ELVP refuge chamber has a number of improvements on the company’s previous model, the HRM-PLP. Because it is smaller and lighter, it is even more portable and mobile, says Mike Lincoln, general manager, MineARC Systems. The HRM4-ELVP uses an extra-low-voltage control system to power the chamber’s internal life support systems, which include CO/CO2 scrubbing, air conditioning and dehumidifying. “The MineARC Refuge Chamber ELV Control System combines a highreliability temperature compensating charging system with battery monitoring circuitry to produce an advanced, fully programmed charging/monitoring system that elevates the safety of refuge chambers,” says Lincoln.

Integrated with a mine’s existing communications system, the Helian Underground Safety Solution suite of products provides miner and asset localization during normal operations. “The miner carries a little tag,” says Wisam Farjow, vicepresident, engineering, Mine Radio Systems Inc. “When they go through the various zones, beacons and readers store and send the information to the surface, where we have a software solution that presents the mine map and customized reporting. We also have a paging system for evacuation that uses the same tag. The third part of this is the trapped miner location. This doesn’t require infrastructure because it uses through-theearth communications.”

◢ Timely tooth extraction ToothMetric technology from Motion Metrics International Corp. is a rugged, embedded machine vision system that monitors the condition of mining shovel bucket teeth and informs – in real time – the machine operator of possible tooth breakage. It is used on more than 170 shovels around the world. Now, Motion Metrics International Corp. has adapted that technology for front-wheel loaders. The system uses cameras that send images to a computer system for analysis of each individual tooth’s appearance and alerts the operator if there is a problem. “Removing a tooth once it has made its way to the crusher is a very dangerous procedure and can lead to fatalities and costly downtime,” says Enoch Chow, marketing manager, Motion Metrics International Corp.

June/July 2012 | 11

OF TOOLS THE TRADE

safety

◢ Keep gasses in check Instead of using a conventional analog signal, the Smart Head gas monitoring system digitizes the gas signal directly at the sensor. “This results in dramatically higher accuracy,” says Dave McCullough, Conspec Controls Ltd.’s operations manager. “As well, there is far less degradation of the signal, which dramatically improves gas monitoring. Each unit also has its own temperature sensor because gas sensors will react at a different rate depending on the ambient temperature, so putting in a temperature compensation rate also dramatically improves accuracy.” Each Smart Head also stores operational parameters, past calibration results, operating temperatures and real-time records that enable the supervising system to take such proactive actions as plotting the internal periodic calibration records to predict the operating life of the sensing cell.

◢ Remote rockbreaking Transmin’s Rocklogic Rockbreaker Control System for remote operation of rockbreakers received a Western Australia Information Technology and Telecommunications Award for 2011. “It’s the first of its kind to be fully tested in a production mining environment,” says Tane Pendragon, a senior automation engineer on the Controls & Automation team at Transmin. It includes collision avoidance – which uses sensors and a 3D model of the installation to guard the rockbreaker against damaging collisions – automated movements and remote operation that “allows the operator to sit, safe from the hazards of underground mining, in a control room up to 20 kilometres from the rockbreaker,” says Pendragon. “Automated movements allow the operator to execute pre-programmed action, such as parking and deploying, or moving to a particular position at the touch of a button, saving time and workload.”

12 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

◢ A second set of eyes GroundProbe industry pioneering slope stability radar (SSR) technology and deformation analysis are embodied in the Work Area Monitor (WAM), which uses SSR in real time with fastmonitoring capabilities, taking between 30 seconds to 120 seconds per scan. Winner of the 2011 Innovative Mining Solution Award from Mining Prospect Awards, the system is installed on a vehicle and includes integrated personal alerts for the crew and supervisor/geotechnical staff, allowing access to operations where high wall or slope issues add a heightened risk factor. “The Work Area Monitor is quick to set up and easy to use,” says Albert Cabrejo, senior geotechnical engineer, GroundProbe. “WAM is your spotter that tirelessly looks out for you, day and night, keeping you safe.”

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news

nortonrose.com

The skinny on Australia’s fat new tax Many miners prepare to pay more for their metals By Virginia Heffernan

Courtesy of Fortescue Metals Group

The Australian mining tax, “extraction allowance” is scheduled to take effect on applied. Combined with July 1, “raises the bar” on taxes income taxes, mining compaapplied to mining projects nies will be paying an effective internationally, according to tax rate of 42.3 per cent comEdward Heakes, a Torontopared to an international averbased partner and taxation age of 38 per cent. expert at Norton Rose Group. Miners with a profit of less than AUD$75 million will be “It’s hard to make apples to exempt, and companies with apples comparisons, because Greenfield exploration projects every jurisdiction imposes the will be able to carry forward tax in a slightly different way,” expenditures until project revhe said. But, according to enues exceed those of Heakes, the tax puts Australia expenditures. “out on the forefront” because, The revenue grab is symptoat the end of the day, it boosts Andrew Forrest, the non-executive chairman of Fortescue Metals group, waves matic of a wave of resource the government’s take com- a flag during the inauguration of one of the company's trains. pared to other major mining nationalism that is sweeping jurisdictions, such as Canada and Chile. the globe from Ecuador to Indonesia as from Australia’s two biggest exports, The Mineral Resource Rent Tax coal and iron ore, though the real rate governments seek a larger share of the amounts to 30 per cent of the profits falls to 22.5 per cent after a so-called profits producers are enjoying as a result of rising commodity prices. South Africa may even leapfrog over Australia if a proposal to impose a 50 per cent tax on mine profits in that country is accepted. Although the tax introduced by Australian Labour Prime Minister Julia HOW DO YOU BUILD MINES ON A FIRM FOUNDATION? Gillard is expected to add an estimated US$11.1 billion to government coffers JUST ASK GOLDER. over three years, it is not as extreme as the “super profits” tax proposed by her predecessor, Kevin Rudd. That tax was significantly higher at 40 per cent, applied to all mining commodities, World class mining needs world class solutions. The challenges faced by and led to Rudd’s downfall and mining companies include remote sites, extreme weather and complex Gillard’s win. geology. Miners strive for operating excellence, accountability and “In effect, instead of the tax applytransparency towards the environments and communities in which they ing to 2,500 projects, it will just apply to the 300 to 350 that would have repoperate. Golder can help you achieve this. resented the majority of the collection anyway,” explained Philip Bisset, tax Engineering Earth’s Development, Preserving Earth’s Integrity. partner at Clayton Utz, a law firm that operates out of Perth and Brisbane. Another major amendment is miners can elect to use the market value of their existing mining facilities and Canada + 800 414-8314 equipment to offset the tax, whereas solutions@golder.com www.golder.com the previous tax put mature mining operations at a disadvantage because it 14 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

news

was based on the amortization of those assets over time. That amendment, as well as a restriction that prevents miners from deducting the interest expenses on mine financing, now swings the pendulum too far in favour of larger companies, argue some of the smaller and less mature miners. Most outspoken has been iron ore producer Fortescue Metals, which has said it will launch a High Court challenge of the tax. Fortescue claims the tax was negotiated behind closed doors with the countries’ three major miners, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata, to minimize their tax liabilities. Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest has gone so far as to say that Gillard agreed –

behind Rudd’s back – to reform the super profits tax in exchange for a halt to a damaging anti-Labour advertising campaign led by the big three. “The Mineral Resource Rent Tax will ensure the world’s biggest miners have an unfair advantage in the marketplace by reducing their overall unit cost compared to the smaller miners,” states Fortescue on its web site. “It will reduce investment in Australia, measurably and instantly for early stage iron ore and coal projects, as investors are encouraged to invest in projects and employment opportunities away from Australia.” But Heakes pointed out that exemption for profits up to AUD$75 million is a major benefit for smaller compa-

nies, more in line with the Canadian approach, which leans towards preferential tax measures for smaller businesses. And because the new tax has “some real complexities” associated with implementation, the impact on individual projects remains to seen. “[The tax] is going to be a factor that is costed in to determining where companies locate their resources,” said Bisset. “But there is still debate around the extent that the market value election for mature mining projects may shelter some projects in the early years.” That debate may be moot if the opposition Conservative party, which has vowed to scrap the tax, wins the next federal election in November 2013. CIM

June/July 2012 | 15

international.gc.ca

Case closed CSR Counsellor’s decision helps clarify role By Virginia Heffernan and Peter Braul In February, the office of Canada’s CSR Counsellor, Marketa Evans, decided to close a case against First Quantum Minerals’ copper-gold mine in Mauritania before formal mediation could begin. It was the second case to be brought to the Counsellor since 2010, when the office was created, and many were looking for evidence of the Counsellor’s capacity to mediate these disputes. Eventually, the representative of a community near the Guelb Moghrein mine, 250 kilometres northeast of the capital city of Nouakchott, was told to take concerns about pollution, labour practices and stakeholder engagement back to First Quantum’s local grievance office for consideration. This decision is being viewed positively by some. “The Counsellor was successful in bringing the two parties together,” said Ross Gallinger, executive director of PDAC. And essentially, that is all that Evans’ office could have done. In a final report on the case, her office states that it is not a “first resort mechanism… In this case, an operational level mechanism does exist and we have encouraged the requestors to access that first.” Another positive outcome of the process, Gallinger said, is that First Quantum has agreed to consider hiring a local convener to raise awareness of its existing grievance process. Senior advisor Erica Bach notified CIM Magazine that Evans could not comment on the specifics of the case, but Evans did respond to assertions that the office is ineffective. She said the office’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) method builds trust, allows parties to share information and fosters problem solving in a way that traditional tools, such as litigation or social protest, cannot. “ADR techniques – ranging from collaborative problem solving to consensus building to facilitation and mediation – have become mainstreamed for many complex multiparty disputes,” Evans wrote in an e-mail to CIM Magazine. “The push to enhance and expand processes like this office is expected now to gain further steam, as the newly endorsed Ruggie Framework – the UN Guiding Principles – explicitly includes the expansion of all forms of access to remedy.” Still, MiningWatch Canada argues that the process is toothless as long there is no obligation on behalf of either party to participate. “This process does not facilitate in any way people having access to information, to responses or any sort of resolution,” said Jamie Kneen, communications and outreach coordinator for MiningWatch. “As far as clearing the air (on the First Quantum case), I don’t think it worked,” he remarked. CIM Magazine’s attempts to reach First Quantum and the community representative, Ahmed Mohamed Lemine, were unsuccessful. So whether the community’s concerns are being resolved on the ground remains unknown. With only two cases under its belt, it may be too early to judge the effectiveness of the CSR Counsellor, said Gallinger, who added that the Canadian government’s overall CSR strategy – of which the Counsellor office is one part – continues to progress and evolve. CIM

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June/July 2012 | 17

acdi-cida.gc.ca

CSR is just the beginning McGill’s Institute for the Study of International Development focuses on public-private partnerships By Mireille Goulet and Peter Braul Collaboration between mining companies and NGOs is likely to become more common, thanks to the Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) new preference for public-private partnerships. In September 2011, the agency announced its support of CSR projects that three Canadian NGOs developed with mining companies in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Peru. That move has stirred up controversy in many circles and was hotly discussed at a conference on publicprivate partnerships for sustainable development in the extractive industries, held by McGill University’s Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID), in March. This was the first conference of its kind for ISID, which was founded in 2008. According to ISID’s founding director Philip Oxhorn, the organization has only recently seen the promise that mining holds for public-private partnerships in international development. “We didn’t talk about it in 2008,” he said. “About a year ago, we started realizing this was the area we wanted to focus on for public-private partnerships.” As such, challenges in collaboration between extractive industries and communities, and facilitation of public-private partnerships were central to the discussion during the three-day event. In the face of CIDA’s cancellation of funding for campaigning NGOs, the meaning of the agency’s new direction was also the subject of debate. In his keynote address, Ian Smillie, chair of the Diamond Development Initiative, indicated that while CIDA partnerships with industry are neither new nor rare, the controversy is that CIDA-supported projects are now focused more on creating Canadian commercial advantage in developing countries. Because such partnerships will be subject to scrutiny, he said, NGOs involved ought to expect repercussions, ensure the “purity” of potential funders, study the communities’ impressions of the corporate partner and research its relationship with government. According to Oxhorn, however, misinformation about public-private partnerships is fuelling the adversarial attitudes between mining companies and NGOs. “There are a lot of people on all sides that are caught up with the way things used to be when the relationships were much more confrontational,” he pointed out. “That’s not helping anyone, including the communities. It’s much more rich and involved than is often portrayed.” The ISID conference was intended to “find out through discussion where the stumbling blocks are,” Oxhorn 18 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

news remarked. “What we want to continue doing at the institute is to provide a public platform to enrich the debate.” The panel on resource extraction and indigenous communities made clear those communities want to play an active role in their futures. Tony James, chief of the Wapichan people in Guyana, explained the origins of the land conflict that has mired 60,000 indigenous Guyanese. Only a portion of the area recognized as Amerindian land after Guyana’s independence was titled as such, and this included mining concessions – in some cases on sacred sites – that Aboriginals were not told about. He described the profound social impacts on indigenous communities that have come with mining projects, and pointed out that development can mean different things to indigenous people. At the laws, institutions and challenges of good governance panel, Riccardo Rossi-Ricci, president of the Ottawa-Gatineau chapter of the Society for International Development, asked whether addressing basic needs in infrastructure, education and health should remain the responsibility of government and whether mining companies act as surrogates when they take over this role. Along with critical challenges to overcome, plenty of success stories were shared as well. At the successful private sector strategies for community engagement panel, Susan Stocker, manager of sustainability and community investment at Teck Resources Limited, offered insights on how her organization has achieved successful partnerships. Teck has partnered with Unicef on its Zinc and Health initiative, and managed to solve legacy water issues at a project in Chile by partnering with Oxfam. Together, they developed dialogue tools that could address the needs of the local people. Valerie Pascale, CSR manager at Goldcorp, spoke about her company’s partnership with Right to Play. The program they run together, called “Promoting Life-skills in Aboriginal Youth,” or PLAY, is designed to use the power of sport to develop leadership qualities in disadvantaged youth. Pascale said success depends not only on the proverbial early start, but also on providing a contact person for the communities and taking into account that any strategy needs to be customized to the context and the culture. Oxhorn believes public-private partnerships, like those supported by CIDA, offer a new model for success in international development that goes beyond CSR. “For me, CSR is what companies need to do to maintain good relations with the community, and particularly with their shareholders and governments back home,” said Oxhorn. “But what we envision the partnership to be is an actual collaboration between the two so that more of the value added remains in the community. CSR is often seen as being one-way – the corporation to the community – and I don’t think that is sufficient.” CIM June/July 2012 | 19

columns IN MEMORIAM

mining.ca

In loving memory Paul Stothart (May 17, 1957 – April 17, 2012) BY PIERRE GRATTON

t is with great sadness that we announce that Paul Stothart, MAC’s vice-president of economic affairs, has died after a difficult, hard-fought battle with cancer. Paul joined MAC in 2006 and was responsible for a wide range of policy files, including tax and economic affairs, energy policy, trade and international competitiveness, and transport. While at MAC, Paul transformed the association’s flagship publication, Facts and Figures, into an invaluable industry reference. The most recent edition of Facts and Figures was written by Paul in between chemotherapy treatments. Paul also published a regular column in CIM Magazine, reporting on a wide range of public policy issues related to mining. Paul was a graduate of Queen’s University with an MBA (Finance) and a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering, but his early career was as a professional hockey player. He played in the German hockey league in the early 1980s and, in 1983, played on Team Canada against the former Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. He was also a recipient of the Jenkins Trophy for bringing the highest academic and athletic honour to Queen’s University. Later in life, Paul worked with Ernst & Young and Export Development Canada and then took on a series of roles as a senior policy advisor for several federal government ministers in the Natural Resources, Trade and Transportation portfolios. A prolific writer and policy analyst, he published many articles in Policy Options on economic policy, Canadian unity and cultural issues. Academic and athletic accomplishments aside, Paul will be remembered by colleagues for his wit, Chrétienesque smile, constant good humour, erudition and playfulness. He will be sorely missed. Paul is survived by his wife Karen and three children, Sarah, Alex and Julia. Before his passing, Paul expressed a personal interest in directing charitable donations to the Hematological Malignancies Personalized Medicine Program at Ottawa Hospital in recognition of the ongoing, advanced research by his doctors, and to the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa). Friends and alumni have also created a Paul Stothart Memorial Trophy at Queen’s University, and MAC has established an endowment and a Paul Stothart Memorial Scholarship in Mineral Economics. Details on these initiatives follow.

Pierre Gratton is president and CEO of The Mining Association of Canada

20 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Hematological Malignancies Personalized Medicine Program at Ottawa Hospital – Recent advances in cancer research suggest genetic makeup can determine cancer susceptibility. Technologies developed over the last decade provide tools to assess a person’s genetic blueprint quickly and economically by analyzing biological samples, such as blood. Information obtained can help design personalized medicine strategies that will lead to better treatment and recovery. But more funding is needed for research to continue and for the technology to advance. For this reason we ask that donations in Paul’s memory be made to the Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, designated to The Hematological Malignancies DNA bank under the direction of Dr. Brent Zanke. To donate, please go to www.ohfoundation.ca/ways/index_e.asp, choose ‘Online donation’ then, under ‘Donation Information’, select ‘In Memoriam Donation’ and choose ‘Other (please specify below)’. In the text box specify ‘Hematological malignancies DNA bank’. For any inquiries please contact Sarah Stothart at 9ss107@queensu.ca or Karen Colby-Stothart at karenc-s@rogers.com. Thank you for honouring Paul by supporting research that is critical for future patients.

Paul Stothart Scholarship in Mineral Economics – MAC and its members have established the Paul Stothart Scholarship in Mineral Economics. The scholarship will be open to Canadian university students in their final year of a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, or in a Master’s program with a focus on mineral economics. The award will be granted annually and the fund will be set up to be self-financing in perpetuity. MAC will administer the scholarship. For more information, please contact Marilyn Fortin at mfortin@mining.ca.

The Paul Stothart Memorial Trophy – Paul was one of the most decorated athletes in Queen’s University history. Among his many achievements was receiving the Senator Joseph Sullivan Trophy, awarded to the top Canadian University hockey player, for two consecutive years. Paul’s friends are working with Queen’s University and the Queen’s Golden Gaels to create an endowment and trophy in his honour. The Paul Stothart Memorial Trophy and cash prize will recognize a Queen’s player for academic performance and leadership on the ice. For more information, please contact Tom Manley at tm10@live.com. CIM

columns S U P P LY S I D E

camese.ca

CAMESE opens world to Canadian suppliers BY JON BAIRD

hen I started my career in exporting Canadian mining 13.3 per cent of employees of CAMESE members “work in technology to world markets 40 years ago, there were Canada on the development of new products or technologies for challenges for exporters that are hard to imagine the mining industry, from pure research to production engineertoday. International travel and communications were, by ing.” Further, nine per cent of the employees of the surveyed today’s standards, difficult. Telex machines received messages firms work on commercializing these technologies. at the rate of a character per second. Computers and word While many firms exist solely to cater to the domestic processors existed, but they were not the tools of business. Fax market, most mining-specific suppliers have an international machines had not been developed. Visas were required for presence. A number of such companies export far more than nearly every country that you needed to visit and airfares were half of the products and services produced every year. very costly. Today, Canada is one of the world’s leading producers of However, Scintrex, the manufacturer of geophysical equip- minerals and metals. We are the undisputed global leader in ment, and my then-employer, needed markets beyond Canada mineral exploration and exploration financing. With Canadian to support its specialized manufacturing and R&D capabilities. mining companies behind 5,000 projects in over 100 counDespite the challenges, we successfully increased our ship- tries, Canadian mining supply firms naturally accompany the ments to an average of 50 to 60 countries over a decade. industry around the world, searching for new markets. In 1981, members of an Ontario mining trade mission to The Canadian industry’s high rate of exploration and proChile and Peru realized that, by working together, they could duction has prompted the development of highly competent better influence export markets. I was one of them. Around the mining supply companies in the swimming pool of our hotel in Lima, we hatched the idea to country. In fact, nearly everything develop the export trade association I lead today. CAMESE is that is needed to supply an effione of the strongest national, sectoral associations in today’s cient, safe and environmentally mining supply sector. responsible modern mine can be A page for and about the supply side From 1995 to the present, CAMESE has organized Cana- sourced in Canada. CIM of the Canadian mining industry dian participation at 150 international mining events, which have attracted over two million attendees and hosted 2,500 Jon Baird, managing director of CAMESE and the immediate past-president of PDAC, is interested in collective approaches to enhancing the Canadian brand Canadian supplier booths, resulting in 12,000 business leads in the world of mining. for Canadian suppliers. Over 50,000 CAMESE source-books, with a listing of suppliers called the Compendium of Canadian Mining Suppliers have been distributed at these events. CAMESE has become a first-class, cost-effective provider of marketing support for Canadian mining supply firms looking to gain exposure in international markets and unites over 300 of Canada’s If you’re planning to build a small office building, a millionleading mining equipment suppliers. square-foot distribution center, or anything in-between, now Given the large domestic market and is a great time to look at everything a Butler® building has to low-tariff protection since the end of World offer. Faster schedules. Lower construction costs. Reduced War II, Canadian mining suppliers have maintenance. And virtually unlimited exterior options, had to compete with imported mining including concrete, brick, and glass. Want to hear even more? goods and services. Thus, Canadian suppliGive us a call—your local Butler Builder®. ers are driven to innovate and can compete Contact us at 1-855-BUILD-86 or visit us on the web. with the best in the world. Domiciled in a developed country, Canadian mining suppliers have been able to develop or gain www.clarkbuilders.com rapid access to advanced technology to ©2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. ensure competitiveness. A survey revealed

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columns EYE ON BUSINESS

blg.com

Federal government adjusts mining tax credits BY STEVE SUAREZ

he 2012 federal budget represents something of a mixed bag for the mining community. While the investment tax credit (ITC) for holders of flowthrough shares was renewed for another year, other ITCs for mining corporations are being eliminated (ITCs are a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax payable). Also, foreign multinationals with Canadian subsidiaries will be subject to new anti-avoidance measures.

METC extension good news for mineral exploration The Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (METC) provides an incentive for individuals to invest in mineral exploration companies through flow-through shares (FTS) in the form of a 15 per cent ITC. FTS are an important financing tool that allows a Canadian mining corporation to issue equity to investors at a higher price than it would receive for “normal” shares because investors are entitled to claim the corporation’s tax deductions that “flow through” the shares. In addition to these “flowed-through deductions,” when certain mining exploration expenses incurred by the corporation (at or above ground level) in Canada and renounced to a holder of flow-through shares – who is an individual – that holder is entitled to an ITC equal to 15 per cent of the renounced qualifying expenditures. The Income Tax Act required that qualifying expenditures be incurred by the corporation by the end of 2012, and be renounced to the investor under an agreement made before April 2012. The budget extends the 15 per cent METC for another year, by extending both the date for incurring qualifying expenditures to the end of 2013, and the deadline for entering into the flow-through share subscription agreement governing renunciation to March 31, 2013. This extension of the ITC preserves the benefits of an important financing tool for Canadian miners, and is very welcome, although it would be preferable for this ITC to be made permanent.

Cuts to ITCs impact incentives for some mining projects Canadian corporations engaged in pre-production exploration and development activities for diamonds, or base or precious metals, were entitled to an ITC equal to 10 per cent of the amount of qualifying expenditures. The budget phases out the pre-production mining expenditure ITC. For pre-production exploration expenditures, the ITC will continue to apply at the 10 per cent rate for expenditures incurred in 2012. The rate will drop to five per cent for expenditures incurred in 2013, and there will be no ITC for expenditures incurred in subsequent years. For 22 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

pre-production development expenditures, the 10 per cent rate will apply for expenditures incurred in 2012 and in 2013, and drop to seven per cent for expenditures incurred in 2014 and to four per cent for expenditures incurred in 2015. There will be no ITC in subsequent years. The elimination of this ITC is disappointing because it has been an important incentive for the mining industry to undertake high-risk mineral exploration activity. The Atlantic investment tax credit, a 10 per cent ITC for expenditures on property used in certain activities occurring in Atlantic Canada, is also being phased out for expenditures incurred on mining, and oil and gas activities. The 10 per cent ITC rate will apply for expenditures on qualifying property acquired before 2014, and will be reduced to five per cent for property acquired in 2014-15. There will be no ITC in subsequent years. This initiative will eliminate an important incentive for mining in Atlantic Canada.

News for foreign corporations with Canadian subsidiaries Canadian corporations are limited in the amount of interest expense they can deduct for tax purposes on debt owing to non-residents of Canada who are (or who are related to) significant shareholders of the Canadian corporation (for example, a foreign parent of a Canadian subsidiary). Pre-budget, the amount of debt that was interest-deductible for tax purposes was limited to $2 for every $1 of equity. The budget reduces this limit to $1.5 of debt for every $1 of equity (effective for taxation years beginning after 2012). Foreign corporations with Canadian subsidiaries need to review their financing before 2013. A separate measure deals with investments made by Canadian subsidiaries of foreign corporations. This measure applies where the Canadian subsidiary acquires an interest (debt or equity) in a foreign corporation, as is typically the case when a new foreign project is started. Unless it can be shown that the investment was not made primarily for Canadian tax reasons, the investment may trigger Canadian dividend withholding tax. The scope of this rule is very broad, and foreign mining companies need to consider it when their Canadian subsidiaries make any foreign investment. CIM Read more about flow-through shares at miningtaxcanada.com. Steve Suarez is a partner in the Toronto office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. He advises clients on the tax aspects of business transactions and operations (particularly in the mining sector), and operates miningtaxcanada.com, a website on tax issues of relevance to the mining community.

columns HR OUTLOOK

mihr.ca/en

Industry and community collaboration helping to foster local employment opportunities BY MELANIE STURK

he mining industry outperforms the rest of Canada’s economy in the employment of Aboriginal peoples. In 2006, Statistics Canada reported seven per cent of the mining workforce self-identify as being of Aboriginal descent. A great deal of potential, however, remains to be developed. MiHR is committed to facilitating connections between Aboriginal organizations and the education and mining sectors in support of this continued effort to increase Aboriginal inclusion in mining, so we continue to make progress. In March, the first graduating class of the Mining Essentials program at Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology gathered to celebrate their achievements in front of family, community members and mining industry partners. Planned and led entirely by students, the ceremony included a series of team-building exercises focused on themes of community, collaboration and new opportunities – an approach true to the educational program’s spirit. A work-readiness training program for Aboriginal peoples, Mining Essentials was launched in August 2011. The program, delivered in 12 weeks, is co-owned by MiHR and the Assembly of First Nations, and was developed to increase participation rates of Aboriginals in mining by enhancing the preparedness of the local workforce. As one of the fastest-growing segments of the Canadian population, and as the population with most communities located in proximity to many mine sites and operations, the Aboriginal population represents a large potential pool of workers that can support the mining industry by playing a key role in mitigating the human resources challenge mining companies face. Mining Essentials teaches non-technical skills and knowledge the industry has defined as critical for entry-level positions in mining. Classroom learning includes 11 modules that teach work-readiness skills, including industry knowledge, attitudes and essential skills like reading, numeracy and writing. Skills are taught through lessons that incorporate traditional cultural teachings with industry examples and case studies. The program also includes flexible enrichment activities, such as site visits, first-aid training and guest speakers. Mining Essentials contributes to the economic development of the community by increasing literacy and local employment rates. Bob Mack, vice-president of community, business development and employment services at Northern College, says the combination of program content and enrichment activities

offers students a complete overview of the range of opportunities available in mining and, more importantly, identifies what skills and credentials are required to access them. The first program was delivered from November 2011 to March 2012 by Northern College’s South Porcupine campus, in partnership with local mining companies Goldcorp (Porcupine Gold Mines), Dumas and Detour Gold. Other partners included Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association, Misiway Milopemahtesewin Community Health Centre, Timmins Native Friendship Centre, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Wabun Tribal Council and Mushkegowuk Employment and Training Services. The program is a bridge to new opportunities; graduates have either secured employment in the mining industry, are pursuing further education, or are in the process of finding employment in the industry. Northern College is planning a second intake of Mining Essentials learners in 2013. Following the launch of the Mining Essentials program at the beginning of 2012, MiHR announced the start of Mining New Possibilities – Essential Skills for Aboriginal Peoples. The $940,000 project, funded by the government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, will expand the scope of Mining Essentials by ensuring key recommendations from the pilot are implemented to address the unique needs of Métis and Inuit peoples. The project will establish a sustainable and nationally standardized Mining Essentials program, which will include e-learning components and a sophisticated trainers’ portal. MiHR has mobilized employers, educators and Aboriginal groups to work more collaboratively and to enhance partnerships, and is looking for more partners to deliver Mining Essentials in the fall. Interested companies, communities and educators should contact Pascplarouche@mihr.ca for more information on how to get started. CIM

Melanie Sturk is the director of attraction, retention, and transition at the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), the national HR council for Canada’s minerals and metals industry. MiHR contributes to the strength, competiveness and sustainability of the mining industry by collaborating with all communities of interest in the development and implementation of HR solutions. Melanie is responsible for the initiatives that encourage new workers, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to engage in mining careers that support the industry by enhancing workplace diversity.

June/July 2012 | 23

S TA N D A R D S

Standards for Qualified Persons: how to evaluate relevant experience BY CRAIG WALDIE AND JIM WHYTE

ith the increased number of unique and novel mineral deposit types and environments currently being explored and developed, it has reportedly become difficult for mining companies to identify a Qualified Person (QP) who has the relevant experience and competencies necessary to assess and provide a defendable opinion on a particular mineral project. In order to be considered a QP for a specific project, the individual must have a certain level of education, accountability and relevant experience. While determining whether the education and accountability requirements are met is usually straightforward, evaluating whether an individual has the required amount of relevant experience is more complicated. An accurate self-assessment of a QP’s relevant experience is important; the QP plays a critical role in ensuring industry standards and best practices are followed, and data is verified and suitable for public disclosure. In other words, it is the QP’s responsibility to determine what is reasonable, appropriate and ethical for a particular situation and circumstance. So, what is relevant experience and how is it evaluated? Common sense helps. Relevant experience could mean transferable experience that may reasonably be applied to another mineral or commodity, deposit type or style, situation, or

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environment. It is up to the judgement and confidence of the QP to determine whether or not his or her experience qualifies as relevant experience; it should be noted, however, that a regulator may challenge the QP’s evaluation. It is essential that QPs assess their own experience because, as mineral deposits are diverse in style and are found in a wide variety of settings, and the stage of development of a particular project is key to understanding which tasks are critical and what experience is relevant, there are too many variables to be taken into account for regulators to set specific technical standards. To assist QPs in assessing relevant experience, CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves provides guidance, stating: “The Qualified Person should be clearly satisfied that they could face their peers and demonstrate competence and relevant experience in the commodity, type of deposit and situation under consideration.” With the recent significant interest in exploration for rare earth minerals used for green-technology applications, it may be difficult to find professionals that have, for example, five years of experience in saprolite weathered carbonatite-hosted phosphate deposits with associated rare earth minerals. Professionals with experience relevant to the environment, style

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columns osc.gov.on.ca

of mineralization and considerations unique to these The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and deposits may, depending on the facts and circumstances, feel do not necessarily represent the views of the Ontario Securities confident acting as a QP. Commission. As noted in the March/April 2012 CIM Magazine column, the number of professionals with specific experience related Waldie and Jim Whyte are both senior geologists with the Ontario to lithium and potassium mineral brine projects is limited, Craig Securities Commission, and are responsible for NI 43-101 compliance reviews but it may be possible for certain professional hydrogeolo- of prospectuses, technical reports and other regulatory filings of Ontariogists, using their educated and experienced judgment, to feel based mining companies. qualified and competent opining on such a project and environment. It is also important to recognize that, unlike other jurisdictions where professional sign-off of public disclosure is limited to exploration results, and mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, QPs are required to take responsibility for all scientific and technical information related to the minerals industry. In addition to exploration results and resource and reserve estimates, this information includes, but is not limited to, engineering studies and production targets, capital and operating costs, mining and processing activities, project infrastructure, and economic studies and analysis. Therefore, relevant experience in designing and engineering open pit mines in certain climatic Endress+Hauser provides environments, for example, may in efficient support for mines some cases be more relevant than a sigand minerals/metals nificant amount of experience with the processing, with best same deposit type as the project in question, but in a very different clipractices in measurement Promag 55S (electromagnetic flow) matic region. and automation solutions. Density measurement Regardless of the situation, the QP with Gammapilot must understand they are taking â&#x20AC;˘ Optimize process performance, responsibility for the publicly disclosed safety and reliability through technical information of the project. If quality E+H products and there are concerns about the QPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proinnovative solutions fessional judgment, technical report, Memosens (pH) for FMR 250 (level) â&#x20AC;˘ Reduce costs with E+H expert analytical measurement statement, or opinion, the QP may face services and integrated life disciplinary action by his or her profesW@M is lifecycle management. cycle management sional association, as well as possible Try one of its functions for FREE: www.ca.endress.com www.ca.endress.com/ civil liability risks for any misrepresendeviceviewer tation. It is reported that the best defence against such claims is for the QP to ensure he or she conducts a reasonable investigation and level of verification for the particular circumstance under consideration, based on their Endress+Hauser Tel: 905-681-9292 Canada Ltd 1-800-668-3199 professional ethics and standards, 1075 Sutton Drive Fax: 905-681-9444 industry best practices and guidelines, info@ca.endress.com Burlington, Ontario L7L 5Z8 applicable laws and regulations, and of course, relevant experience. CIM

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June/July 2012 | 25

amcconsultants.com.au GUEST COLUMN | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Plan your career (and life) from the perspective of your 90-year-old self BY JULIA MARTIN

veryone has their own method of choosing the path for their professional development. In building my career in mining, I have used a simple exercise for life and career planning: every three to five years, I ask myself, “Am I happy with my current work and other aspects of my life?” Unless my answer is a resounding “YES”, I figure out my goals and plan how to move towards them. I determine those next steps by asking myself, “When I’m 90 years old and reminiscing about my life, what are the things that I might regret NOT having done?”

tant to understand your long-term goals and to make sure you don’t inadvertently prevent yourself from achieving them. For instance, if your objective is to become a general manager of a mining operation, you are unlikely to get there from a pure consulting background. Instead, you will have to devote some time gathering hands-on, operational experience. It is also important to seek advice from people with different experiences. If you are working on a mine site, for example, talk to external consultants and equipment sales representatives to get a broad range of perspectives.

What experiences do you want to have in your life? After earning a B.Sc. in mining engineering (Queen’s University) in 1994, I worked at an underground mine in eastern Canada. I obtained several years of invaluable underground experience and started thinking about the aforementioned big questions. International travel had always been a priority for me, but that hadn’t been reflected in my experiences up to that point. Once I focused on that goal, I became aware of opportunities. When the time was right, I moved to Australia. I had two main objectives for my trip Down Under: to learn to work in a (slightly) different culture, and to gain open pit experience. The name of the company, the location of the mine and the commodity being mined were not as important to me at the time. With these considerations in mind, I chose an opportunity that would give me the experience I wanted. After spending a number of years in Australia, I went traveling again. That time, I ended up at a mine in Senegal, where I learned to succeed in a workplace with a variety of languages and cultures. Along the way, I learned about AMC Consultants, the consulting firm I work at now, and decided that the opportunities available through this firm would support the next step in my career development. In my current role, I am exposed to projects all over the world, which appeals to my desire for international travel, and the firm’s culture, which promotes a healthy work/ life balance, suits my current priorities.

Know your options Opportunities for future career development are increased by diversity in both professional and personal experience: having practical exposure to learn a wide variety of approaches is invaluable. There is no substitute for good operational experience as a basis for most mining-related career choices. It is impor26 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Change can be scary – and that’s normal For some people, even asking for career advice can be intimidating. Just remember that most people will appreciate your position and are likely willing to help. It can also be hard to leave behind everything that is familiar – friends, family and your present work – to do something new. You just need to decide what is important to you and manage the balance between your professional life and your personal requirements. There is no right or wrong way to build a career, and each person’s road to happiness is different. But it is up to you to make the effort to build the kind of professional life you will want to remember. CIM Julia Martin, B.Sc., MBA, is general manager, Toronto / principal mining engineer, based in the Toronto office of AMC Consultants.

MOVING ON UP Teck makes changes Teck Resources Ltd. made a number of changes to senior management. Rob Scott was appointed senior vice-president of zinc, while Marcia Smith was named senior vicepresident of sustainability and external affairs. Scott was formerly vice-president of operational excellence and Smith was vice-president of corporate affairs. Ray Reipas, who was vice-president of energy, became senior vicepresident of energy, and Graham Foyle-Twining joined Teck as vice-president of human resources. Foyle-Twining was formerly global head of human resources and organizational development at Walter Energy.

hdimining.com

upfront LEADERSHIP by Vivian Danielson

Diverse tacklebox How the “Two Bobs” shaped one of the world’s legendary mining companies The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, Thiessen set out with Hunter in the general RON T. vicinity of the other boats. He was surprised when Hunter settled in for a nap, rod in hand, and asked if he was not worried about losing the rod and reel if he got a bite. “No,” was Hunter’s reply. He explained that while he was napping, he was having “wonderful thoughts and dreams that were being transmitted down the rod, down the line, through the hook, through the bait, and into the water to the salmon. The Tyee are going to want my bait because it’s more desirable than anyone else’s.” “It was unique, intuitive and relaxed, and at the end of the day, very successful,” says Thiessen, explaining why he told this fishing tale during the recent induction of Hunter and Dickinson into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. “It’s about two people who have been uniquely successful employing very different any people in the mining industry love fishing, as methods and approaches, yet completely compatible objecit provides the same enormous sense of opportu- tives. They had a singularity of purpose that made the whole nity to reel in the “Big One” that drew them to greater than the sum of its parts.” their careers. Robert Hunter and Robert Dickinson, founders of Vancouver-based Hunter Dickinson Inc. The best of both worlds (HDI), shared a love of salmon fishing in their native It all began in 1985, when two different men who had not province during the rare times they were not pursuing met were asked to run a company together. Dickinson, an prospects on land. Their techniques were as different as their acumenical entrepreneur-geologist with a business degree, personalities, yet provide insight into the dynamics of their was then 37 years old. Intuitive Hunter, a former top-producpartnership and how it endured the pressures of time to ing insurance salesman credited with financing and developachieve legendary status. ing the Cannon gold mine in Washington state as president of “They were as different as can be imagined,” says HDI Breakwater Resources Inc., was 58 at the time. president and CEO Ronald Thiessen, who joined the group “Within 10 minutes of meeting each other, we said, ‘Okay, in 1994. “One (Hunter) statesmanlike, intuitive, dapper, gre- let’s do it,’” Dickinson said. At that time, both had ended hisgarious and routine, and the other (Dickinson) informal, torical partnerships and were on their own. Despite a strong intense and detailed, tactical, with a need for occasional soli- desire to find mines, Dickinson had no real track record of tude but still a potential for spontaneity.” financing ventures, and Hunter, with no technical knowledge, Still new to the company and a fishing novice, Thiessen had a rolodex of people wanting to invest in well-founded spent a day with each of the “Two Bobs,” as they were known mining ventures. Naturally, they realized they would be better in the industry, at a fishing lodge on the coast of Haida Gwaii. off working together. The area is famous for its Tyee (Chinook or spring salmon) This was a time of heady growth for hundreds of newly weighing 30 pounds or more. hatched junior companies, until the 1987 market crash and With Dickinson, Thiessen was on the dock before the industry downturn dashed their ambitions and drained their crack of dawn. By the end of the 16-hour day, he had been treasuries. But the stars lined up perfectly for the new partinstructed on the finer elements of salmon fishing, including ners. By 1990, they had sold interests in two British Columbia “bait evisceration, hooking, trolling, tidal movements, eddy projects held by their junior companies to senior producers channels, and the nocturnal and daytime routine and feeding for a total of $220 million – a fortune at the time. regime of the Tyee salmon. Hunter fought for the best deals for shareholders, negotiating for 31 hours with Homestake Mining to win an extra dollar “It was intense, it was detailed, it was tactical. More per share (to $5) for the sale of an interest in the Golden Bear importantly, it was designed for success,” Thiessen recalls. Courtesy of Hunter Dickinson International

BOB H.

28 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

BOB D.

upfront LEADERSHIP

project near Dease Lake. In their next deal, the partners turned down a bid by Noranda before selling the Mount Milligan copper-gold project near Mackenzie to Placer Dome. By the early 1990s, however, the team faced challenges beyond low metal prices and deteriorating capital markets. Golden Bear and Mount Milligan both failed to live up to the expectations of their new owners. Other juniors worried about the potential domino effect on their undeveloped projects. Conditions grew tougher as a series of 1980s-era mines – Beaver Dam, Beacon, Golden Rose and Johnny Mountain among others – failed. It was an era when many juniors tried to become producers, usually too fast, and with too little mining experience. Not one to fix things that are not broken, Hunter stuck to the team’s entrenched long-term strategy, telling reporters in 1992 that he was not “one bit” worried about the future of the team’s undeveloped projects in British Columbia, namely the Kemess copper-gold deposit in the Omineca district and the Fish Lake gold-copper deposit (now New Prosperity) in the Chilcotin. “The majors have to stay in business,” Hunter said at the time. “If we’ve got the orebodies, they’re going to want them. It’s only a matter of time.” Hunter’s confidence in the desirability of his bait proved well-founded in 1996, when Kemess was purchased by Royal Oak Mines. The property became a successful mine under the next operator, Northgate Minerals Corp. The Golden Bear mine made a successful comeback during the early 2000s under Wheaton River Minerals, whose $20-million treasury attracted Ian Telfer and Frank Guistra to take over the company and turn it into a fast-growing producer (later merged with Goldcorp). As for long-mothballed Mount Milligan, it is under construction by Thompson Creek Metals and poised for production in 2013. New Prosperity continues to be a challenge on the permitting front but is being advanced toward production by HDI-managed Taseko Mines Inc. Sticking to its knitting paid off for HDI, which evolved into one of North America’s most prominent mineral exploration and mine development groups, helped by rising metal prices and demand from China and other emerging economies.

Hunter died in 2007, after a lengthy illness, but Dickinson remains as chairman of the group, which operates on six continents and has played a role in developing a dozen mines.

Built on a solid foundation Thiessen says the resource sector’s “nuclear winter” (the late 1990s to 2004) provided opportunities, as well as challenges. “While other juniors morphed into dotcoms, biotechs or died, HDI continued to do what we had done historically; acquire under-appreciated assets at bargain prices, and manage them judiciously until spring comes.” When spring finally came, starting in 2005, HDI had assembled an impressive array of projects, including the Gibraltar copper mine in British Columbia, the Hollister gold mine in Nevada, the Burnstone gold mine in South Africa, and various other projects, notably Pebble, Xietongmen and Detour. Acquiring and operating mines is a departure from the early years of the Hunter Dickinson team, when the goal was to sell development-stage projects to senior producers. But this shift in strategy was likely necessary, given the pace of industry consolidation and reduced number of North America-based major companies. As for access to capital, the lifeblood of the industry, Thiessen says the relationships formed by the “Two Bobs” with financiers in Europe and the Middle East has allowed HDI to raise the funds it needs, even in lean times. Other important assets, he says, are HDI’s library of knowledge, portfolio of opportunity and intellectual capacity. Unlike the early days, when the Hunter and Dickinson looked for opportunities mainly in the West, the expanded team brings their knowledge to bear on diverse projects around the world. In addition, Thiessen says, “We have the ability to structure the deals, determine what the potential geological outcomes will be and then raise the capital to do it.” Thiessen says HDI has both a “bit of mystic” and a reality grounded in the real assets it represents – a legacy of the intuition and tactical savvy that landed some big fish for the “Two Bobs.” CIM

June/July 2012 | 29

fraserinstitute.org

upfront JURISDICTIONS by Eavan Moore

Efficiencies of (small) scale Why New Brunswick is looking so good this year

Courtesy of New Brunswick Tourism

world could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure development. Sam McEwan, assistant deputy minister of natural resources in New Brunswick, agrees that existing amenities make development attractive. “Land is very accessible for exploration because of the forest industry,” he explains. “We have a labyrinth of roads throughout the province. We are on the coast with year-round ports available for the shipment of our mineral products. We are also directly adjacent to what is probably one of the largest consumers of mineral commodities in the world – New England, United States.” Infrastructure was only one of the indicators putting New Brunswick ahead in the Fraser Institute survey: respondents reported clear regulations, political stability and good conditions for socioeconomic agreements as well. The geography of New Brunswick from Mount Carleton Provincial Park, near one of the province’s “Mining is a mature industry in New Brunswick, mining districts such that the regulatory regime that has evolved here is not only robust in terms of providing adequate protections for the environment, workers and communihen the Fraser Institute published its 2011/2012 Surties, but also clear and consistent,” Zahovskis says. “Coming in vey of Mining Companies in March, the results surto the province, you know the playing field, and the regulators prised some observers. The small province of New work very hard to ensure that the rules are enforced in a strinBrunswick had been named the world’s number one gent, but also consistent and predictable way. As a mine develdestination for mining investment, outranking even Alberta oper, you can’t ask for anything more than regulatory certainty.” (last year’s number one) and Finland in the survey of 802 Prospective miners are encouraged to schedule an informal exploration, development and consulting firms. New meeting with the Standing Committee on Mining and the EnviBrunswick ranked only 23rd the year before. ronment, composed of at least five members from the provinThe province was already known for its diverse geology and its decades of prior mining development, but conversations cial Department of the Environment, Department of Natural with those on the ground suggest there is more to its popularity. Resources, and Environment Canada. Created in 1988 to avoid Newcomers remark that the people of New Brunswick – from departmental overlap, this committee serves as a “one window” local government to neighbours – are more than open to min- access to the mine approval process, offering feedback and ing investment. A small and close-knit group, familiar with ongoing access to the provincial reviewers that project propomining and hard-hit by the disappearance of forestry, New nents will be working with. Brunswickers are ready to engage with potential developers.

“A certain warmth” Everything in one place From a mineral point of view, New Brunswick’s value as an exploration site is long-established. Alongside potash, iron, gas and precious metals, volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits in the north have kept the Bathurst mining camp producing zinc and other base metals since the 1950s. Geology was the first draw for Northcliff Resources, which recently took control of a tungsten-molybdenum deposit in central New Brunswick. Chris Zahovskis, president and CEO, explains that a large, near-surface deposit of tungsten in a time when China controls most exports of that commodity is valuable in itself. “Fantastic infrastructure” sealed the deal, says Zahovskis, pointing out that a similar project in a different part of the 30 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

“I would have to say the main reason we ended up as number one and why we’re viewed highly by industry is the service that they receive from the minerals staff at the Department of Natural Resources,” says McEwan. “The people I work with, I can’t say enough about what they do. I’ve seen these folks in action for many, many years, and they work very hard to meet the needs of our clients, ensuring that they get the information and service necessary for their projects.” McEwan points out that the already-small world of mining gets even smaller in a province like New Brunswick. “Everybody seems to know everybody and more or less gets along,” he says. “We appreciate where industry is coming from, and I think they develop an appreciation for where we are coming

upfront JURISDICTIONS

from as well. We do have a job to do and our objective is to see projects proceed, while ensuring that they are meeting all the terms of our legislation. We are not trying to find ways to prevent their projects from moving forward. Instead, we prefer to work with companies and the public to find solutions to issues that may impact the feasibility of a project.” “It is really one of the priorities of the government to encourage investment,” agrees Stewart Brown, general manager of PotashCorp’s New Brunswick division. And it is not just the government of New Brunswick that is willing to work with mine proponents; Zahovskis reports stakeholders in Northcliff’s Sisson project readily participate in planning discussions. “There’s a certain warmth, if I can use that word,” he remarks. “Stakeholder engagement is really appreciated and welcomed. I don’t know whether it’s the province that we’re in, or it’s just the nature of the people, but when we reach out, the effort is well-received.” Trevali Mining Corporation, currently developing an advanced-stage zinc-lead-silver-copper project in the Bathurst camp, has benefited from the friendly environment. “Our experience has been fantastic,” says Steve Stakiw, manager of corporate communications. “Dealing with government, from provincial to municipal, and also with the Mi’kmaq First Nations, has been exemplary. We are very, very happy to be working there, and it’s been a real pleasure.”

McEwan speculates this influx gave New Brunswick its boost from 23rd to first in the Fraser poll; a handful of firms had just reached the permitting stage when the survey came out. “We’re not really doing anything different than we have been doing for the last number of years,” he says. “It’s just that we now have more companies in the province which are actually being exposed to what we do and to how we do our business.” The market will determine who comes to New Brunswick’s door next. But the welcome mat is officially rolled out, and the noises from inside suggest that it is cozy. CIM

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New Brunswick’s financial condition invites new investment. While small provinces can be well-connnected, generating solidarity and efficient governance, they also suffer when their primary industries go south. With a forest industry in long-term decline, the province has high unemployment (10.2 per cent as of April), debt of over $10 billion, and a disappearing workforce drawn to better prospects elsewhere. Stakiw reports a plethora of skilled workers who would rather stay close to home than move to Alberta. If those workers’ fortunes change, it will be due to commodity prices. The zinc-focused Bathurst camp suffered from long-term oversupply, which is predicted to reach equilibrium only in the next few years as world-class operations wind down. Stakiw has seen a rising number of exploration companies working in New Brunswick, attributable in part to a forecasted rally in zinc prices.

June/July 2012 | 31

teck.com

upfront MAINTENANCE by Krystyna Lagowski

Reliability retool Teck’s maintenance and reliability program a journey, not a destination to rebuild one of them, and we have a fleet of 80 haul trucks – that’s a solid example of a best practice.” Teck is the world’s second-largest exporter of seaborne steelmaking coal, with five coal mines in British Columbia and one in Alberta; as such, best practices can go a long way when implemented across operations. Teck’s program, which recently won Uptime magazine’s Best Emerging Maintenance Reliability Program Award, was designed to unify its mine sites and reduce costs by 20 per cent.

Courtesy of Teck Resources Ltd.

Software keeps hardware in check

Ongoing maintenance at Teck’s Elkview coal operation

here is a maintenance and reliability revolution underway at Teck Resources Limited’s coal division. The transition from time-based to condition-based component replacement, and the incorporation of precision maintenance practices, like proactively filtering oil on the wheel motors of its Komatsu 930E haul trucks, is saving the company almost $1.5 million over the life cycle of each truck. This is an example of how the maintenance and reliability program works – taking a best practice at one site, in this case Fording River operations, and sharing it with the others. “Rather than wait for an oil analysis to recommend a filtration, the wheel motors are proactively filtered,” says Jeff Smith, reliability lead at Teck. “Over the truck’s life, on time-based replacements, we would usually replace the wheel motors five or six times – now we only replace them twice. When you consider it’s $1.2 million to buy a new wheel motor, or $250,000

32 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

On the road to that 20 per cent reduction, there have been many challenges, such as aligning maintenance with operations. “Operations have expectations where they want to use their assets and their assets are not going to break down,” says Smith. “But maintenance has requirements too – you can’t run something 24-7 without checking it at certain intervals – so we had to establish realistic expectations.” A full-scale enterprise resource planning system was brought in to support the initiative, consisting of Dynamics AX from Microsoft coupled with an enterprise asset management application called Daxeam from Eclipse Computing. This supports our core maintenance functions for planning, scheduling, work orders and work management, Smith says. Additionally, Teck began using an engineering tool called “Availability Work Bench,” which facilitates the study of assets for Reliability Centered Maintenance reports. “In addition, we’re building a closed-loop continuous improvement system utilizing Daxeam which has a Failure Reporting Analysis Corrective Action System, or FRACAS, process built into it,” Smith says. As a result, maintenance work is designed in Availability Work Bench, managed within Daxeam, and then the failure codes and defect codes that are part of the FRACAS process are to be fed back into Availability Work Bench to identify gaps or optimization opportunities. “The closed-loop system enables sustainable, continuous improvement,” explains Smith. “You get better and better at the game – it’s a journey, not a destination.”

Expertise from outside Smith points out that Uptime has been a valuable resource. “They’re more than a magazine, they are an entire consortium: they have the Reliabilityweb.com group, an annual maintenance conference and they’re the publication for the Association of Maintenance Professionals,” he says. “We’ve looked at their benchmarking and other studies and incorporated them into our strategies, as well as looking to other mining industries.” Though the vision behind this project came from Teck, a number of aspects of the program were outsourced, including oil analysis, which is done by Dingo Software Pty.

Rick Derkach, operations manager for Dingo in Canada, describes oil analysis as a maintenance strategy’s core foundation. “Something as simple as an oil sample can help prevent a catastrophic failure, which can result in half a million or even a million dollars loss for one component,” he says. Drawing an oil sample is relatively easy, as is the assessment, but that does not mean it is without nuance. “What we’re doing with Teck is cost-avoidance savings, where you can quantify what type of savings you can expect by extending the life of a piece of equipment,” stresses Brantley Griffith, vice-president of global sales for Dingo. Dingo uses proprietary Trakka software to help identify priorities and criticalities. “If a shovel is moving coal out of the ground, and you only have one shovel – but you have 20 trucks that can move the coal – then that one shovel becomes the most critical. The software sets those priorities and identifies how severe a condition may be to help determine which job needs to be done first,” says Derkach.

Reliability culture finds its roots Teck is also actively building systems that capture knowledge from its retiring workforce and is on a steep growth curve because human resources are not as available as they have been in the past. “At the International Maintenance Conference in Florida last year, tradesmen were described as ‘gold collar’ instead of ‘blue collar’ because there’s such a demand for them,” says Smith. “If we want to grow our business, we have to improve our effectiveness with our existing workforce.” Terrence O’Hanlon, publisher and editor-in-chief of Uptime magazine, says Teck has all the tools in place to achieve success. “You can’t just maintain your way to reliability – a lot of it has to do with culture, and they hired all these brilliant reliability engineers, who are young and eager,” he says. “On top of that, they have some seasoned reliability leadership, people who have been there and done that. “At the top, they have management that is extraordinarily supportive of that structure. The way they’ve layered everybody is superb.” O’Hanlon stresses that the culture of reliability needs to be embedded in the organization in order to be successful. “It’s not just a bunch of techniques, but also changing the way people believe and the way they view reliability so they buy into it.” Smith notes that Teck is only two years into a four-year initiative and remarks that they “won the best intentions award,” as they are still considered “emerging.” As the program progresses though, he hopes for more. “Teck is looking at more system integration and better flow of management,” Smith says. “In the future, we need to focus on support for the people making day-to-day decisions in the field, whether they’re in the pit or in the office.” He adds, “It is vital to effectively change the beliefs of the people physically interacting with the assets. If we don’t change the practices of the people who operate the asset, maintain it, wash it or lube it, it’s all smoke and mirrors. I’m proud of the people we have – and proud of what we’ve accomplished.” CIM June/July 2012 | 33

minetraining.ca

upfront ABORIGINAL OUTREACH by Krystyna Lagowski

Mine Training Society perseveres

Courtesy of the Mine Training Society

Partners help avert financial crisis despite funding loss

Hilary Jones, the general manager of the Mine Training Society

ince 2004, the Mine Training Society (MTS), which operates out of Yellowknife, has partnered with Aboriginal governments, industry partners, the government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government to train Aboriginal individuals for mining jobs. MTS has assessed 1,900 Aboriginal people over the past eight years, training and/or counseling 1,300 and obtaining employment for 737. “These are jobs like underground miner, mineral processor, camp cook, diamond driller, mine administration – not entry level jobs,” stresses MTS general manager Hilary Jones.

Federal funding cuts In March 2012, when the federal government ended a significant source of funding – the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program – Jones did not panic. She knew it was time to get creative, and started to look for alternatives. She is committed to keeping the program, which won PDAC’s Special Achievement Award for 2012. “Currently I’m working on a proposal to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC),” Jones says. “Each training-to-employment project can receive up to $10 million [from HRSDC]; right now, our project is looking to cost $16.5 million, so our partners are giving us the other $7 million.” These partners include BHP Billiton, Diavik, DeBeers Canada, Avalon Rare Metals and Tamerlane Ventures, as well 34 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

as Aboriginal governments including the Gwich’in Tribal Council, the Inuvialuit, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, the NWT Métis Nation, the Tlicho government and the Akaitcho. Jones says the funding from industry and government partners will give her a two-year reprieve, so MTS can continue doing what it does best: train Aboriginal people for mining jobs. “There are three existing mines and six advanced stage projects [in the NWT]; two are going into construction next year, so we need a lot of people,” she adds. She says it is not cheap to train an underground miner, but that cost is offset because the trained graduates find meaningful jobs with the mines, which fund the training, almost immediately. And as a bonus to government, “they become taxpayers quickly.” The program costs $53,000 per person; the training lasts 32 weeks, which includes a sixweek community-based introduction, 12 weeks in Yellowknife at the training facility and 12 weeks of on-site training. “That’s more than a thousand dollars a week to train one person,” Jones explains. “It’s a very skilled occupation – this isn’t pick and shovel anymore. You’re dealing with computers and $6-million trucks.” She adds that the completion success rate of the underground mining program is nearly 100 per cent, of which 90 per cent are offered employment at the end of their training.

Training done right MTS takes a comprehensive, holistic approach to training. “We do career counselling to ensure people are successful,” explains Jones. “We don’t want to set people up for failure.” If someone does not qualify for a program, MTS will work with the interested party to identify where the gaps are in their skills, referring them to other organizations for literacy training or even medical counselling. The most popular program is the underground mining program, for which candidates are hand-selected. “We go out into the communities and do an introduction to underground mining, where we do two weeks of job-readiness skills, and four weeks of mining education about subjects like geology and safety,” she says. To help prepare families, MTS involves the students’ significant others to improve their understanding of the mining schedule, which includes shift rotation. They also discuss the reality of having a partner away for two weeks at a time. “There has to be an honest conversation about who’s going to look

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after the firewood and what they’re going to do with the money,” says Jones. “By the time they finish that six-week session, they can make an informed choice as to whether they want to proceed.”

GIVING BACK

MTS receives applications from all over North America, and its model has been copied by other territories. “It’s been emulated in the Yukon and Nunavut,” says Tom Hoefer, executive director at the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines. “We have new opportunities for mining and we’re going to have steady demand for workers that are job-ready. MTS has been critically important. Without it, the mines wouldn’t have been able to achieve what they have for northern and Aboriginal employment.” Hoefer says in the North, where there is a lower educational achievement level, “the MTS helps fill that gap, by giving people job-specific training and job-ready skills.” The three territories are now working together to implement a pan-territorial approach for federal support. “The North is an area that has a lot of opportunity right now, and the prime minister has noted that the mining industry is important to Canada’s wealth creation,” Hoefer says. “The resource industry is going to be critically important to Canada to help balance the books again, after the big recession.” Hoefer estimates there could be $12 billion in capital investment in the territories over the next five to 10 years. “We estimate the total number of new jobs could be 6,000 in just one year.” He adds that there is a baby boom in Nunavut, and a pressing demand for opportunities. “Our resources are a tremendous advantage to us in the North, and to take maximum advantage, we need to have training.” Hoefer says that, although he is not a tax expert, he knows mining will be good for the federal coffers. “The federal and territorial governments will reap a lot of benefit by putting people to work and having these operations move forward – it’s a small investment to put money into training.” Jackson Lafferty, NWT minister of education, culture and employment, says meetings have already begun with Leona Aglukkaq, federal minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency about the pan-territorial approach. “We’ve always collaborated in the past,” he notes. “There’s a lot of discussion right now and it’s just a matter of time; we have to maintain a positive mindset.” Lafferty hopes the pan-territorial plan will be in place by the next fiscal year. “That’s our push. We want the Mine Training Society to continue producing these talented individuals, and we need to be innovative and creative with the mining industry to move forward with this successful project.” Jones says she estimates there will be 2,000 Aboriginal people to train over the next two years, and she is looking forward to it. “At our first graduating program in 2005, a student gave me a big hug and said that now they had a life,” she says. “I get to deal with folks like that every day. I can see changes in people’s lives – and that’s how I count our success, one person at a time.” CIM

Richard Lewandowski, president of Endress+Hauser Canada

Courtesy of E+H

A model for export

Endress+Hauser backs education Endress+Hauser Canada announced it will give $1.4 million to the new SAIT Polytechnic Trades and Technology Complex in Calgary, Alberta. The donation, which will fund the Endress+Hauser Process Lab, will help develop the next generation of skilled workers who are attending SAIT’s MacPhail School of Energy. It will also help mitigate the growing demand for trades people, technologists and technicians, and concerns about the labour shortage. “We have a long history of supporting the development and training of the industrial automation workforce,” said Richard Lewandowski, president of Endress+Hauser Canada. “Because of this culture, getting involved with SAIT was natural. By providing students with the best measurement equipment and training materials, we believe that we are in turn investing in our future employees.” MacPhail School of Energy dean Mary MacDonald said the support offered by Endress+Hauser, a global leader in measurement instrumentation, services and solutions, will give students a firstclass facility. “We continue to be committed to providing state-of-the-art technology and a skills-oriented education,” MacDonald added. “SAIT has always been known as a trailblazer in research and innovation and we feel that this new facility is very reflective of that.”

June/July 2012 | 35

quadrafnx.com/en

upfront Q&A by Janice Leuschen

Ballad of a “semi-working” man Equal measures of patience and experience keep Terry MacGibbon in business fter a long career with Inco, Terry MacGibbon redefined retirement and played a key role in several very successful mining opportunities by capitalizing on his out-ofthe-box approach to undeveloped resource potential. With FNX, he and his team turned non-core assets acquired from Inco into very profitable producing mines, and following the sale of Quadra FNX to KGHM this year, he is pursuing more opportunities to build new mining companies. As chairman of the board of three enterprising juniors, MacGibbon has found himself with the freedom to work when and how he wants – a combination he hopes is lucrative for all stakeholders.

CIM: In the sale of Quadra FNX, did KGHM approach you or did you approach them? MacGibbon: KGHM was one of the companies which bid on the partnership that Quadra FNX was developing for Sierra Gorda. KGHM was not the successful bidder but its management became familiar with Quadra FNX through that process, and I guess they liked what they saw and decided if they could not be Quadra FNX’s partner in Sierra Gorda, they’d acquire the entire company and all of its assets. 36 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

CIM: How did it feel to sell the company you envisioned and grew? MacGibbon: The real change wasn’t when we sold Quadra FNX but when we merged FNX with Quadra and formed Quadra FNX – that was a big transformation for me. I went from being a 24/7 president and CEO to being the chairman and not being involved on a day-to-day basis. It’s like having children – you bring them into the world, nurture them, watch them grow, mature and reach their potential – and then they leave. Most of the FNX employees, including many friends, chose to stay with Quadra FNX and were treated very fairly – and the vast majority of our Quadra FNX team continues to work for KGHM in rewarding employment – that meant a lot to me and made both transactions much easier. CIM: FNX’s arrangement with Inco was not typical. How did it work? MacGibbon: Back around 2001, Inco decided it had some non-core former-producing mineral properties that it wasn’t going to do anything with. The company put them up for

upfront Q&A

purchase and ran an auction, and I was fortunate to be invited to bid. When I looked at the data during the due diligence process, I saw outstanding exploration potential (we eventually made eight discoveries and found five mines), but I also saw there were near-term production opportunities. I correctly believed that some of these former producing mines could be put back into production by an entrepreneurial, low-cost mining company, like FNX, and make money. In most mines, you have to bring the ore to surface, crush it and mill it, then sell the concentrate to a smelter. In our case, we brought the ore to surface and then shipped it directly to Inco’s mill. They milled and processed the ore. Since Inco had a huge mill that was not operating to full capacity, we didn’t have to build a mill and could concentrate our investments in mining and exploration and not in processing facilities. It was a symbiotic relationship. We could mine cheaply and they wanted the metal. They made money on the processing and marketing of the metal and we made money on mining the product and selling it to Inco. Of course, we all greatly profited from a very strong bull commodity market. CIM: Quadra FNX mined precious metals and nickel in the same ore body and withstood the economic downturn. Are there other recession-resistant opportunities? MacGibbon: There are many bi-product or co-product mines around the world. Most of the time, metal prices go up and down on the same tide. However, there are some situations where a drastic change in commodity prices makes the secondary product the main product and vice versa, but for the most part, no. In our situation, we discovered very highgrade copper and precious metal deposits with significant nickel in them. When nickel became uneconomic and we couldn’t ship our nickel ore to Inco, we were able to ship our copper/precious metal ore.

never fully retire. I much prefer the term “semi-working,” which essentially allows you to work when and on what projects you want. I like to look for excellent advanced mineral assets that have certain “curable” risks associated with them. Because of the risks, you can sometimes get a relatively inexpensive deal and add value by lowering the risks. Once we identify a worthwhile asset, we look at the possibility of financing the acquisition and then look at putting together a management team and a strong board of directors. If all that comes together, we make the acquisition, and then explore, develop and put the asset into production. For example, Torex’s Morelos project was acquired after the crash of 2008–2009 when some mining companies were burdened with debt and very low share prices.When the project came to our attention, I personally liked it a lot because it already had a well-defined 43-101mineral resource and very significant exploration upside. We initially raised $275 million to purchase Teck Resources’ majority interest and then raised another $60 million to purchase Goldcorp’s minority interest in the property. Fred Stanford, also formerly from Inco, was looking for a new opportunity and was a perfect fit to come in as the CEO. Fred and his team have been able to increase the resources from three million ounces of gold to about five million ounces of gold and expect to have a full feasibility study completed this summer and initial construction in early 2013. That’s what I like to do, but I don’t do it every day. It usually is a very long-term process that can take six months, 12 months, 18 months or 24 months before you see the right project. It’s only when we have identified a worthwhile project, hired the right management team, put together a stellar board and have the ability to finance it that everything comes together and we act. CIM

CIM: You’ve used unconventional and creative methods in exploration and mining in the past. Are you using anything new at any of your present ventures? MacGibbon: Wherever practical. For example, At Torex Gold Resources’ Morelos property, we expect to be mining on the side of a mountain and our CEO, Fred Stanford, was concerned about having caravans of trucks going up and down that mountain. With all the safety problems that come with that, he’s seriously considering using a rope conveyer, which is like what they use at a ski resort, but on steroids. CIM: What are you plans for the future? MacGibbon: I’ve never liked the terms retired or semi-retired and will probably June/July 2012 | 37

Lodestars

Courtesy of Xstrata Nickel/Michael Cooper

Guiding lights for the next generation of women in mining

By Ryan Bergen, Antoine Dion-Ortega, Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco, Eavan Moore

It is a fact: recruiting women to work in the mining industry is a struggle. The industry still lags when it comes to gender diversity: women comprise only 14.4 per cent of the industry’s labour force, a step behind the oil and gas sector where 20.2 per cent of workers are women, and still further trails the Canadian average where women are the majority in the workforce. The mining industry will need to work upstream in the recruitment process and change perceptions if it wishes to meet the labour demand, and to establish itself as an attractive career choice for female students. Of course, there are those already hard at work inside the industry, changing perceptions and providing inspiration for the future female workforce.

Resource developer DOMINIQUE DIONNE, vice-president of Corporate Affairs at Xstrata Nickel and the first president of the Quebec Mining Association not from an engineering background, decided to fight the deficit of women in the workforce head on. Her objective: to show young women that attitudes have changed and that the mining industry now stands ready to welcome them with open arms.

CIM: When you began your career at Noranda in 1979, the percentage of women in the mining industry must have been close to zero. What attracted you to an industry that was so utterly male-dominated? Dionne: It’s true that the industry had few women at the time. In 1971, article 259 of Quebec’s Mining Act stipulated that no woman was to work underground in a mine, except as an engineer or geologist. I have to tell you that in 1979, when I started working for Noranda, there was indeed a palpable uneasiness among miners with regard to having a woman working alongside of them underground. In those days, it was thought to bring bad luck. It was more or less by accident that I found myself working in the mining industry. My field is management of public affairs and communications – one in which the majority of workers are women, regardless of the industry. I was interested in community relations, and it was through this that I entered mining. So I was in an enclave where the jobs were more traditionally held by women, but in an industry that was still largely dominated by men.

CIM: What were the obstacles confronting women at the time? Are these obstacles still present today? Dionne: The major difficulty in those days was to find a way to reconcile work and family life. Family life could never, under any circumstances, become a problem. Today, things have changed. I have come to realize that the important thing is to accept one’s role as a mother and to speak frankly about it with one’s employer. This way of thinking is increasingly common among young people and among a growing number of employers. In most industries, solutions have been found. Why should ours be any different? The second obstacle was that the workplace had not been designed to accommodate women. For example, there were no changing rooms for women, which became an easy excuse for managers, who would say, “We can’t hire women; we have no women’s washrooms, and it would be too much trouble to rework our entire system.” Abandoning the very idea of working with women was fairly easy to do. We were up against a mentality that saw mining as men’s work. One of the solutions in this industry has been, rather than to bring one woman into these groups, to bring in several at once – create small teams. Today, men are more open and welcoming, and we see a reversal of the trend. CIM: Where does the industry stand on this issue today? Why has gender-diversity become so important? Dionne: Attitudes in our workplace have evolved and minds have been opened. Everyone now sees a more diversified workforce as desirable because people are aware of the advantages – concerning not only gender, but age, culture

June/July 2012 | 39

“One of the solutions in this industry has been, rather than to bring one woman into these groups, bring in several at once — create small teams.” ~ D. DIONNE

and ethnic origin as well. Every study has shown that a more diversified workforce, in our board of directors or in senior management, leads to better job performance and greater financial success. Why is this true? Because there are certain issues that men and women approach differently, so having women on staff opens us up to a broader range of ideas. We no longer limit ourselves to traditional ways of thinking or doing things. By introducing some diversity into our organizations, we begin to think differently on the whole. This is a great way for a company to set itself apart from the crowd. CIM: Despite this heightened awareness, the industry still struggles to attract young women. Why? Dionne: I think that the problem doesn’t necessarily come from the industry as such. It is highly dependent on the training programs that are available to young women in our educational institutions. As an example, if a welding program is offered, 90 per cent of the students interested in such a program will be boys, and only 10 per cent will be girls. Thus,

the field of candidates from which a company can choose will already be very limited. In a scenario such as this, we might end up with 99 per cent of our welders being men. You have to look at things at the foundation: what are the programs being offered to young women, and how are the opportunities that the field has to offer presented to them? If we don’t change things at the foundation, no matter how much effort we exert at our level, we just won’t have enough qualified women to meet the needs of the industry. We’ll need to work upstream in the process and talk to young people at an age when they are starting to think about their future careers. CIM: Making Xstrata Nickel a place where women will stay and where they will be given opportunities for advancement has been one of your primary goals. How do you go about achieving this? Dionne: At Xstrata Nickel, I have been in charge of overseeing the Women’s Executive Network mentorship program since it began six years ago. This program selects young professional women from among our ranks for mentorship by some of Canada’s 100 most influential women. We seek out our most promising young women, who may work at any of our branches around the world, looking for quality over quantity. To date, 50 young women have gone through the program. Despite our wonderful diversity, women still have a hard time climbing the corporate ladder in our industry. The aim of this mentorship program is to give these young women the tools they need while putting them in contact with strong female role models, and we believe that this will contribute in preparing them to take on increasingly important roles. Indeed, we hope to be able to export a similar concept to other regions where we work, such as Tanzania. We also want to help schools attract more girls to specialization programs. We have a project under way with Carleton University in Ottawa, which is host to the Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership. We are in the process of developing a forum that would give students a chance to engage in dialogue with government representatives, NGOs and members of the industry around the following question: how can we facilitate the advancement of women in our mining organizations? Are there fundamental assumptions that hinder their advancement? We are faced with a challenge, and we’re looking for the best ways to tackle it. It’s by talking about it more and consulting with other sectors to find solutions that we will be in a position to deal with this challenge. The first forum discussion will take place on October 16 at the university. A. DION-ORTEGA Translated by M. Stout

40 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Outside the comfort zone HEATHER WHITE, vice-president, mining, NovaGold Resources Inc.

“My dream coming into this career was to design, build and have a hand in operating a mine from a blank piece of paper into full production,” says Heather White, vicepresident, mining, NovaGold Resources Inc. “It’s a very rare opportunity. It’s not too often a brand new mine is started, so timing is everything. And in order to get that chance, you have to be at the right place and time.”

happened beyond that, so I left my comfort zone to get exposure to the other side of the business, the end product, the selling aspect, to broaden my knowledge of the entire business chain,” she explains.

“I was so fortunate,” says White. “I got to see my dream come true, had so much fun doing it, and learned so much that still applies to the work I do today.” Through the 16 years she worked at Inco and Vale before joining NovaGold, White was tenacious about learning and gaining experience in every possible facet of the supply chain and the business. “I like to take on different roles, ones in which I’m constantly challenged and am broadening my knowledge base, especially if it’s not in an area I have particular expertise in,” she points out.

Courtesy of Heather White

As luck would have it, in 2003, White found herself at the right place at the right time, and was hired as chief mining engineer at Inco’s then new $2.9-billion Voisey’s Bay project in Labrador. A year and a half later, she was appointed mine manager.

“I like to take on different roles, ones in which I’m constantly challenged and am broadening my knowledge base, especially if it’s not in an area I have particular expertise in.” ~ H. WHITE

In 2008, she took the position of director, marketing, supply chain at Vale Canada Ltd. in Toronto, although she had never worked on that side of the business before. For three years, she managed the worldwide nickel supply chain for Vale — and excelled at it. “I had spent some 12 years digging it out of the ground and getting it onto a ship or a train and had no real idea of what

In April 2011, White decided to take on a new challenge and joined NovaGold Resources Inc. as director of mining. “In a smaller company, there’s less bureaucracy, so it’s a great place to really get in and add value in a variety of ways,” she says. “Broadening and developing myself, and finding ways to add value, that’s what makes it interesting. I need to be stretching my mind. Otherwise, I feel as if I’m wasting time.” Throughout her career, White has consistently focused on building relationships, which she believes are particularly important in the mining industry. “Mining is a team effort and you’re crossing many horizons between different disciplines all the time,” she says. “Whether it is from finance to marketing, to technical, or between processing, geology and mining, you’re constantly working in teams and forging new relationships, and the reality is mining is a global business. So with global teams, as well, you have to find the common ground and gain trust and respect from your team members.”

Last December, eight months after having hired her, NovaGold promoted White to vice-president, mining – a role that has given her a new opportunity. “The dream I had has gone from cradle to grave. I was able to design, build and have a hand in operating a mine at Voisey’s Bay. Now, I’m closing one — NovaGold’s Rock Creek mine in Nome, Alaska,” says White. “It’s sad, but it’s also a part of the whole mining process, so it has been a very exciting time.” A. LOPEZ-PACHECO June/July 2012 | 41

consulting engineering firm. Her global experience, combined with a stint as chief mining consultant at the Ontario Securities Commission, gave her a background wellsuited to working on international disclosure standards.

Courtesy of Deborah McCombe

When McCombe volunteered to join John Postle, cochair of the CIM Reserves Definition Committee, in representing CIM on CRIRSCO in 2002, she says, “I enjoyed my first CRIRSCO meeting so much and the dedicated group of people who were involved that I just had to stay on.” She brought with her an ability to build consensus. “All of the chairs at CRIRSCO have had the ability to include all viewpoints and make sure we move forward on the issues.”

The standard bearer DEBORAH McCOMBE, executive vice-president, Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. and chairperson of the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO) Moving forward from the Bre-X fiasco of the 1990s, Deborah McCombe has seen public trust in mineral project disclosure grow over the last decade, thanks in large part to her work within CIM and on CRIRSCO, an international volunteer committee of national reporting organizations, tasked with harmonizing the way exploration results and mineral resources and reserves are reported worldwide. CRIRSCOstyle codes, and the inclusion of a Qualified Person, mean that investors can compare projects anywhere in the world. At home, McCombe helped set the highest standard for mineral project disclosure in Canada’s securities law, National Instrument 43-101. A professional geoscientist, McCombe started her career as a field geologist on mineral properties in Newfoundland and Ontario, held by the paper company that became Abitibi Price. She then began to do more international work with a 42 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

That is not easy in a group that spans Canada, the United States, Chile, UK/Europe, South Africa, Australasia, and, as of 2011, Russia. “There are some strong opinions,” says McCombe. “And that makes for lively discussions at some of our meetings. It’s in the discussion of the issues, and how they’ve been handled in different countries, that we end up finding a resolution. We generally arrive at something that we can all live with.” CRIRSCO continues to work on uniting more countries through disclosure codes. Its members are working with representatives from Mongolia, have started discussions with Turkey and several South American countries, and have recommended the United Nations adopt CRIRSCO’s template as the basis for its solid minerals classifications. CRIRSCO has been advising the International Accounting Standards Board on the use of mineral resources and mineral reserves for financial reporting purposes. CRIRSCO members are also in the process of aligning their own codes. McCombe is the committee’s only female representative. As more women enter the fields of geology and mining engineering, they will have more opportunities to be involved on the international scene, she suggests. She cannot think of a way in which being a woman slowed her down. “There were certainly not many female field geologists when I graduated, however, in the course of my career, I have not had barriers to advancement.” Her husband was supportive of her work, helping raise the children jointly. “Starting from graduation, I was fortunate to have mentors in the industry as well,” she adds. “For men and women alike, there’s a whole world of opportunities in the mining business, and it’s just that they may not always be aware of different projects or have the opportunity to move to different positions,” she comments. Her advice for anyone in the industry: “I think people should find their area of interest and passion and follow it. Interest and passion are E. MOORE the keys.”

A precedent setter “I love what I do,” says Dominique Gibbens. In her 20-odd years of litigation and dispute resolution, Gibbens has amassed experience in a range of fields and legal systems, including the petrochemicals and mining industries. Earlier this year, she helped First Quantum Minerals (FQM) reach a US$1.25 billion arbitration settlement in its disputes with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kazakh miner ENRC. For the industry, it was a newsmaking precedent; for her, it was another opportunity to learn. “This was a fascinating case of tremendous breadth,” explains Gibbens. “I learned a lot from the experience of putting together the proceedings and the strategy.” Fasken Martineau partner Geoffrey Cowper brought her to the team handling the case in 2010, when FQM had already filed International Chamber of Commerce claims against the DRC following the cancellation of the joint venture contract for the Kolwezi tailings project. The DRC had then withdrawn permits on two other mines, leading to a second filing before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), an arbitration institution that is a part of the World Bank Group. Gibbens led the team working on ICSID proceedings. Meanwhile, the DRC had claimed damages in a Congolese court, and ENRC-affiliated entities had quickly acquired the confiscated Kolwezi project, attracting separate lawsuits in the British Virgin Islands.

“Trying to manage family and professional demands is an issue for males too, but I think it’s still a reality that it’s more difficult on women.” ~ D. GIBBENS

In January 2012, ENRC agreed to purchase FQM’s interest in all three Congo properties and certain other assets for US$1.25 billion, with all legal claims dropped. Gibbens can think of no similar dispute settled for such a large amount. She attributes this successful outcome in part to an unusual objective on FQM’s part: although such cases typically revolve around the recovery of damages, FQM wanted its properties back and the legal team’s strategy kept that objective front and centre. The pressure resulting from the overall strategy, including from very favourable provisional

Courtesy of Fasken Martineau

DOMINIQUE GIBBENS, partner at Fasken Martineau

measures obtained in the ICSID proceedings, contributed to reaching the transaction that addressed the fate of FQM’s assets. Cases like these are fun for Gibbens, not only because they pose a professional challenge, but because they introduce her to unfamiliar topics. “When you’re a litigator, you handle such varied subject matter,” she observes. “It’s so interesting to learn about new technical issues that are unrelated to the law.” To work on FQM’s case, she needed to understand its operations, finding herself studying the mining process used to make a low-grade copper project profitable. For Gibbens, this practical side of the work, and the opportunity to learn from other jurisdictions, makes working with resource companies a pleasure. A downside to complex international arbitration that will be familiar to lawyers and miners alike is managing the work-life balance. This remains a challenge for women in a field which has otherwise made huge strides, she believes, and it explains why firms find it difficult to retain their female lawyers for the long run. “Trying to manage family and professional demands is an issue for males too, but I think it’s still a reality that it’s more difficult on women,” she points out. With two teenagers and a demanding travel schedule, organization is a must. But she has no plans to stop now. “I feel privileged to have been involved in some of the cases that I’ve done,” remarks Gibbens. “And I feel that there are going E. MOORE to be many more to come.” June/July 2012 | 43

Courtesy of Normand Huberdeau/ N.H. Photographes Ltee.

where cyclical oil prices hit hard at times, she says, it’s important to love what one does; that is what makes it possible to thrive. Having a career plan not only helps achieve this, it aids retention at companies that smooth their employees’ path to advancement. Woodland’s operations included specialty work placement, on-the-job training and mentorship programs with Aboriginal and Métis youth. Her background prompted Noront Resources to invite her onto its First Nations Advisory Council. “I found the work so incredibly innovative and meaningful with Noront,” she remembers, “that I said, ‘you know, I’d like to join this team.’” For the past two years, she has been working to build a local workforce in the area that hosts the nickel-copper Eagle’s Nest mine and the enormous chromite deposit that Noront also hopes to develop in the future. To her, it makes business sense to combat the vast labour shortage by focusing on engaging a local workforce from the North, which is largely comprised of First Nations communities.

Skilled builder LEANNE HALL, vice-president, human resources, Noront Resources Ltd. When Leanne Hall takes on an assignment, she does two things: “I always look at it from the eyes of different stakeholders,” she says, “and I always try to leave places in a better position than where I originally found them.” These approaches have shaped her career in human resources and corporate social responsibility, which is now focused on developing the workforce to support Noront Resources’ Eagle’s Nest mine, currently under development in northern Ontario. Prior to joining Noront, Hall headed Woodland HR Inc. in northern Alberta, where she seized on the skills shortage and the province’s privatization and expansion of its career and employment services to carve out a niche for herself. “At the end of 14 years, we had assisted over 20,000 people in northern Alberta with their career and employment goals,” she says. Hall explains that she used a “grassroots” approach. It involved meeting one-on-one and asking people what they had always dreamed of doing, uncovering their skills and talents, developing a career plan, and matching them with employment that could fulfill those dreams. In an economy 44 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

“What Aboriginal inclusion really means is that you are interested in developing and nurturing genuine relationships,” she says, ones that address the needs of everyone involved. Among its many community investment initiatives, the company has formed community-based scholarship committees with the local First Nations. The Webequie committee found the majority of high school graduates were not pursuing post-secondary education. It was too overwhelming for youth to move to a big city and be disconnected from their family and community. In response, Noront approached Confederation College, which created a pilot program to mentor these students as they began their transition to college in Thunder Bay. Hall is optimistic about her next several years of careerbuilding and economic development work around the prospective Eagle’s Nest mine. Noront’s initial workforce planning suggests there is a good match between the mine’s needs and the interests of neighbouring community members. Eighty-five per cent of the available jobs will range from low- to mid-skilled work to the skilled trades, meaning a degree or highly specialized training is not required. “At the same time,” she cautions, “it is important to recognize that everyone has different career interests and it is important to work with individuals on their career progression plans.” Cooks, diesel mechanics, nurses, tree planters, and environmental monitors all have places within a mining operation. From exploration through closure, predicts Hall, Noront will afford opportunities to pursue every one of the more than 120 career paths identified by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council. “There really is an opportunity for everyE. MOORE body,” she says.

“The reason I have stayed in mining is because it is a people-centred business. You are working with people and their beliefs, and you need to be conscious of what motivates them, and you need to be able to capture both their hearts and minds, and that speaks directly to what I am doing now.” ~ A.M. TOUTANT

Inspiring change ANNE MARIE TOUTANT, vice-president, oil sands optimization and integration, Suncor Energy; director, Mining Association of Canada

and operating expenses, and learning and capabilities development. It is that last role that she particularly relishes, given the current labour shortage in Alberta.

Anne Marie Toutant’s solid math and science skills led her to study engineering at the University of Alberta, but the decision to join the minerals crowd was a no-brainer: “They threw the best parties,” says Toutant. That mix of intellectual challenge and social engagement is still as potent as ever for Toutant, who graduated from the mining engineering program in 1987 and has been a member of the industry ever since, active in operations, as well as with associations committed to advancing mining in Canada.

“The reason I have stayed in mining is because it is a peoplecentred business,” she says. “You are working with people and their beliefs, and you need to be conscious of what motivates them and you need to be able to capture both their hearts and minds, and that speaks directly to what I am doing now.” It is, Toutant believes, one step closer to her ideal job of chief talent officer, one who “creates an environment and a company that people want to stay in and want to be a part of.” R. BERGEN

In fall 2011, after an eight-year term as vice-president of Suncor’s mining operations, Toutant took the helm of the company’s newly formed oil sands optimization and integration division. Her new role, she explains, was designed to make the most of the potential for improvement at and between all stages of production, with the end goal of getting the finished products to the consumers as efficiently as possible. “Historically, we had organized around business areas – mining, extraction, upgrading – and focused on excellence in those particular fields,” she explains. “But we realized that there is tremendous value in expanding the bridges between the different technologies and different parts of the processing chain.”

The task of refining such processes and sharing those lessons is one of four core responsibilities of the optimization and integration group. Toutant’s mandate also includes production planning and logistics of the movement of the resource from mine face to market, management of capital

Courtesy of Suncor

To illustrate, she uses the example of “hot-shifting,” a strategy Suncor’s mining operations have adopted to limit interruptions on the bitumen extraction process caused by truck operator shift changes. By analyzing data from the existing dispatch system and adjusting the timing and location of operator changes, the strategy improved throughput during shift change without additional expense. In essence, the drivers now come to the trucks instead of the other way around.

June/July 2012 | 45

“One of my aims is to increase awareness amongst First Nations groups and women with the potential to participate in the sector. I want to inspire other First Nations communities who will have mines in their backyards as well.”

Courtesy of CREECO

~ D. CHEECHOO

Defining success DARLENE CHEECHOO, president, CREECO Dumas Mining Darlene Cheechoo is a new face in the mining sector. The president of a recently formed partnership between the Cree Regional Economic Enterprises Company (CREECO) and Dumas, she has built her career working for Cree people, and sees the new venture as another extension of a successful business model. CREECO Dumas Mining aims to provide underground mine development services to resource companies throughout Canada. CREECO’s existing subsidiaries include air transport, construction, catering and hotel operations. Together with Dumas’ mining expertise, Cheechoo says, “We have a one-stop shop for potential partners and clients.” While the company will initially focus on opportunities in the Cree territory, Cheechoo emphasizes that CREECO does not want to restrict its activities to First Nations markets. “We are competitive in any market,” she says. This new role is just one of the positions keeping Cheechoo busy. An elected representative from the community of 46 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Waskaganish in northwestern Quebec, she serves as vicechair on the board of compensation, vice-president of CREECO, and vice-chair of the Cree School Board. Her projects have included heading construction supply distribution shaping corporate vision, and raising expectations for student achievement. Her work is informed by more than a decade of higher education: after completing her BA, she went on to earn degrees in education and law. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2005 but chose to stay in the North to be part of the development of the Cree territory known as Eeyou Istchee. Both her drive to learn and her choice of path can be credited to her late traditional adoptive mother. “She was my greatest cheerleader and encouraged me to set goals in life,” Cheechoo explains. “Once I finished my training, she wanted me to return to the community to work for the people.” Cheechoo’s mother provided a strong role model for her, and she has also found inspiration from Aboriginal leaders like Wilma Mankiller, Justice Murray Sinclair, Elijah Harper and Roberta Jamieson. Cheechoo in turn feels she can serve as a model for women. “I was already married when I applied to university as a mature student and that can be a common experience for all women. Achieving personal goals often requires tremendous sacrifice and commitment, but if you set your mind to it, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish.” In her role as president of CREECO Dumas Mining, Cheechoo’s first obligation is to grow the business, an objective that will depend on the planned employment, training and business opportunities for First Nations communities. “One of my aims is to increase awareness amongst First Nations groups and women with an interest in participating in the sector,” she explains. “I want to help build capacity in other First Nations communities and help them develop resource E. MOORE opportunities in their territories.”

Mine rescuer JULIE LASSONDE, president and CEO, Shear Diamonds Ltd. When Julie Lassonde speaks of her career, and of the challenges, successes and opportunities her company faces in resurrecting the once-defunct Jericho Diamond mine in Nunavut, as well as in mining in general, she exudes the qualities and mindset of a leader. “My mom, a nuclear engineer, was the first woman president of the Professional Engineers of Ontario,” says Lassonde. “As I was growing up, I saw her mentor many women engineers. I have the same passion for engineering as she does, and now I’m in a position where I can mentor young women in mining. It’s so gratifying to have these young women blossom and feel comfortable in a world that is allegedly an old boys’ network.”

“But I always love a challenge. I will not deny that.” As a leader, Lassonde is also passionate about mining. Some would say it is in her blood, given that her father is the legendary Pierre Lassonde, one of Canada’s foremost experts in mining, co-founder of Franco-Nevada Mining Corporation and former president of Newmont Mining Corporation – the world’s largest gold producer. Her early exposure to mining did in fact draw her to the industry. “I love it. I think an open pit mine is a beautiful thing,” she says. But it was a summer job working for Newmont at its Goldstrike mine in Elko, Nevada as a student that convinced her mining would be her future. “It was probably the best education I could have received,” she says, pointing out that her Newmont experience was in the early 1990s, long before her father had any involvement with the company. “So ironically, I worked for Newmont before my dad,” she says. “The things I learned there! It was amazing. I still apply those lessons at my own site.” After graduating, she worked in investment banking, which she says was an excellent foundation because it taught her structure and the importance of paying attention to every detail, no matter how minute. “I’m grateful for that, but I thought, ‘Okay, there’s only so much I can take of this.’ So then I did a lot of work in the junior mining sector. It’s one of the hardest sectors to be in because of the risk,” notes Lassonde. “But every day brings a whole new set of issues or questions or challenges. It’s always exciting.” Pam Strand recognized Lassonde’s entrepreneurial spirit and approached her with a proposal many would have

David Dorken

~ J. LASSONDE

considered worthy of raising a skeptical eyebrow: purchasing the Jericho Diamond mine in Nunavut, which had gone from being all the buzz in 2006 to being shut down two years later with the company that owned it, Tahera Diamond Corporation, crumbling into bankruptcy. “Pam knew this was something that had been maligned and improperly mined, and she came to me and said, ‘I’m not sure I can do this on my own, but I’m pretty sure together we can definitely do this,’” Lassonde recalls. They purchased Jericho for $6 million in 2010. On May 1 of this year, Shear Diamonds announced it had begun processing its recovery reject stockpiles, recovering 3,500 carats from 358 tonnes in only 10 days, in part to demonstrate that a significant number of diamonds had gone unrecovered under Tahera – and to prove that, with improved processes, the mine will be profitable. Lassonde concludes: “Step by step; we still have to get Jericho up and running. There’s a lot of exploration on many of the claims around Jericho and we know we have some drillready targets, which we have to get to at some point – in the near future preferably. But I always love a challenge. I will not A. LOPEZ-PACHECO deny that.” CIM June/July 2012 | 47

Ré-imaginer l’industrie Attirer les femmes dans le secteur minier : « Il faut travailler en amont » Par Antoine Dion-Ortega

C’est un fait établi : le secteur minier peine à recruter des femmes dans ses rangs. Caractérisée par une histoire et une image à caractère essentiellement masculins, l’industrie est toujours à la traîne en matière de diversité des sexes : les femmes ne composent que 14,4 pour cent de sa main-d’œuvre, loin derrière les secteurs pétrolier et gazier, par exemple, qui en comptent 20,2 pour cent. Faisant face à une pénurie de main-d’œuvre estimée à 60 000 travailleurs d’ici 2017, l’industrie minière devra travailler en amont et changer les perceptions si elle veut se tailler une place parmi les choix de carrière qui s’offrent aux étudiantes. C’est dans ce contexte que Dominique Dionne, vice-présidente des affaires corporatives de Xstrata Nickel et première présidente de l’Association minière du Québec à ne pas avoir le statut d’ingénieur, a décidé de monter au front. Son objectif ? Montrer aux jeunes femmes que les attitudes ont changé et que le secteur minier les attend maintenant à bras ouverts.

Dans mon cas, c’est un peu par accident que je me suis retrouvée dans le secteur minier. Je m’occupe de la gestion des affaires publiques et des communications, un métier qui compte une majorité de femmes, quelle que soit l’industrie. J’étais attirée par les relations avec les collectivités et c’est par cette porte-là que je suis entrée dans le secteur minier. J’étais donc dans une enclave de métiers plus féminins, au sein d’une industrie très masculine. 48 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Photo: Xstrata Nickel/Michael Cooper

ICM : Quand vous avez débuté votre carrière à Noranda, en 1979, la proportion de femmes dans le secteur minier devait être proche de zéro. En l’absence d’un modèle féminin dont s’inspirer, qu’est-ce qui vous a attiré vers un secteur aussi exclusivement masculin ? Dionne : Il est vrai que le secteur comptait peu de femmes. En 1971, l’article 259 de la Loi du Québec sur les mines stipulait qu’aucune femme ou fille ne devait travailler sous terre dans une mine, sauf comme ingénieur ou géologue. Je dois vous dire qu’en 1979, quand j’ai commencé à travailler pour Noranda, on ressentait effectivement le malaise des mineurs face à la présence d’une femme travaillant avec eux sous terre. À l’époque, on pensait que cela portait malheur. ICM : Quels obstacles rencontraient les femmes, à l’époque ? Existent-ils toujours à l’heure actuelle ? Dionne : La grande difficulté à mon époque, c’était de trouver une façon de concilier travail et famille. La famille ne devait en aucun cas devenir un problème. Aujourd’hui, les choses ont changé. Je me suis rendu compte que ce qui est important, c’est de s’assumer en tant que mère de famille et d’avoir un dialogue franc avec son employeur. Cette façon

de penser est de plus en plus répandue auprès des jeunes et d’un nombre croissant d’employeurs. Il ne doit plus s’agir d’une variable, et l’on devrait toujours pouvoir trouver des solutions. Dans la plupart des industries, on a trouvé des solutions. Pourquoi pas dans la nôtre ? Le deuxième obstacle de l’époque, c’était que les lieux de travail dans ce secteur n’étaient pas prévus pour les femmes. Par exemple, il n’y avait pas de vestiaires pour femmes, ce qui devenait un prétexte facile pour les gestionnaires qui disaient : « On ne peut pas embaucher de femmes ; il n’y a pas de toilettes pour elles, et ce serait trop compliqué de tout réorganiser. » Abandonner l’idée même de travailler avec des femmes était relativement facile. Enfin, on était confrontées à une mentalité selon laquelle ce métier est un métier d’hommes, et une femme ne peut pas s’intégrer aussi facilement à un grand groupe d’hommes. Un groupe d’hommes, tous blancs et du même âge, devient rapidement comme un petit club fermé ; aussi la possibilité de conversations plus élargies, sur d’autres sujets, est-elle limitée. Il n’est jamais simple d’intégrer un milieu fermé, quel qu’il soit. Une des solutions de l’industrie a été, plutôt que d’intégrer une seule femme dans ces groupes, d’en intégrer plusieurs à la fois, de créer des petites équipes. Aujourd’hui, les hommes sont plus accueillants, et l’on observe un renversement de la tendance. ICM : Où en est l’industrie aujourd’hui ? Pourquoi la diversité des sexes est-elle devenue si importante ? Dionne : On a assisté à une évolution et une ouverture d’esprit importantes dans notre milieu de travail. Tout le monde souhaite avoir une main-d’œuvre plus diversifiée car les gens sont conscients des avantages, non seulement du point de vue du genre, mais aussi de l’âge, des cultures et des origines ethniques. Toutes les études ont démontré qu’une maind’œuvre plus diversifiée, dans notre conseil d’administration ou notre direction, aboutit à de meilleures performances et à un plus grand succès sur le plan financier. Pourquoi ? Les hommes et les femmes n’ayant pas la même façon d’appréhender certaines questions, la présence de femmes ouvre la voie à des idées plus diverses. On ne se limite plus à nos modes traditionnels. En ajoutant une certaine diversité dans nos organisations, on pensera différemment. Pour une entreprise, c’est une belle façon de se différencier. ICM : Malgré cette conscientisation, l’industrie peine toujours à attirer les jeunes femmes. Pourquoi ? Dionne : Je pense que le problème ne provient pas nécessairement de l’industrie en tant que telle. Cela tient beaucoup à la formation que l’on propose aux jeunes filles dans nos établissements d’enseignement. Si l’on propose, à titre d’exemple, un métier de soudeur, 90 pour cent de garçons seront intéressés, contre seulement 10 pour cent de filles. Aussi le choix de l’entreprise sera-t-il déjà très restreint. C’est ainsi que dans cet exemple l’on se retrouverait avec

possiblement 99 pour cent de soudeurs masculins. Il faut regarder à la base : ce que l’on propose aux jeunes filles, comment leur sont présentées les opportunités. Si l’on ne change pas cette base, même en faisant tous les efforts du monde, on ne disposera pas des ressources féminines qualifiées suffisantes pour répondre aux besoins de l’industrie. Il va falloir œuvrer en amont, parler aux jeunes à l’âge où ils commencent à réfléchir à leur future carrière. ICM : Depuis des années, la rétention et l’avancement des femmes chez Xstrata Nickel sont des thèmes qui vous tiennent à cœur. Comment vous y prenez-vous ? Dionne : Chez Xstrata Nickel, je parraine le programme de mentorat de Women’s Executive Network depuis son tout début, il y a six ans. Ce programme promeut la sélection de nos jeunes femmes professionnelles à un programme de mentorat auprès des 100 femmes les plus influentes au Canada. On identifie, à l’échelle de nos installations sur la planète, nos jeunes femmes les plus prometteuses, en privilégiant la qualité plutôt que la quantité. Aujourd’hui, 50 sont déjà passées par le programme. Malgré notre belle diversité, les femmes ont quand même de la difficulté à grimper les échelons dans notre industrie. Ce programme de mentorat vise à leur donner des outils et des modèles féminins forts et nous croyons que cela contribuera à les préparer à des rôles de plus en plus importants. On espère même exporter un concept similaire vers d’autres régions où nous œuvrons, comme la Tanzanie. On souhaite aussi aider les commissions scolaires à attirer plus de jeunes filles dans les programmes spécialisés. Nous avons aussi un projet en cours avec l’université Carleton à Ottawa, qui dispose d’un centre spécialisé, le Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership. On est en train de développer un espace de dialogue dans l’optique d’impliquer des représentants du gouvernement, des ONG et des membres de l’industrie pour réfléchir à la question suivante : comment peut-on faciliter l’ascension des femmes dans nos organisations minières ? Existe-t-il des présomptions de base qui empêchent cette ascension ? On se trouve face à un défi et on cherche par quel côté s’y attaquer. C’est en en parlant plus, en cherchant des solutions avec d’autres industries que l’on sera en mesure d’y faire face. La première conversation aura lieu le 16 octobre à l’université. ICM : Vos propres enfants travaillent-ils dans le secteur des mines ? Dionne : Ils ont choisi des carrières très différentes. Ma fille est économiste, et mes deux garçons travaillent dans des domaines liés à la nature, l’horticulture et le tourisme d’aventure, alors que la plus jeune de mes filles est encore aux études en psychologie. Aucun rapport, donc, avec les mines. À ce titre, je ne les ai pas beaucoup influencés ! Je leur ai toujours dit : peu importe ce que tu décides de faire dans la vie; l’important est que ton travail soit source de divertissement chaque jour. ICM juin/juillet 2012 | 49

project profile | H E M L O

barrick.com

Photos courtesy of Barrick Gold

Hemlo, near Marathon, Ontario, is Barrick’s only Canadian operation.

Gold stars for Hemlo The mines that make up Barrick Gold’s Hemlo property in northwestern Ontario have been in operation for 26 years and still have a bright future. Production is currently expected to continue until 2018, and Hemlo is setting the pace for other mining companies across Canada with its operations-wide best practices in sustainable mining performance. BY EAVAN MOORE

arrick has held full ownership of Hemlo since 2009, when it bought Teck Resources’ equal share for US$65 million. The two mines that comprise the operation – David Bell, an underground mine, and Williams, an underground and open pit mine – have been in operation since 1985. Together, they produced 227,000 ounces of gold in 2011. Honoured previously for its water conservation and tailings management strategies, the operation earned the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Leadership Award after achieving “A,” or “good,” rankings in all of the 2010 TSM performance categories: external outreach; crisis management planning; tailings management; and energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. CIM Magazine connected with members of the Hemlo team to learn how Barrick’s only Canadian operation has taken the lead.

cyanide management practices, including Hemlo’s, have been audited by a third party to certify compliance with the code. The tailings management facility at Hemlo runs with proprietary software, and includes infrared monitoring backed up by video cameras that run continuously. Pressure sensors along the tailings pipeline also register potential problems. For instance, a leak might be detected through the infrared cameras located along the tailings corridor, or by a change in pressure differential. As well, the entire tailings management facility is visually inspected at regularly scheduled intervals throughout the 24-hour workday. “An automated alarm system is in place and mill personnel are notified in case of a pressure differential in the line,” says Shane Hayes, closure coordinator at Hemlo. “Procedures are in place to investigate the pressure differential alarms immediately.”

Cyanide and the environment

Crisis management

Barrick is a signatory to the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMC). Its operating procedures and emergency response protocols reflect ICMC standards, and the company’s

There are several areas where potential emergencies might arise, apart from the tailings area, and Hemlo has protocols for them. Staff at the operation run through emergency procedures

50 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

HEMLO

at least three times a year, while surface and mine rescue teams are trained continuously to respond to potential emergencies. To score an “A” in the TSM crisis management planning category, mine management must run regular exercises and simulations. “We have a mock cyanide-spill situation at least once a year,” says Roger Souckey, superintendent of employee relations. These situations might include a collision with the truck offloading cyanide, or a tank leak at the mill. Simulations extend beyond the mine site; the local ambulance service rushes “injured” personnel to the hospital, for instance, and spill response contractors are contacted, as are government officials and neighbouring stakeholders. When each exercise concludes, the operations team reviews the lessons learned. “We create action registers in the environmental management system that ensures that people fulfill their responsibilities,” Souckey says. “We go through a whole debriefing exercise and identify some things we need to correct. Training and awareness is always a big one that you seem to find when you do the exercises.”

Squeezing water from stone The operators’ efforts to conserve natural resources have had major impacts on the mine’s water use. Hemlo’s only water source is a nearby freshwater creek. In 2009, Williams Mine started recycling stormwater, which reduced freshwater use by up to 75 per cent in summer. However, it is impossible in winter because the holding ponds freeze over. Although tailings water is recycled and used in the mill, it contains process water, and so was unsuitable for other applications until early 2010, when an internal water treatment plant, the Actiflo system, was commissioned. The plant installation removes metals from reclaimed tailings water using a high-rate sand-ballasted clarification and flocculation process and has reduced the volume of water the Williams Mine draws from the creek. “The fresh water that we do take is used solely for potable water and showering,” Hayes says. With David Bell Mine included in the reckoning, Hemlo will be recycling 90 per cent of its water, or nearly 13 million litres daily. A planned expansion of the existing Actiflo plant will increase David Bell’s recycled water intake in 2012. Several continuous dry years had stepped up the urgency of finding alternatives to creek water, Hayes explains. “We’ve experienced drought conditions the last couple summers, so the water source that we’re permitted to take water from doesn’t have the volumes that we need to operate. So much so that, in 2005, we were forced to cease some of our operations due to the low water conditions. That’s what really pushed us to look at other avenues of maximizing the water that is available to us.”

Low-energy lifestyle

| project profile

sheet, energy use is converted into carbon dioxide equivalents to get a sense of the mine’s greenhouse gas performance. “Each operating area outlines a number of energy savings projects that they target to implement during the year,” says Jeremy Dart, environmental superintendent at Hemlo. “We also monitor our energy consumption on a monthly basis so we can give regular updates to the operations groups on how well we’re performing against our targets.” Hemlo started setting energy targets in 2005. In 2010, the operation targeted 1.25 million gigajoules of energy use and about 2.85 million production tonnes, which represented energy intensity of 0.44 gigajoules per tonne. The actual energy use was lower at 1.23 million gigajoules and production tonnage was higher at 3.0 million tonnes, with a resulting energy intensity of 0.41 gigajoules per tonne. Numerous factors affect the mine’s ability to meet its targets: a cold spell will boost propane use, or a drop in production will increase the operation’s energy intensity. Overall results notwithstanding, the projects Hemlo has implemented had noticeable effects. Between 2010 and 2011, Hemlo significantly reduced its electricity consumption for comminution simply by changing its blast design. “It’s called ‘drill to mill,’” Dart says. “We focused more on breaking the rock from the open pit with blasting rather than putting it

sustainable

mining solutions

w w w. k n i g h t p i e s o l d . c om environmental baseline studies social & environmental impact assessments rock mechanics & pit slope design water management tailings & waste management heap leach pad design renewable energy integration closure and reclamation

engineering and environmental consultants

As at any mine, energy usage is another critical target for cost reduction efforts. At Hemlo, the combined annual budgets for propane, hydroelectric power, explosives, diesel and gasoline are divided by annual mill throughput to calculate energy intensity. Using a Mining Association of Canada spreadJune/July 2012 | 51

project profile | H E M L O through the milling process. If you can create better fragmentation from the pit, then less grinding is required in the mill.” After other Barrick mines found success with the drill to mill practice, Hemlo personnel worked with the site’s blasting contractor and explosives supplier to develop it locally. Today, it is part of the everyday work process. Some changes are simpler to put in place. Hemlo’s idle-free policy forbids idling a vehicle, unless absolutely required. “It’s

52 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

a simple way for employees to contribute to reducing energy and greenhouse gases,” Dart says. Other changes require capital investment. A new waste oil burner, for example, turned waste shipped offsite into a reusable product that now heats the operation’s new wash bay instead of propane. Ventilation makes up 30 per cent of total energy use at Hemlo, so mine management is planning to install ventilation-on-demand at a capital cost of $5 million to

HEMLO

$6 million. The savings – approximately 7,700 megawatt hours of electricity, which represents $600,000 annually – are expected in 2013. “The energy savings from implementing ventilation-on-demand are estimated to reduce our total site energy use by approximately 3.5 per cent,” Souckey points out. Ventilation-on-demand is one of nearly 30 different energy-saving projects in the pipeline for the next four years. Barrick’s Hemlo budget for these projects benefits from the support of Ontario; the province’s Northern Industrial Electricity Rate program gives energy rebates of two cents per kilowatt hour to Hemlo’s main operating company. Altogether, Ontario has contributed more than $4 million since the energy management program began. “Certainly, funding from the provincial government is a big help,” Dart says. “As the province gives us rebates, we have reinvested that money back into implementing energy-saving projects, which will, in the end, result in less demand on the province’s infrastructure.”

Learning through outreach Dialogue has been key to Hemlo’s sustainability efforts. The site’s neighbours include the towns of Marathon, Manitouwadge and White River, the Pic River and Pic Mobert First Nations communities, and Pukaskwa National Park. “We communicate closely with stakeholders around the site,” Dart explains. “The effort is all about setting up a good stakeholder engagement plan, and after that, it’s just implementing those commitments.” The Mining Association of Canada highlighted Hemlo’s outreach activities in its TSM Award presentation. The operation’s management holds regular site update meetings and encourages interest in mining within local schools. Socio-economic agreements with First Nations provide training and employment opportunities; currently, Aboriginals make up 10 per cent of Hemlo’s 586-person workforce. Another 200 contractors work on-site. Barrick is now exploring the possibility of extending the life of the operation. Meanwhile, says Souckey, everyone at Hemlo is extremely proud of winning the TSM Leadership Award, adding that staff at the operation are motivated to do even better. “Our goal is to continue to strive for “AA” and “AAAs”, eventually, across the board.” CIM

| project profile

Making the grades Because quantifiable progress is key to the industry’s sustainability performance and to public perception, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) requires every member to give annual letter grades to six performance areas of domestic operations: crisis management; energy and GHG emissions management; tailings management; biodiversity conservation management; safety and health; and Aboriginal relations & community outreach. For all but one of these areas identified by the Towards Sustainable Mining Initiative, operations self-assess on a five-point scale using a protocol document that lays out grading criteria. The lowest grade, C, applies to operations with no management systems in place, or procedures that are not integrated into policy. B indicates systems are in development. An A grade means the operation has developed and implemented systems and processes are in line with MAC’s guidance. To reach AA, the operation must integrate its sustainability practices into management decisions; excellence and leadership wins it an AAA. (To assess their application of crisis management planning protocols, operations answer “yes” or “no.”) To provide accountability, an external verification takes place every three years. Approved third-party reviewers visit the site and give their own grades, often revising the self-assessment up or down. The verification documents are published online. mining.ca

Captions: 1. By revising blasting techniques the mine operators have improved grinding performance. 2. There are nearly 30 energy-saving projects in the pipeline for Hemlo, including ventilation-on-demand. 3. The Hemlo property near Marathon, Ontario has 586 Barrick employees and another 200 contractors. Photos courtesy of Barrick Gold.

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project en vedette | H E M L O

Courtoisie de Barrick Gold

barrick.com

La propriété Hemlo près de Marathon, Ontario, dispose d’un effectif de 586 employés de Barrick en plus de 200 agents contractuels.

Des étoiles dorées pour Hemlo PAR EAVAN MOORE

es mines qui font partie de la propriété Hemlo de Barrick Gold dans le nord-ouest de l’Ontario sont en exploitation depuis 26 ans et ont encore un brillant avenir. La société prévoit poursuivre la production jusqu’en 2018, et Hemlo indique la voie à suivre aux autres sociétés minières au Canada en appliquant des pratiques exemplaires en matière de développement minier durable dans toutes ses exploitations. Les deux mines constituant l’exploitation — David Bell, une mine souterraine, et Williams, une mine souterraine et à ciel ouvert — sont en exploitation depuis 1985. Ensemble, elles ont produit 227 000 onces d’or en 2011. Déjà félicitée pour ses stratégies en matière de conservation de l’eau et de gestion des résidus, l’exploitation minière a remporté le Prix du leadership vers le développement minier durable (VDMD) décerné par l’Association minière du Canada après avoir obtenu le classement A, ou « satisfaisant », pour toutes les catégories de performance VDMD de 2010 : relations externes, planification de la gestion de crise, gestion des résidus et utilisation de l’énergie et émissions de gaz à effet de serre. CIM Magazine a communiqué avec les membres de l’équipe Hemlo pour savoir comment la seule exploitation canadienne de Barrick a réussi à prendre une position de chef de file.

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Le cyanure et l’environnement Les procédures d’exploitation utilisées par Barrick et ses protocoles d’intervention d’urgence suivent les normes du Code international de gestion du cyanure, et les pratiques de la société en matière de gestion du cyanure, y compris à Hemlo, ont été vérifiées par une tierce partie pour certifier qu’elles étaient conformes au Code. L’installation de gestion des résidus à Hemlo fonctionne au moyen d‘un logiciel exclusif et comprend une surveillance à l’aide de caméras vidéos infrarouge qui fonctionnent constamment. Par ailleurs, des capteurs de pression fixés le long de la conduite qui achemine les résidus enregistrent les problèmes qui peuvent survenir. Par exemple, une fuite peut être détectée grâce aux caméras infrarouge placées le long du couloir emprunté par les résidus ou par une variation des différentiels de pression. De même, toute l’installation de gestion des résidus fait l’objet d’inspections visuelles à intervalles réguliers sur une journée de travail de 24 heures.

Gestion de crise Il existe plusieurs zones, autres que celle des résidus, où des situations d’urgence peuvent se produire, et Hemlo a mis en

HEMLO

place des protocoles pour chacune d’elles. Le personnel d’exploitation exécute les procédures d’urgence au moins trois fois par an, tandis que les équipes de secours de surface et souterraines reçoivent une formation continue pour intervenir en cas d’urgence. Pour obtenir la note A dans la catégorie planification de gestion de crise du programme VDMD, la direction de la mine a dû faire des simulations et des exercices réguliers. « Nous faisons une simulation de fuite de cyanure au moins une fois par an », affirme Roger Souckey, surintendant des relations avec le personnel. À la fin de chaque exercice, l’équipe d’exploitation revoit les leçons apprises. « Nous créons un registre de mesures dans le système de gestion de l’environnement pour nous assurer que les employés s’acquittent de leurs responsabilités », explique M. Souckey. « Nous procédons à un exercice de débreffage complet et nous déterminons ce qui doit être corrigé. La formation et la sensibilisation constituent toujours un élément important qui semble se dégager des exercices. »

Extraire de l’eau de la roche La seule source d’eau de la propriété Hemlo est un ruisseau d’eau douce voisin. En 2009, la mine Williams a commencé à recycler l’eau de ruissellement, ce qui a réduit de 75 pour cent l’utilisation d’eau douce, mais elle a été inutilisable en hiver quand les bassins de retenue étaient gelés. Bien que l’eau des résidus soit recyclée et utilisée dans l’usine de concentration, l’eau de procédé l’a rendue inutilisable pour d’autres applications jusqu’au début de 2010, époque de la mise en route d’une installation interne de traitement de l’eau, le système Actiflo. Le système élimine les métaux de l’eau récupérée des résidus et a permis de réduire le volume d’eau que la mine Williams tire du ruisseau. En incluant la mine David Bell dans le calcul, Hemlo recyclera 90 pour cent de son eau, soit près de 13 millions de litres par jour.

Un mode de vie consommant moins d’énergie À Hemlo, les budgets combinés annuels pour le propane, l’hydroélectricité, les explosifs, le diesel et l’essence sont divisés par le débit annuel du concentrateur pour calculer l’intensité énergétique. En utilisant une feuille de calcul de l’Association minière du Canada, on convertit la consommation d’énergie en équivalents de dioxyde de carbone pour se faire une idée de la performance de la mine en matière d’émissions de gaz à effet de serre. « Chaque domaine d’exploitation décrit un certain nombre de projets d’économie d’énergie qu’il a l’intention de mettre en œuvre au cours de l’année », explique Jeremy Dart, surintendant, Environnement, à Hemlo. « Nous surveillons aussi notre consommation d’énergie sur une base mensuelle afin de pouvoir fournir des mises à jour régulières aux groupes d’exploitation sur notre rendement par rapport à nos objectifs. » Hemlo a commencé à fixer des objectifs énergétiques en 2005. En 2010, l’exploitation minière visait une consommation d’énergie de 1,25 million de gigajoules et une production d’environ 2,85 millions de tonnes, ce qui représentait une intensité énergétique de 0,44 gigajoule par tonne. La consommation

| project en vedette

d’énergie réelle a été plus faible, s’établissant à 1,23 million de gigajoules et le tonnage de production a été plus élevé, atteignant 3,0 millions de tonnes, ce qui a donné une intensité énergétique de 0,41 gigajoule par tonne. De nombreux facteurs influent sur la capacité de la mine à atteindre les objectifs visés : une période de froid fera augmenter la consommation de propane, ou bien une chute de la production fera augmenter l’intensité énergétique de l’exploitation. Entre 2010 et 2011, Hemlo a sensiblement réduit sa consommation d’électricité pour la fragmentation en modifiant simplement son plan de dynamitage. « Forer pour concasser », dit Jeremy Dart. « Nous avons davantage concentré nos efforts sur le concassage de la roche de la mine à ciel ouvert au moyen d’explosifs plutôt que de la soumettre au procédé du broyage. Si nous obtenons une meilleure fragmentation au départ dans la mine, moins de broyage sera requis à l’usine. » La ventilation représente 30 pour cent de la consommation d’énergie totale à Hemlo, aussi la direction de la mine prévoitelle l’installation d’un système de ventilation à la demande, soit une dépense en immobilisations de 5 à 6 M$. Une économie d’environ 7 700 mégawattheures d’électricité, représentant 600 000 $ annuellement, est attendue en 2013. « Les économies d’énergie découlant de l’installation d’un système de ventilation à la demande devraient réduire notre consommation totale d’énergie du site minier d’environ 3,5 pour cent », a souligné M. Souckey.

L’apprentissage par la communication Le dialogue a joué un rôle crucial dans les efforts déployés à Hemlo en matière de durabilité. Les voisins du site sont notamment les villes de Marathon, de Manitouwadge et de White River, les communautés des Premières nations Pic River et Pic Mobert, ainsi que le Parc national Pukaskwa. « Nous maintenons des communications étroites avec les parties prenantes entourant le site », explique Jeremy Dart. « L’effort consiste en fait à établir un bon plan de participation de ces parties prenantes et par la suite, il s’agit simplement de respecter les engagements pris. » L’Association minière du Canada a souligné l’action d’information d’Hemlo lors de la remise du prix VDMD. La direction de l’exploitation tient régulièrement des réunions de mise à jour sur le site et encourage les élèves des écoles locales à s’intéresser aux activités minières. Des ententes socio-économiques avec les Premières nations offrent des possibilités de formation et d’emploi; actuellement, sur les 586 personnes employées par Hemlo, 10 pour cent sont des Autochtones. Il faut y ajouter 200 entrepreneurs qui travaillent sur le site. Barrick examine actuellement la possibilité de prolonger la durée de vie de l’exploitation minière Hemlo. Entretemps, déclare M. Souckey, tout le monde qui travaille à Hemlo est extrêmement fier du Prix du leadership VDMD, ajoutant que le personnel est déterminé à faire encore mieux. « Nous avons l’intention à tous les niveaux de poursuivre nos efforts afin obtenir la cote AA et même AAA. » ICM Traduit par CNW group June/July 2012 | 55

CIM community

Custom fit Specialized MBA program sets stage for future industry leaders By Ernest Hoffman

56 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Richard Ross addresses a group of students

Photos courtesy of Schulich School of Business, York University

There are many opportunities for advancement in top-tier management within the mining industry, but fully qualified candidates are hard to find. Keen to solve this problem, CIM and York University’s Schulich School of Business joined forces to create Global Mining Management, an MBA program tailored to the mining industry. “We were looking to build up the next generation of leaders,” says CIM executive director Jean Vavrek. “There was a real need for professional development on the management side of our sector, so we decided to create the first program in the world geared towards developing managers who will understand and be able to address the challenges our sector faces.” Schulich quickly emerged as the ideal home for the program because of the school’s high-ranking, flexible curriculum structure and ties to CIM. “We had already collaborated with Schulich’s Dr. Wes Cragg on his research on ethics and corporate social responsibility in the mining sector, and Dean Dezsö Horváth was very supportive of the program we wanted to build,” Vavrek explains. The industry also stepped up to support the program. “All the course materials have been contributed by the industry, and many of the instructors come from mining as well,” says Richard Ross, who is executive-inresidence at Schulich and serves as the program’s director. “I think there’s a recognition that industry has to take a role in education if they want the

Left: Schulich School of Business facilities at the York University campus

outcome to be of relevance and value to them.” Ross drew on his 30 years’ worth of industry contacts to develop a relevant and engaging curriculum. “By taking an industry specialization, students are really getting a more integrated type of learning experience,” Ross points out. “I think industry-focused students may be better suited for management positions where they need a more holistic, wellrounded approach to their education,” he adds. As with the school’s other MBAs, students will complete a year of core classes before choosing a specialization at the start of their second year. “For the students, it’s going to help them target their business and management training to a specific industry,” says Dr. Mary Waller, professor of organization studies at Schulich. “That second year, they’re

really going to get some targeted, focused business knowledge that pertains specifically to the mining sector. That’s going to give them the opportunity to hit the ground running when compared to other MBA students.” Interest in the program has been strong, and Ross expects a significant number of MBA students will choose the mining specialization. “I think there will be two categories of students,” Ross says. “One will be looking at it as a way to transition into the industry, to take their specific skill set, whether it’s a background in engineering, accounting, finance or international development, and translate it into the mining sector. Or it could be people within the mining sector who are currently looking to advance their skill set and get more managerial responsibilities by taking their MBA.” The program is designed to expose students to perspectives from outside the mining sector, with suggested courses and electives focusing on Aboriginal and international rights, and

CIM community “By taking an industry specialization, students are really getting a more integrated type of learning experience” ~R. Ross

environmental issues. “We don’t want our students to just go through our program with blinders on,” Waller explains. “For the students who want to be in the sector, I think it’s going to give them a leg up, and for the companies that hire them, I think they’re going to spend fewer resources getting this person up and running.” The Global Mining Management specialization will be available in fall 2012,

and results of last year’s pilot indicate it will be a success. “I think the value of this program,” says Carolyn Burns, “is getting the opportunity to apply my knowledge and business experience to a specific industry with input from people who’ve done it.” Burns, who took Ross’ class last fall, has since been hired as an analyst at Barrick Gold. According to Vavrek, the new specialization will help address some of

the key challenges facing the industry in the coming years. “I believe this program is going to graduate people who have a much better handle on global social issues, which are important for us because our industry is becoming increasingly global,” he explains. “We’re also facing a major recruiting challenge, and this program will attract some of the world’s top talent to our sector.” CIM

Cote Nord-Labrador welcomes CMP New branch addresses iron ore region’s needs By Elise Dyck A group of 90 iron ore processors from Labrador and Cote Nord gathered in Sept-Iles on April 17 for the first meeting of the Canadian Mineral Processors’ Cote Nord-Labrador branch. Organizers hope the new branch will help foster communication between different iron ore processors and sites and help solve common issues. “The best way to use knowledge is to share it with others and to be able to benefit from others’ knowledge,” says David Cataford, chair of the new CMP Cote Nord-Labrador branch and a manager with Cliffs Natural Resources. The branch also aims to address current expansion in the local iron ore industry and to promote careers in iron ore processing to students. “Processors had been involved with the Val d’Or CMP, but there were few discussions that actually touched the reality of Cote Nord-Labrador,” says Cataford. Iron ore is the primary material in Cote Nord-Labrador; in Val d’Or, it is gold. Iron ore and gold are processed differently: gold processing is primarily chemical, while iron ore processing is

mostly mechanical. Different materials and different processes necessitate different discussions, so Cote Nord-Labrador needed its own CMP branch. While it is primarily one material that is processed in Cote NordLabrador, the area encompasses two provinces and two languages. “One of the big challenges is that we’re sort of in between in languages and we want to have a meeting that doesn’t exclude anyone,” Cataford explains. To accommodate all members, all presentations at the first meeting were bilingual. Jean Hébert, a director at Metso Minerals Canada, who was also at the meeting, echoes the emphasis on inclusion. “Iron ore has no border between Quebec and Labrador,” he says. “The new branch brings together iron ore processors: it’s about collaboration and cohesion, not provinces or languages.” According to Cataford, in addition to interest from participants, the new branch also attracted an incredible response from sponsors, including both private entities and the Quebec provin-

cial government. Sponsorship money will be used to fund scholarships to attract students to the mineral processing industry. The branch plans to have members make presentations at schools, as well as to create a website specifically for students. In the future, branch meetings will be scheduled annually, and site visits and industry exhibitors may be on the agenda. Hébert predicts branch membership will triple over the next five years. “Hopefully there will be more involvement from government, especially considering the Quebec government’s Plan Nord program, aimed at increasing economic development in the north of the province,” he says. Both Hébert and Cataford are thankful to CMP for the opportunity to get the new Cote Nord-Labrador branch off the ground and running. And Hébert feels that the people and companies working in the mineral processing industry in the area also merit thanks. “They’ve been at it for 35 years, we owe them a lot of respect,” he says. “We’re in a good spot.” CIM June/July 2012 | 57

CALENDAR www.cim.org/calendar

CIM EVENTS COM2012: 51st Conference of Metallurgists Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 | Niagara Falls, ON www.metsoc.org Process Mineralogy ’12 Nov. 7 – 9 | Cape Town, South Africa www.min-eng.com/processmineralogy12 Precious Metals ‘12 Nov. 12 – 13 | Cape Town, South Africa www.min-eng.com/preciousmetals12 CIM/SME Safety and Reliability Conference 2012 Nov. 13 – 15 | Minneapolis, Minnesota www.smenet.org CIM Calgary Branch Technical Luncheon Dec. 12| Calgary, Alberta cimcalgary@gmail.com CIM Conference and Exhibition May 5 – 8 | Toronto, Ontario cmurphy@cim.org

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS Hydroprocess 2012 - 4th International Seminar on Process Hydrometallurgy July 11 –13 | Santiago, Chile www.hydroprocess2012.com Economic Evaluation and Investment Decision Methods July 16 – 20 | Golden, Colorado www.csmspace.com/events/econeval/contact.html Colombian Mining Conference 2012 July 17 – 19| Santa Marta, Colombia www.ibarragarrido.com Canadian Mineral Analysts Conference and Exhibit 2012 Sept. 9 – 13 | Québec City, Quebec www.cma2012.com ENERMIN 2012 - 2nd International Seminar on Energy Management in the Mining Industry Sept. 10 – 12 | Bahia, Brazil www.enermin2012.com ICCE 2012: International Conference on Clean Energy Sept. 10 – 12 | Québec City, Quebec www.iaemm.com/ICCE_Home

58 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

CALL FOR PAPERS TMS 2013 142nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition Abstract submission deadline: July 15 www.tms.org/TMS2013 CCTC 2013 3rd Climate Change Technology Conference Abstract submission deadline: Sept. 15 www.cctc2013.ca 23rd World Mining Congress Abstract submission deadline: Oct. 1 www.wmc-expo2013.org ISARC 2013 30th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, Mining and Petroluem Abstract submission deadline: Oct. 1 www.isarc2013.org

CIM community CIM Initiative

Soar to new heights | Atteinte de nouveaux sommets CIM program elevates leadership skills | Un programme de l’ICM renforce les compétences en leadership By / par Ernest Hoffman

“Leadership is not in your DNA, leadership is a learned behaviour,” says Chuck Edwards, immediate past-president of CIM and veteran mining executive. “If you want good leaders, you train them.” That is why Edwards and Dr. Rosie Steeves, president of Vancouver-based Executive Works, developed the CIM Leadership Development Program, which combines Edwards’ decades of industry experience with Steeves’ expertise in leadership training to address the needs of mining personnel. “I’m the content and he’s the context,” says Steeves, the program’s architect, facilitator and coach. The year-long program is built around three workshop sessions, each either three or four days long. As the year progresses, the members of the cohort work together, honing skills in decision-making, conflict resolution and career development. The program brings together people from diverse backgrounds to give participants a wide range of perspectives. “You’ve got people early in their careers, showing signs of success but needing to get a handle on

« Le leadership n’est pas inscrit pas dans notre ADN, note Chuck Edwards, président sortant de l’ICM et directeur expérimenté de l’industrie minière. C’est un comportement qui s’acquiert. Si vous voulez des bons leaders, vous devez prendre en main leur formation. » C’est pourquoi M. Edwards et Dre. Rosie Steeves, présidente d’Executive Works, entreprise basée à Vancouver, ont établi le programme de développement du leadership de l’ICM. Cette initiative, qui combine l’expérience professionnelle acquise par M. Edwards au cours de sa longue carrière et l’expertise de Mme Steeves en matière de formation en leadership, est destinée à répondre aux besoins du personnel minier. « Je présente le contenu et lui, le contexte », commente Mme Steeves, conceptrice, animatrice et mentore du programme. Le programme d’un an est réparti en trois ateliers de quelques jours. Tout au long de l’année, les membres de la cohorte sont invités à travailler ensemble, de manière à renforcer leurs capacités de prise de décisions et de résolution de conflits ainsi que leur perfectionnement professionnel. Le programme réunit des personnes de divers milieux, ce qui permet à chacun de profiter de perspectives différentes. « Certains participants démarrent une carrière prometteuse mais ont encore June/July 2012 | 59

CIM community CIM Initiative

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS | L’ESSENTIEL DU PROGRAMME WORKSHOP / ATELIER 1

MORNING / MATINÉE

AFTERNOON / APRÈS-MIDI

DAY / JOUR 1

Introductions and objective setting Présentations et établissement d’objectifs

Leadership overview Leadership, vue d’ensemble

DAY / JOUR 2

Myers-Briggs assessment and exploration Évaluation Myers-Briggs et exploration

Leadership communication (Experiential Exercise #1) La communication des leaders (Exercice expérientiel no.1)

DAY / JOUR 3

Leadership development profile and action logic theory Profil de développement du leadership et théorie de la logique d’action

Designing personalized 360 Préparer une Évaluation 360 personnalisée

INTERSESSION 1

Coaching / Accompagnement

Three months of coaching from the facilitator followed by peer coaching with facilitator support Trois mois d’accompagnement par l’animateur, suivis d’un accompagnement par les pairs avec le soutien de l’animateur

Group work / Travail de groupe

The facilitator holds a monthly webinar to explore a new topic. Reading and exercises are required. L’animateur anime un webinaire mensuel afin d’explorer un nouveau sujet. Lectures et exercices obligatoires.

Leadership challenge presentations / Présentations sur les défis du leadership

Monthly web-based presentations given by a trio on a leadership challenge one of the participants faced at work Des présentations web mensuelles, animées par un trio, sur un défi en matière de leadership auquel l’un des participants a été confronté lors de travail

Online discussions and journaling / Discussions en ligne et tenue d’un journal de bord

The facilitator poses weekly questions and participants engage in an online discussion regarding the topic. Chaque semaine, l’animateur pose des questions et les participants prennent part à une discussion en ligne autour du sujet de la semaine.

WORKSHOP / ATELIER 1

MORNING / MATINÉE

AFTERNOON / APRÈS-MIDI

DAY / JOUR 1

Reconnecting, giving and receiving feedback Rétablir la communication. Donner et recevoir la rétroaction

Presentation of 360 assessment results Présentation des résultats de l’évaluation 360

DAY / JOUR 2

Leading for high performance Mise en application des principes de leadership pour optimiser les performances

Accountability and decision-making Responsabilité et prise de décisions

DAY / JOUR 3

Emotional intelligence assessment and discussion Évaluation de l’intelligence émotionnelle et discussion

Putting it into action (Experiential Exercise #2) Mise en action (Exercice expérientiel no. 2)

DAY / JOUR 4

Conflict and teams Gérer les conflits au sein d’une équipe

Mentee training and intersession planning Formation des participants et planification de l’Intersession

INTERSESSION 2

Coaching, Leadership challenge presentations, Group work, Online discussions and journaling Accompagnement, présentations sur les défis du leadership, travail de groupe, discussions en ligne et tenue d’un journal de bord

(suite de l’Intersession 1)

Mentoring Mentorat

Monthly meetings with mentor (in person, via phone or Skype). Rencontres mensuelles avec son mentor (face-à-face, par téléphone ou par Skype).

WORKSHOP / ATELIER 3

(continued from Intersession 1)

MORNING / MATINÉE

AFTERNOON / APRÈS-MIDI

DAY / JOUR 1

Leading globally and career development Être leader sur le plan international et développement professionnel

Systems theory and models of change La théorie des systèmes et les modèles du changement

DAY / JOUR 2

Putting it into action (Experiential Exercise #3) Mise en action (Exercice expérientiel no. 3)

Organizational culture and change La culture organisationnelle et le changement

DAY / JOUR 3

Personal leadership presentations Présentations personnelles sur le leadership

Next steps Les prochains étapes

60 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

“Becoming a good leader is a behavioural change, and once you change your behaviour, it becomes part of the way you are.” « Devenir un bon leader, c’est procéder ~ C. Edwards

à des changements comportementaux qui, une fois opérés, deviendront une partie de vous. » ~ C. Edwards

things,” says Steeves. “Others are competent and capable leaders who know you’re never finished learning about leadership.” While workshop sessions enable participants to establish solid working relationships, the real meat of the program takes place between workshops. Adding up to about 16 hours per month, weekly readings, teleconference coaching sessions, online discussions and monthly presentations allow participants to collaborate and apply course materials to challenges and goals on the job. “The ongoing work with the group is really useful because you have this constant sounding board that supports you in your development, in a completely trusting environment,” says Alana Kennedy, marketing director of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council. Following the second round of workshops, each participant is paired with a mentor. By this point, each member of the cohort has taken on more of a leadership role within the program and is providing insights to help others stay on track. With its focus on year-long development and incremental progress, the program is very different from “quick-fix” leadership courses. “Becoming a good leader is a behavioural change, and once you change your behaviour, it becomes part of the way you are,” explains Edwards. This emphasis on gradual change is the key to the program’s success, and by the time the third and final workshop sessions come around, each participant has had the time to evolve and grow as a leader. “It ensures I actually do the things I set out to do,” says Kennedy. “It’s easy to act how we’ve always acted, and that’s why most training courses get abandoned. This actually ensures progress, because it’s not asking you to change your behaviour overnight.” The next session is scheduled to kick off in Saskatoon November 6-8, and Steeves is very encouraged by the response thus far, with a few people already signed up and several others expressing interest. Edwards says enrollment will be limited to around 10 per class to ensure participants get to know one another and each person is fully engaged. “It’s that fine balance between having enough people that you have enough ideas and interaction but not so many you lose focus, and it’s hard to personalize it, which is the key to learning,” he says. “I’m hoping that the results of our first cohort are that their firms say, ‘This is really, really good,’ and send more people.” CIM

des progrès à faire, explique Mme Steeves. D’autres sont déjà des leaders accomplis, qui savent que le perfectionnement du leadership est un processus continuel. » Si les ateliers permettent aux participants d’établir des relations de travail solides, l’essentiel du programme se tient entre les sessions. À raison de seize heures par mois en moyenne, l’ICM organise des lectures hebdomadaires, des séances de formation par téléconférence, des discussions en ligne et des présentations mensuelles, pour permettre aux participants de partager et de mettre en pratique les apprentissages du programme dans le cadre de leurs défis et objectifs professionnels. Alana Kennedy, directrice de la commercialisation du Conseil des ressources humaines de l’industrie minière, explique : « La collaboration continue avec le groupe est très utile puisqu’elle constitue un banc d’essai qui vous offre un soutien tout au long de votre développement professionnel, dans un climat de confiance absolue. » Après le deuxième atelier, chaque participant se voit assigner un mentor. À ce stade, chaque membre de la cohorte a assumé un rôle de leadership au sein du programme et fournit des conseils aux autres participants afin de les maintenir sur la bonne voie. Ce programme se distingue clairement des cours de leadership axés sur les solutions rapides, puisque l’accent est mis sur le perfectionnement et la progression à long terme. « Devenir un bon leader, c’est procéder à des changements comportementaux qui, une fois opérés, deviendront une partie de vous! précise M. Edwards. » L’importance accordée au changement graduel est au cœur de la réussite de ce programme. Ainsi, lorsqu’arrive le troisième et dernier atelier, chaque participant a eu le temps d’évoluer et de se développer en tant que leader. « Le programme me permet d’atteindre les objectifs que je me fixe, affirme Mme Kennedy. Il est facile de toujours suivre la même routine, ce qui explique le fort taux d’abandon de la plupart des cours de formation. Or ce programme assure de réels progrès, puisqu’il n’exige pas de changement de comportement du jour au lendemain. » Le prochain atelier aura lieu à Saskatoon du 6 au 8 novembre et Mme Steeves est très satisfaite des résultats à ce jour, puisque plusieurs personnes se sont déjà inscrites ou ont manifesté leur intérêt. D’après M. Edwards, les ateliers n’accueilleront pas plus de dix personnes, afin de favoriser les interactions entre participants et l’engagement complet de chacun. « Il doit y avoir suffisamment de participants pour favoriser un riche échange d’idées, affirme-t-il. En même temps, une participation trop forte risque de semer la confusion et d’empêcher la personnalisation des cours, alors qu’il s’agit d’un élément clé de l’apprentissage. J’espère que les résultats de notre première cohorte sauront répondre aux besoins des entreprises et les inciteront à nous envoyer de nouveaux participants. » ICM Traduit par Erik Stout June/July 2012 | 61

CIM community

Photos: Normand Huberdeau / NH Photographes Ltee.

Plenary panelists / Panelistes de la séance plénière

CIM Convention brings best, brightest | La Convention de l’ICM rassemble la crème de la profession By / Par Wah Keung Chan and Peter Braul

An electric atmosphere permeated the 29th annual CIM Convention in Edmonton this year. From the M4S Show and the festive sound of Japanese drumming that heralded the opening of the trade show, to the lively discourse of the plenary session, downtown Edmonton was abuzz with mining activity from May 5 to 10. CBC journalist and host Mark Kelley moderates the plenary session / Mark Kelley, journaliste et animateur, a organisé la séance plénière

Plenary ignites debate over industry’s future To tie the plenary discussion into the convention’s theme: “The way we were – the way we want to be,” CBC journalist Mark Kelley, who hosted the panel, drew on media coverage of First Nations in conflict with mining companies. He said current tensions offer both an example of what to avoid as well as a path forward. “People love 62 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Le 29e Congrés de l’ICM, qui a eu lieu du 5 au 10 mai dernier à Edmonton, s’est déroulée dans une ambiance des plus électrisante. Du salon M4S au son festif des tambours japonais en ouverture, en passant par les salons aux discussions animées des séances plénières, le centre-ville d’Edmonton a connu une effervescence d’activités minières.

La séance plénière lance un débat sur l’avenir du secteur « Les gens adorent la notion de conflit », remarque Mark Kelley, journaliste et animateur de la CBC, et organisateur du panel. Pour lier la discussion au thème de la conférence « Perspective sur les réalisations et innovations à venir », M. Kelley s’est inspiré de la couverture médiatique des conflits entre Premières Nations et les minières. À son avis, les tensions actuelles indiquent ce qu’il faut éviter, mais aussi la voie à suivre. Il estime en effet que les deux groupes doivent « s’accorder sur des changements plutôt que de s’en faire imposer par un tierce partie. » Qui dit nouvelles relations dit nouveaux défis. Luke Danielson, président, Sustainable Development Strategies Group, s’inquiète des difficultés de l’industrie face à une demande de ressources de plus en plus élevée, étant donné le taux de croissance actuel de la population. « Saurons-nous relever le défi? » s’est-il interrogé. Toujours sur ce thème, les panelistes ont tenté de prévoir d’où viendront les futurs employés de l’industrie minière. « Les projets à venir vont exiger une main-d’œuvre de 200 000 personnes », a déclaré Dematang Albert Camara, ministre de

CIM community

Kelly Lendsay, president and CEO, Aboriginal Human Resources Council / Kelly Lendsay, président et chef de la direction, Conseil des Ressources Humaines Autochtones

Delegates at a technical session / Des délégués assistant à une séance specialisée

the whole national conflict,” Kelley said, but both parties, he advised, must “choose changes together rather than some other party coming in and imposing them.” New relationships for the future also mean new challenges for the industry, and Luke Danielson, president of Sustainable Development Strategies Group, expressed concern that the industry may struggle to meet demand for resources with population growth at its current rate. “Can we deliver?” he wondered. On that theme, the panelists attempted to answer the question of where future mining employees are going to come from. “We are going to need a workforce of 200,000 for upcoming projects,” said Dematang Albert Camara, minister of technical employment and professional training of Guinea, who was among a delegation of 35 participants from West Africa. In many jurisdictions, the panelists noted, recruiters are realizing they need to tap into non-traditional HR resources; this means the Aboriginal populations around the world will be playing a big role in the future of mining. “Aboriginals have always had a proud tradition of work,” offered Kelly Lendsay, president and CEO, Aboriginal Human Resources Council. They are, he argued, a vital force in the Canadian economy. “Aboriginal people are the fastest growing demographic in the Canadian labour force and the fastest growing consumer group.” The panel also included Samir Brikho, chief executive, AMEC; and Steve Reynish, executive vice-president, oil sands ventures, Suncor Energy Inc. Anne Marie Toutant, vice-president, oil sands optimization and integration, Suncor Energy Inc., provided closing remarks.

l’Emploi, de l’Enseignement Technique et de la Formation Professionnelle de la Guinée, qui menait une délégation de 35 participants d’Afrique occidentale. Dans de nombreuses juridictions, les recruteurs doivent utiliser des sources de RH de moins en moins conventionnelles. Cela signifie que les populations autochtones du monde entier vont jouer un rôle important dans l’avenir du secteur. « Les Autochtones ont toujours eu une étique de travail exemplaire », note Kelly Lendsay, président et chef de la direction, Conseil des Ressources Humaines Autochtones. Selon lui, les Autochtones apportent une solution aux problèmes du Canada. « Ce groupe connait la plus forte croissance du pays en termes de main-d’œuvre et de consommateurs. » Le panel comprenait également Samir Brikho, chef de la direction, AMEC; Steve Reynish, vice-président directeur, Coentreprises des sables pétrolifères, Suncor Énergie Inc.; et Anne Marie Toutant, vice-présidente, optimisation et intégration des sables bitumineux, Suncor Énergie Inc., qui a clôt la discussion.

Technical program showcases innovators The technical program, running Monday afternoon and Tuesday, offered five streams: Environment, Closure and Sustainability; People, Society and CSR Value; Operations

Le programme technique, vitrine pour les innovateurs Lundi après-midi et mardi, le programme technique portait sur cinq thèmes : environnement; les fermetures et le développement durable; main d’œuvre; la société et les valeurs de la RSE; opérations et maintenance; roche dure, de l’exploration au produit; roche tendre, du projet au produit. Les séances populaires ont traité de divers sujets : défis sociaux et techniques liés aux opérations minières dans le Nord, méthode d’assèchement d’un lac et de déplacement des poissons, impact du pergélisol sur les opérations et vice-versa, efficacité énergétique et alternatives au diesel. La plupart des présentations suivaient un format de cours magistral. Un certain nombre de discussions libres ont toutefois permis des échanges entre les panelistes et le public au sujet de problèmes communs concernant les RH et la RSE, suivis de séances de remue-méninges pour trouver des solutions. June/July 2012 | 63

CIM community

Left to right: SMS Equipment/Komatsu Welcoming Ceremony starts the convention off with a bang; Tom Cochrane at the CIM Awards Gala; P&H MinePro Services Gala features live musical performance

and Maintenance; Hard Rock Prospects to Products; and Soft Rock Projects to Products. While many of the presentations took a classroom-style format, there was also a noticeable presence of more freeflowing discussion. Panelists and audience members connected on common problems, including HR and CSR, and brainstormed solutions.

Women in mining mingle / Les femmes en exploitation minière tissent des liens

Women in mining unite Group discussion was at the forefront of Tuesday afternoon’s Women in Mining forum. After moderator Leanne Hall of Noront Resources Ltd. introduced the panel, the audience of 80 (women and men) split into three working groups to address themes of attraction, retention and advancement for women in the mining industry. “Be proactive in your own career,” said Amy Grace of Kinross Gold. “Just do it, and don’t let there be obstacles,” added

Les femmes en exploitation minière s’unissent Le forum Les femmes en exploitation minière a donné lieu à des discussions de groupe le mardi après-midi. Leanne Hall, de Noront Resources Ltd., a commencé par présenter les membres du panel. Le public de 80 personnes comprenant quelques hommes a ensuite été réparti en trois groupes de travail afin de se pencher sur l’attraction, la rétention et l’avancement des femmes au sein du secteur minier. « Vous devez vous impliquer activement dans votre propre carrière », a conseillé Amy Grace, de Kinross Gold. « Agissez fermement, en faisant fi des obstacles », a ajouté Carol Plummer, d’AgnicoEagle Mines. « L’industrie minière offre 136 carrières », a rappelé Mme Hall, qui refuse que les femmes soient limitées à certains rôles.

Deux thèmes spéciaux le mercredi Group discussion at the Women in Mining Forum / Le forum Les femmes en exploitation minière a donné lieu à des discussions de groupe 64 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Après la conclusion des cinq thèmes du programme technique le mardi soir, la programmation du mercredi s’est divisée en deux grands courants : études de cas d’opérations de l’approvisionnement

CIM community

Gauche à droit: La cérémonie d’ouverture SMS Equipment/Komatsu Welcoming a lancé la convention en beauté; Tom Cochrane à la soirée de remise des prix d’excellence de l’ICM; La Gala P&H MinePro Services comprenait une performance musicale

Carol Plummer of Agnico-Eagle Mines. “There are 136 career paths in the mining industry,” Hall reminded the participants, as she reinforced the idea that women do not need to be pigeonholed in this business.

Two special streams for Wednesday Wednesday’s program was divided into the Procurement and Operations Case Studies, and Management and Finance. In the latter, Fred Pletcher of the legal firm Borden Ladner Gervais, in his presentation, “Legal derisking of mining projects,” said “a little bit of proactivity goes a long way,” and advised on common legal pitfalls management must confront. Chris Twigge-Molecey of Hatch reminded delegates that, when developing mines, “the risk is always the owner’s,” despite the current trend toward outsourcing and turnkey solutions. In the end, he said: “It comes down to understanding, managing and mitigating risk. There are no shortcuts.” The day’s luncheon, organized by the CIM Management and Economics Society, featured a presentation from leadership expert Rosie Steeves, who urged business leaders to consider how their behaviour impacts organizational performance.

Social(izing) license Kick-started by the opening ceremonies, which were sponsored by SMS Equipment/Komatsu, the convention’s social program kept spirits up (and flowing). The CIM Awards Gala on Monday night, sponsored by Caterpillar and its Canadian dealers, celebrated some of the great leaders of the industry in lavish style. And for those who truly excel after sunset, the P&H MinePro Services Gala featured a barrage of

et journée de gestion et finances. Celle-ci a été l’occasion pour Fred Pletcher, du cabinet d’avocats Borden Ladner Gervais, d’effectuer une présentation intitulée « Réduction des risques liés aux projets miniers ». « Une attitude proactive peut vous mener très loin », a-t-il affirmé, avant d’offrir ses conseils concernant les principaux pièges juridiques auxquels sont confrontés les dirigeants.

rs Canada Diamond Draw. Tapiwa Kwenda, winner of the Debee

Dear CIM, I am originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, but I have been living and studying social work in Canada for 3 years now. May I just say a huge thank you to your organization. I want to initiative to give back thank you for taking this away diamonds. I am to the community by giving lected to be the so blessed to have been se did receive it in the recipient of this diamond. I really do appreciate mail. Thank you so much! I this gift. Sincerely, Tapiwa Kwenda

June/July 2012 | 65

CIM community

Chris Twigge-Molecey, de Hatch, a rappelé aux délégués qu’en matière de développement de mines, « le propriétaire assume toujours les risques », malgré la tendance actuelle à la sous-traitance et aux solutions clé en main. « L’essentiel, note-t-il, est de comprendre, de gérer et de minimiser les risques, sans chercher des raccourcis. » Lors du dîner organisé par la Société de la gestion et de l’économie de l’ICM, Rosie Steeves, experte en leadership, a encouragé les dirigeants à se préoccuper de l’effet de leurs comportements sur leur rendement organisationnel.

Permis social (pour s’amuser)

CIM Awards Gala reception / Soirée de remise des prix d’excellence de l’ICM

fireworks, timed to Queen’s We are the champions, and scintillating performances by two bands.

Après les cérémonies d’ouverture commanditées par Équipement SMS/Komatsu, le programme social du congrès a instauré une ambiance festive et animée. Lundi soir, le Gala des prix de l’ICM, commandité par Caterpillar, a permis de souligner la contribution d’importants leaders de l’industrie dans une atmosphère somptueuse. Et pour ceux et celles qui brillent lorsque le soleil se couche, le Gala P&H MinePro Services a offert quantité de feux d’artifices au son de We are the champions, du groupe Queen, ainsi que deux magnifiques performances musicales qui ont mis le feu à la piste de danse.

Salon attire de grandes foules Trade show draws big crowds The trade show, which ran from Sunday night to Tuesday, offered the ying to the social program’s yang. Networking opportunities were everywhere, “Our company benefited from contact with a number of key individuals in Canadian mining,” said Fraser Markham of ABC Canada Technology Group Ltd. The proven value of the show had many exhibitors signing up for next year, leaving only 20 per cent of booths available for the Toronto 2013 Convention. CIM

Organisé du dimanche soir au mardi, le salon a fourni la touche de ying pour accompagner le yang du programme social. Le salon, qui s’est déroulé du dimanche soir au mardi, offrait de multiples possibilités de réseautage. « Notre entreprise a établi des contacts avec plusieurs personnalités clés du secteur minier canadien », s’est réjoui Fraser Markham, d’ABC Canada Technology Group Ltd. L’événement a connu un tel succès que de nombreux exposants ont déjà confirmé leur présence l’année prochaine, ce qui ne laisse que 20 % de kiosques disponibles pour le Congrès 2013, à Toronto. ICM Traduit par Erik Stout

CIM Convention trade show floor packed with vendors and delegates / Le salon commerciale du congrès de l’ICM est rempli de vendeurs et de délégués 66 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Normand Huberdeau / NH Photographes Ltee.

Immediate past-president Chuck Edwards presents CIM Fellowships at CIM Awards Gala / Le président sortant Chuck Edwards présente les plaques aux récipiendaires de la congrès de l’ICM à la soirée de remise de prix d’excellence

CIM award winners 2012 | Les gagnants des prix d’excellence de l’ICM 2012 John T. Ryan Trophies, Canada Trophy for Metal Mines | Trophées John T. Ryan, Trophée Canada pour les mines de métaux Xstrata Zinc Canada, Brunswick Mine, Bathurst, NB John T. Ryan Trophies, Canada Trophy for Select Mines | Trophées John T. Ryan, Trophée Canada pour les mines sélectionnées Canadian Gypsum Company, Little Narrows, Little Narrows, NS John T. Ryan Trophies, Canada Trophy for Coal Mines | Tropheés John T. Ryan, Trophée Canada pour les mines de charbon Sherritt Coal, Paintearth Mine, Forestburg, AB Mel W. Bartley Award | Prix Mel W. Bartley South Central BC Branch, Kamloops, BC Syncrude Award for Excellence in Sustainable Development | Prix Syncrude pour l’excellence en développement durable Britannia Mine Museum, Britannia Beach, BC CIM Distinguished Lecturers | Éminents conférenciers de l’ICM Cheryl Allen, principal ventilation engineer, Vale, Copper Cliff, ON; George Eltringham, consultant, Tony Eltingham Consulting; Wayne Goodfellow, research scientist, Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, ON; Michel Jébrak, chair and professor, UQAM, Montreal, QC; Sergei Shipilov, senior consultant, Metallurgical Consulting Services, Calgary, AB; Philip Thwaites, manager, process control, Xstrata Process Support, Falconbridge, ON CIM-Bedford Canadian Young Mining Leaders Awards | Les Prix jeunes leaders canadiens du secteur minier ICM-Bedford Adam Tonnos, director of business development & coaching partner, Corporate Symphony International, Sudbury, ON; Benjamin Gelber, site manager and exploration manager, Keegan Resources Inc., Vancouver, BC; Sean Samson, vice president, corporate development and acting vice president, operations, First Nickel Inc, Toronto, ON; Heather White, vice president, mining, NovaGold Resources Inc. Vancouver, BC District 3 Distinguished Service Award | Prix du District 3 pour services remarquables Stuart Greaves, manager, mining products, Toromont CAT, Lively, ON Underground Mining Society Award | Prix de la Société d’exploitation minière souterraine Charles Graham, managing director, Camiro Mining Division, Sudbury, ON Barlow Memorial Medal | Médaille commémorative Barlow Li Zhen Cheng, professor, UQAT, Rouyn Noranda, QC Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award | Prix d’économie des minéraux Robert Elver Deborah McCombe, executive vice president, Roscoe Postle Associates Inc., Toronto, ON Julian Boldy Memorial Award | Prix commémoratif Julian Boldy Garth Kirkham, principal, Kirkham Geosystems Ldt., Burnaby, BC

J.C. Sproule Memorial Plaque | Plaque commémorative J.C. Sproule Shawn Ryan and Mrs. Cathy Wood, Ryan Gold, Whitehorse, YT A.O. Dufresne Award | Prix A.O. Dufresne Alex C. Brown, professor, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, QC Members Award | Prix des members Robert Lipic, president and CEO, Mining Technologies Inc., Lively, ON Selwyn G. Blaylock Medal | Médaille Selwyn G. Blaylock Stephen Quin, president, Midas Gold Corp., Vancouver, BC Vale Medal | Médaille Vale Alfonso Grau, consultant, Extractive Metallurgy, Montreal, QC CIM Distinguished Service Medal | Médaille ICM pour services remarquables Robert Onucki, senior global account director, mining, Sandvik Mining and Construction, Lively, ON CIM Fellowships | Confrérie de l’ICM Akram Alfantazi, professor and associate dean, research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Alan Beavan, team leader, Mildred Lake geology, Syncrude Canada, Fort McMurray, AB; David Forrester, senior mining engineer, AECOM, Sydney, NS; David Robertson, retired partner, Cooper & Lybrand Consulting Group, Toronto, ON; Edmond Lam, program coordinator, Cameco Corporation, Port Hope, ON; Edward Patton, president, Emptech North Inc., Sudbury, ON; Edward Yates, president, Yates Mineral Consultants Inc., Toronto,ON; Georges Houlachi, senior scientist, Hydro-Quebec Research Institute, Shawinigan, QC; John Hadjigeorgiou, chair and director, Lassonde Institute for Mining, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON; Jean-Pierre Martin, director, Aluminum Technology Center, Chicoutimi, QC; Luc Gagnon, technical director, CATE Côte-Nord, Sept-Iles, QC; Nathan Stubina, manager, Barrick Gold Coporation Technology Center, Toronto, ON; Tadeusz Dabrowski, technical director, hydrogeology, WorleyParsons, Calgary, AB Fifty-Year Club | Club des cinquante ans Largo Albert, Lively, ON; Lorne M. Ames, Oakville, ON; Arthur E. Ball, Winnipeg, MB; Leonard Bednarz, Willowdale, ON; Merwin Bernstein, Santiago, Chile; Howard H. Bird, Oakville, ON; Robert L. Blake, Calgary, AB; Robert E. Buckley, Aurora, ON; Victor B. Cook, Thunder Bay, ON; M. Barry Dent, Toronto, ON; David J. Emery, Ottawa, ON; Karl Glackmeyer, Saint-Lazare, QC; William Hendry, Thunder Bay, ON; Eitel E. Hippler, Campbellville, ON; H. Dean Journeaux, Rockland, ON; Norman A. Jull, Bancroft, ON; Tad Kawase, Vancouver, BC; Klaus V. Konigsmann, Oakville, ON; J.S. Livermore, Reno, NV; A.W. Lockhart, Fredericton, NB; John A. Macdonald, Toronto, ON; Hugh McQueen, Montréal, QC; John A. Nightingale, Esterhazy, SK; D.W. Niosi, Vancouver, BC; A.R. Pasieka, Fonthill, ON; Leslie G. Price, Delta, BC; L.H. Rajala, Falconbridge, ON; J.S. Redpath, North Bay, ON; Robert J. Rodger, Surrey, BC; Douglas C. Ruse, Regina, SK; Donald William Tully, West Vancouver, BC; William J. Wolfe, Parksville, BC June/July 2012 | 67

Thank you to our sponsors PREMIER SPONSORS/PREMIER COMMANDITAIRES

DIAMOND/DIAMANT

GOLD/OR

SILVER/ARGENT

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COPPER/CUIVRE

FRIENDS/AMIS

Interested in becoming a sponsor for TO13? Request the CIM Convention sponsorship booklet at lbujold@cim.org

CIM community

Teaching: the best way to learn M4S gains momentum through student outreach

Normand Huberdeau I NH Photographes Ltée

Courtesy of Tim Joseph

By Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco

Children in Churchill Square at CIM’s M4S Show; Inset: University of Alberta mining engineering students Marren Phinney (left) and Giovanni Saccomani introduce a group of Delwood School students to the mining industry.

This year, CIM’s Mining for Society (M4S) organizers went above and beyond to engage youth in the industry by launching a student outreach initiative based out of the University of Alberta. The initiative helped engage students of all ages with the M4S mining education show. “Last year, mining students at the University of Alberta told us they wanted to get more involved to help prepare schoolchildren in the Edmonton region to come to the show,” says Tim Joseph, the program’s facilitator and an associate professor at the University of Alberta. Organizers instantly recognized the idea’s potential and invited schools in the region to participate. Twenty per cent responded with enthusiasm, and this year, from January to April, Joseph accompanied some 100 University of Alberta students, teamed up in groups of two or three, to local schools where they gave hour-long presentations on M4S’ seven pavilions – Exploration, Mining, Processing, Sustainability, Products & Fabrication, Education, and Health & Safety – at the schools.

“The students presented to science or social science classes,” says Joseph. “For the grade three and four levels, they focused on geology and rocks, which is what kids in those grades study under the Alberta curriculum. For the grade seven classes, they spoke about the environment and for grade 11, it was more focused on the social impact. I think what we’ve started is an engagement between young people at the university level, and very young people at the elementary and high school levels,” explains Joseph. “There is more attentiveness from the school kids than if someone older such as myself were giving the presentation.” But if the interest and awareness in the children and young teens was impressive, it is the initiative’s impact on the University of Alberta’s engineering students – almost all of whom signed up to participate – that Joseph believes will have the most long-term benefits. “I think what the program does is literally what we as a university would like to see happen in terms of young professional

engineers: it develops an understanding of the importance of community involvement,” says Joseph. “Being able to integrate with communities and provide community service is as important as the technical knowledge the students build. Students are seeing the benefits in terms of their own personal and professional development.” The initiative is also about fostering a culture of mentorship – something which Joseph believes is key to the mining industry’s success in years to come, especially because of staff generation gaps the industry is facing as baby boomers retire. “I’ve spoken with other CIM Council members about rolling out M4S across the country, wherever there is a university close to a local CIM branch,” says Joesph. “Maybe we can have some CIM members mentor the university students and go out to the schools with them. We need volunteers from the industry, people who can hit the ground running or who have contacts with local school boards to get this to work.” CIM June/July 2012 | 69

CIM community

A student’s perspective Conference a perfect chance to learn and network

The annual CIM Convention, held this year in Edmonton from May 3 to 9, was a rewarding experience: I presented a paper, networked with mentors and peers, and learned about innovation in the industry. The M4S show kicked off the event, which was held at the Shaw Conference Centre, with two days geared to educating elementary and high school students. The turnout was incredible! Almost 3,500 school children came to see the show. On Saturday, May 5, the show was open to the public and some of the students who had attended the show with their schools enjoyed it so much they returned with their parents. On Monday, May 7, I spent the day at the technical sessions. I watched several presentations, and my partner and I delivered a talk on a Placer Gold deposit in Ghana. We learned a lot from the experience and from the feedback we got from people who have had first-hand experiences with similar deposits. Many people were keen to see exactly what we, as students, learned through our degrees and were interested in the fresh perspective we provide to the industry. That evening, I attended a travelling dinner organized for students attending the Convention. The majority was from the University of Alberta, but there was a handful from other Canadian schools. The best part was connecting with those studying other fields of engineering. For instance, I spoke with a nanotechnology engineering student from Waterloo who was fascinated by the diversity of projects 70 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Photos: Normand Huberdeau / NH Photographes Ltée.

By Breanna MacEachern

Students and industry representatives share food and ideas at the student-industry lucheon; Inset: Breanna MacEachern at the student industry luncheon

and the challenges faced by the mining industry. The next day, I attended more technical sessions, this time about iron ore and clean water, and got to see fellow students present their projects. It was interesting to see the incredible new technologies being developed to resolve common issues facing the industry, like the Westbay system that is designed to deal with groundwater in permafrost areas. At the student-industry luncheon, I mingled with people from industry and saw an incredible presentation on leadership. Several people who were taking the CIM Leadership Development Program shared their experiences about how the course helped them. As a recent graduate about to join the workforce, I was inspired by the many young leaders, and I was very interested in getting their input on how I could develop my own leadership skills in the future.

That evening, the students gathered for a barbeque and then headed to the P&H MinePro Services Gala. The gala was beyond impressive – and for some of the students, a little overwhelming. Several of my classmates said it was the most incredible party they had ever attended. With all the free drinks, the amazing food, the great music and the fireworks, the gala easily outshone any typical university function. But not only was it a lot of fun, it was a great networking opportunity. It was amazing to have the chance to interact with people in the industry. Attendees were more than willing to share their experiences and give advice. Overall, this experience was a great one. I met amazing people, both students and members of industry, and obtained information about innovative technologies currently under development. I also learned about the approaches used to resolve issues that arise in the mining world. I look forward to attending the CIM Convention again. CIM Breanna MacEachern graduated from the University of Alberta’s mining engineering program in April, and began working for Syncrude Canada in May.

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) Announces its Annual

Call for Papers for the Premier Global Gathering of Materials Scientists & Engineers!

¬ ¬

“Linking Science and Technology for Global Solutions” www.tms.org/TMS2013

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CIM community

All-star line-up | Alignement de vedettes Meet CIM’s new Distinguished Lecturers | Rencontre avec les éminents conférenciers de l’ICM By / par Joelle Cyr

The 2012-2013 CIM Distinguished Lecturer line-up features an array of experts whose exciting presentations cover a spectrum of topics, keeping the mining community up-tospeed on the latest ideas, trends and innovations. CIM Distinguished Lecturers are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in the minerals industry, and speak at CIM Branch meetings across the country. The program, open from September to May, is available to the branches, societies and student chapters, as well as universities.

La liste des éminents conférenciers de l’ICM 2012-2013 comprend de nombreux experts qui présenteront sur une grande variété de sujets, pour informer les membres de la communauté des dernières idées, tendances et innovations du secteur minier. Choisis en raison de leurs accomplissements au sein de l’industrie minière, les éminents conférenciers de l’ICM s’adresseront aux sections locales de l’ICM à travers le pays. Le programme, qui s’étend de septembre à mai, profite aux sections locales, aux sociétés techniques, aux chapitres étudiants et aux universités.

George Anthony Eltringham Tony Eltringham Consulting Consultant | Conseiller Four decades, four continents, four copper operations – a personal perspective on constraints | Quatre décennies, quatre continents, quatre exploitations de cuivre : une perspective personnelle sur les contraintes

Cheryl Allen Vale Principal ventilation engineer | Ingénieure en ventilation principale Applying automation technology to underground ventilation systems | Application de la technologie de l’automatisation aux systèmes de ventilation dans les mines souterraines

Allen will examine both the economic and production benefits of applying automation technology to mine ventilation systems, as well as the complex process of maintaining a safe underground environment. ICM Mme Allen examinera les avantages de l’application de la technologie de l’automatisation aux systèmes de ventilation des mines souterraines, en termes de retombées économiques et de production. Elle explorera en outre le processus complexe de préservation d’un environnement souterrain sécuritaire.

72 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Eltringham reviews four copper operations as examples of the changes in approaches the industry has developed. He will illustrate how the prioritization of effort and resources is an advancement that has developed continuously and necessarily at an ever-increasing rate. ICM M. Eltringham présentera quatre exemples de changements d’approche adoptés par l’industrie. Il illustrera en quoi la priorité accordée aux efforts et aux ressources constitue une avancée qui ne cesse de se développer à un rythme de plus en plus rapide.

Wayne Goodfellow Geological Survey of Canada/Commission géologique du Canada Research scientist | Chercheur Sedimentary-exhalative (SEDEX) Zn-Pb deposits: current concepts on their geology, genesis and exploration | Gisements exhalatif sédimentaire (sedex) plombo-zincifères : concepts actuels de sa géologie, sa genèse et de son exploration

The talk examines the broad attributes of SEDEX deposits, from their economic importance, to their tectonic and geological settings. Also, effective exploration vectors to mineralization in distal hydrothermal sediments and widespread hydrothermal alteration associated with most SEDEX deposits are considered. ICM Cette présentation examinera les attributs généraux des gisements sedex, de leur importance économique à leur contexte tectonique et géologique. Il sera également question des vecteurs d’exploration efficace de minéralisation des sédiments hydrothermaux distaux et de l’altération hydrothermale généralisée associée à la plupart des gisements de sedex.

Philip Thwaites Xstrata Process Support Manager of process control and Engineers in Training Program | Directeur du contrôle de procédés et du programme de formation en génie Manual control, process automation – or operational performance excellence? | Contrôle manuel, automatisation des procédés – ou excellence de la performance opérationnelle?

Michel Jébrak Université du Québec à Montréal Professor | Professeur Innovation in Mining Exploration | L’innovation dans le secteur minier

Jébrak examines how mining supercycles influence the industry in the short- and the long-term. Each supercycle is marked by different mineral products, technologies and structures of the innovation chain. The presentation explores how a variety of factors impact the way research is transformed into product which, in turn, generates wealth. ICM M. Jébrak examine en quoi les supercycles miniers affectent l’industrie à court et à long terme. Dans chaque supercycle on remarque qu’il y a un changement de minerais, de technologie ainsi que dans la structure de la chaîne d’innovation. Cette présentation démontre comment une grande variété de facteurs affecte la façon dont la recherche est transformée en produit, qui se transforme à son tour en richesse.

Thwaites focuses on process control, examining the use of automation and control systems to deliver better process control for operational excellence. Issues such as the variability of processes, the optimization of the performance with dedicated resources, modern instrumentation, ‘best practice’ control systems and performance monitoring tools are addressed. ICM M. Thwaites s’intéressera au contrôle de procédés et examinera l’utilisation de systèmes d’automatisation et de contrôle afin d’atteindre l’excellence opérationnelle. Il abordera les thèmes suivants : la variabilité des procédés, l’optimisation du rendement grâce aux ressources spécialisées, les instruments modernes, la bonne pratique des systèmes de contrôle et les outils de contrôle de la performance.

Sergei Shipilov University of North Texas Research professor | Professeur chercheur Materials degradation and corrosion in a sustainable society | Dégradation et corrosion des matériaux dans une société durable

Corrosion control is critical to maintaining reliability of aging aircraft, bridges, pipelines, nuclear reactors, long-term nuclear waste storage facilities, and medical metal devices implanted in the human body. To ensure engineering structures and high-risk technologies continue to function throughout their design-life, it is important to address corrosion-related problems before they become catastrophic failures. ICM Le contrôle de la corrosion est essentiel pour contrer le vieillissement des matériaux des avions, ponts, pipelines, réacteurs nucléaires, établissements d’entreposage de déchets nucléaires à long-terme et des appareils médicaux métalliques implantés dans le corps humain. Pour assurer le bon fonctionnement des structures de génie civil et des technologies à haut risque tout au long de leur durée de vie théorique, il faut régler les problèmes de corrosion avant qu’ils ne se transforment en défaillances.

Thank you to our sponsors, Atlas Copco and the Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Foundation, whose generosity allows the CIM Distinguished Lecturers Program to connect CIM members with leading industry expertise. Merci à nos commanditaires Atlas Copco et la Fondation canadienne des mines et de la métallurgie. Grâce à leur générosité, le programme des éminents conférenciers permet aux membres de l’ICM d’être au fait de la fine pointe de l’expertise de l’industrie.

TO BOOK A DISTINGUISHED LECTURER visit www.cim.org, call (514) 939-2710, or email dist_lecturer@cim.org.

POUR DEMANDER UN CONFÉRENCIER, visitez www.cim.org, téléphonez au (514) 939-2710, ou envoyez un courriel à dist_lecturer@cim.org. June/July 2012 | 73

NEW – Certification in Ore Reserve Risk and Mine Planning Optimization Spread over a period of four months, this four-week course is designed for busy mining professionals who wish to update their skills and knowledge base in modern modelling techniques for ore bodies and new risk-based optimization methodologies for strategic mine planning. Gain practical experience by applying the following hands-on concepts and technical methods: methods for modelling ore bodies; stochastic simulations, case studies and models of geological uncertainty; and demand-driven production scheduling and geological risk.

Geostatistical Mineral Resource/Ore Reserve Estimation and Meeting the New Regulatory Environment: Step by Step from Sampling to Grade Control Learn about the latest regulations on public reporting of resources/reserves through state-of-the-art statistical and geostatistical techniques; how to apply geostatistics to predict dilution and adapt reserve estimates to that predicted dilution; how geostatistics can help you categorize your resources in an objective manner; and how to understand principles of NI 43-101 and the SME Guide.

www.mcgill.ca/conted/prodep/ore

INSTRUCTORS: Marcelo Godoy, Golder Associates, Chile; Jean-Michel Rendu, Newmont Mining Corporation, USA; and Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada • DATE: September 10-14, 2012 • CITY: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Strategic Risk Management in Mine Design: From Life-of-Mine to Global Optimization

Mineral Project Evaluation Techniques and Applications: From Conventional Methods to Real Options

Learn how you can have a significant, positive impact on your company’s bottom line by utilizing strategic mine planning methodologies and software; improve your understanding of strategic mine planning and life-of-mine optimization concepts, as well as your understanding of the relationship of uncertainty and risk, and how to exploit uncertainty in order to maximize profitability. Note: The strategic mine planning software used is Whittle. An optional half-day skills refresher workshop on Whittle may be available.

Learn the basics of economic/financial evaluation techniques, as well as the practical implementation of these techniques to mineral project assessments; how to gain a practical understanding of economic/ financial evaluation principles; and how to develop the skills necessary to apply these to support mineral project decisions.

INSTRUCTOR: Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada • DATE: Returning in 2013 • CITY: Montreal, Quebec, Canada • INFO:

INSTRUCTORS: Gelson Batista, MPX, Brazil; and Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada • DATE: To be determined • CITY: Montreal,

Quebec, Canada

An Introduction to Cutoff Grade: Theory and Practice in Open Pit and Underground Mines Cutoff grades are essential in determining the economic feasibility and mine life of a project. Learn how to solve most cutoff grade estimation problems by developing techniques and graphical analytical methods, about the relationship between cutoff grades and the design of pushbacks in open pit mines, and the optimization of block sizes in caving methods. INSTRUCTOR: Jean-Michel Rendu, Newmont Mining Corporation, USA • DATE: September 5-7, 2012 • CITY: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

INSTRUCTOR: Michel Bilodeau, McGill University, Canada • DATE: October 22-25, 2012 • CITY: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Quantitative Mineral Resource Assessments: An Integrated Approach to Planning for Exploration Risk Reduction Learn about exploration risk analysis for strategic planning. Understand how to demonstrate how operational mineral deposit models can reduce uncertainties; make estimates of the number of undiscovered deposits; and integrate the information and examine the economic possibilities. INSTRUCTOR: Don Singer, USA; and David Menzie, U.S. Geological Survey, USA • DATE: September 24-26, 2012 • CITY: Montreal, Quebec,

Canada

Metallurgy and Materials’ Impact on Society: the technology achievements of today that answer society's aspirations for tomorrow Come, unite and expand your knowledge of: • Pressure hydrometallurgy • Pyrometallurgy: Towards clean metallurgical processing for profit, socio-environment stewardship • Corrosion: Recent advances & sustainability • Clean processing: Water air & land; sustainability issues in mineral & metal extraction (WALSIM II) • Sustainability through mining • Rare earths Stay for our additional programs: • Short courses: Gold processing, Pressure hydrometallurgy, Pyro-Environmental challenges in sulphide matte converting, Processing of aqueous effluents in non-ferrous metal industry • Tours: Sherritt Ni-Co Refinery & Pilot Plant Tour, Metallurgical Slag (Production, Treatment, Use); Water treatment technologies (Eco-Tec, Ashbridges Bay Wastewater) • Trade show

http://www.cim.org/COM2012

June/July 2012 | 75

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GREAT MINDS DISCUSS

TECHNICAL PROGRAM

Pressure Hydrometallurgy “Autoclave processing continues to offer environmentally responsible, cost-effective solutions to metallurgical challenges. Come join us at Pressure Hydrometallurgy 2012 to learn about process improvements, new projects and the latest advances in equipment design, and to meet with acknowledged experts in the field.”

Towards Clean Metallurgical Processing for Profit and Socio-Environmental Stewardship “The drive towards sustainable operation in the mining industry has become a global concern. The Clean Processing symposium will provide a unique opportunity to learn about recent developments from operators, technology suppliers and researchers.”

Mike Collins, P.Eng, MBA, Symposium Chair, Sherritt Technologies

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• • • •

Industrial operations Pressure leaching of sulphide concentrates and nickel laterites Pressure oxidation of refractory gold feeds Alumina, rare earths and new materials production by pressure hydrometallurgy

Ron Schonewille, P. Eng., Symposium Chair, Xstrata Nickel

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Global trends in new legislation governing sulphur dioxide and particulate emissions, and the impact on metallurgical processing facilities • Improvements in material handling and processing of secondary materials to reduce emissions in primary metallurgical operations

TECHNICAL PROGRAM AT A GLANCE MONDAY, OCTOBER 1

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2

SYMPOSIUM

ROOM

Plenary

Great Room A

Plenary I 8:30

Great Room A

Refractory Gold I 10:15

Copper (14:00-15:40) Leaching (15:55-17:10)

Refractory Gold II 10:15

Fallsview Studio A

Process Development I 10:15

Process Development II 14:00

Zinc 10:15

Strategy 2

Clean Pyrometallurgical Processing General A 10:15

Clean Pyrometallurgical Processing Applications 14:00

Pressure Hydrometallurgy

Pyrometallurgy: Towards Clean Metallurgical Processing

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3

Equipment Design 14:00

Refractory Gold III 8:55

Platinum Group Metals (14:00-15:40) Modeling (15:55 to 17:10)

Clean Pyrometallurgical Processing General B 10:15

Clean Hydrometallurgical Processing General 14:00

Clean Processing of Light and Less Common Metals 8:30

Clean Mineral Processing and Physical Metallurgy 14:00

Fundamentals Green Technologies 14:00

Plenary II 8:30

Clean Hydrometallurgical Processing Leaching 14:00

Strategy 5/6

Corrosion

Upper Fallsview A

Corrosion I 10:15

Corrosion II 14:00

Corrosion III 10:15

Corrosion IV 14:00

Water Air & Land: Sustainability (WALSIM II)

Strategy 1

Platinium Group & Other Metals 10:15

Slag & Solid Wates 14:00

Water Treatment & Management 10:15

Water & Waste Management 14:00

Sustainability 8:30

Strategy 3

Rare Earths Overview 10:15

Uranium and Thorium Management (14:00 to 14:50) Rare Earth Recycling (14:50 to 17:35)

Physical Metallurgy 10:15

Physical Metallurgy 14:00

Separation and Metals Production (10:25 to 11:40) Environmental Issues (11:40 to 12:05)

Extractive Metallurgy 10:15

Extractive Metallurgy 14:00

Rare Earths

Strategy 7 Sustainability in Mining General Poster Session

Round Table Discussion 14:00

Strategy 5/6 Strategy 7 Prefunction Fallsview

76 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Sustainability in Mining 8:30 General 8:30

Poster Sessions

http://www.cim.org/COM2012

Water, Air and Land: Sustainability Issues in Mineral and Metal Extraction (WALSIM II) “WALSIM-II brings together colleagues from industry, academia and government from around the world to share experience and build collaboration.”

PLENARY SESSION

Charles Q. Jia, Ph.D., P.Eng., Symposium Chair, University of Toronto

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• • • • •

Tailings management-treatment, reprocessing, dewatering and immobilization SOx and NOx emission control technologies Management of residues, sludges, dust and other wastes Recycling of base metals Bio and agricultural wastes utilization in metallurgical processes Thomas Homer-Dixon, writer and professor, University of Waterloo

Sustainability through Mining “This year, we plan to emphasize the importance of the relationship industry and communities have when conducting a mining project. Our special round table session with invitees from industry, associations and communities will bring about some interesting dialogue.” Mohammed Ali, Ph.D., MBA, Symposium Chair, Hatch

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Effective engagement with communities • Improving communication with stakeholders (communities, government, NGOs, etc.) • Ensuring sustainability of community development initiatives, from exploration to past project closure

Rare Earths

“Why can’t we innovate?” by Chris Twigge-Molecey, Hatch Associates Ltd.

“The inaugural Rare Earth Symposium at COM2012 clearly demonstrates the benefits of international collaboration in the science and engineering of rare earth processing and applications – both of which are fundamental to establishing sustainable supply chains to support energy efficient and CleanTech solutions for future generations.” Ian M. London, P.Eng. MBA, Symposium Chair, Avalon Rare Metals Inc.

“The Rare Earth Symposium will present some 50 papers from 10 countries covering extraction, separation, refining and metal production, and recycling, as well as thorium and waste stream management.” Mandeep Singh Rayat MSc. MBA, Symposium Chair, Avalon Rare Metals Inc.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• • • •

“The Future of Sustainability” by Bruce Conard, Vale

REE geology and geochemistry Ore dressing and separation technology Hydrometallurgical processing of rare earths Physical metallurgy of rare earths

Corrosion: Recent Advances & Sustainability “The focus of this symposium is to gain insight into recent advances in corrosion science and to examine how the move toward more sustainable design is impacting these advances.” George Jarjoura, Symposium Chair, Dalhousie University

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Corrosion in the general energy sector, including nuclear • Renewable energy generation and corrosion • Integrity of gas and oil transportation infrastructure

http://www.cim.org/COM2012

“Enhancing Innovation and Technology Development” by Engin Özberk, vice-president at Cameco Corporation June/July 2012 | 77

GREAT MINDS LEARN

SHORT COURSES You are not required to be a conference delegate to register for a course. More information on presenters and scheduling available on our website.

Pressure Hydrometallurgy High-temperature aqueous chemistry Pressure reactor design principles Process development and plant design Materials of construction Commercial processes zinc pressure leach, refractory gold pressure oxidation, HPAL of laterites • Case histories • • • • •

Gold Processing This day-and-a-half course will provide a refresher course on current unit operations in the gold processing flowsheet, plus an update on emerging technologies and their likely integration into existing and proposed gold plants. Speakers will also cover sustainability and environmental issues, such as cyanide usage, waste management and energy conservation.

Pyrometallurgy: environmental challenges in sulphide matte converting This one-day course will give attendees an understanding of the current challenges faced by sulphide matte converting operations and recent technology developments aimed at

meeting tightening environmental legislation. The course will cover the following topics: • History, theory, references and status of development of Kennecott- Outotec® Flash Converting technology • History, theory, developments and environmental performance of Outotec® Ausmelt C3 technology • Latest developments in Xstrata IsaConvertTM technology

Environment: processing of aqueous effluents in non-ferrous metal industry This short course will provide an overview of various aspects of aqueous effluent treatment, as it is applied to the day-today operation of waste water treatment facilities in non-ferrous industry. The one-day interactive course will include: • Chemistry of waste water treatment, technological aspects and recent advances in waste water treatment • Case studies and recycle/reuse of waste and treated water • Management of sludges produced during effluent treatment-disposal, reduction and treatment • Zero liquid discharge options for treated effluents

SPONSORS Several sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Michael King at MICHAELKING806@comcast.net.

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

EVENT SPONSORS

78 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

http://www.cim.org/COM2012

GREAT MINDS GROW

STUDENT PROGRAM Poster Competition Enter and present your poster to peers and industry professionals. The winner will receive a $500 prize. Welcome Party After the Welcome Reception, students are invited to participate in a friendly bowling competition or to play games at the Great Canadian Midway. Student-Industry Mixer Start building your network of contacts at the Student-Industry Mixer. Student-Industry Round Table This free event provides the opportunity for students and professionals to discuss topics and exchange ideas in a small group.

GREAT MINDS EXPLORE

GUEST AND FAMILY FUN NIAGARA – SO MUCH TO OFFER!

INDUSTRIAL TOURS Sherritt Ni-Co Refinery & Pilot Plant Tour Metallurgical Slag (Production, Treatment, Use) Visit to a local steelmaker, the Stoney Creek Slag Grinding plant and the Roxul Milton plant Water Treatment Technologies Eco-Tec Inc., Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment plant

GREAT MINDS NETWORK

SOCIAL PROGRAM Welcome Reception All delegates are invited to attend the Welcome Reception on Sunday evening. Come and enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a drink. MetSoc Annual Meeting Luncheon On Monday, the society will have its Annual General Meeting, which will feature the inauguration of the new Society president. Hydrometallurgy Luncheon The Pressure Hydrometallurgy organizing committee will hold a luncheon on Tuesday. MetSoc Awards Banquet On Tuesday, the Society will honour its outstanding members by presenting the Society Awards. Silent Auction Fundraiser CMMF is hosting a silent auction. Proceeds will go to CMMF, which will contribute 50 per cent of the funds to support the MetSoc scholarship fund. Historical Metallurgy Lunch Box The Historical Metallurgy Committee of MetSoc will host a box lunch featuring guest speaker Sam Marcuson, vicepresident of Vale Canada Ltd., on Wednesday. Marcuson will present “Robert M. Thompson and Viktor Hybinette: the Ying and Yang of the Early Nickel Industry.”

With dozens of remarkable attractions, countless fun-tastic events and hundreds of imaginative activities that will appeal to kids of all ages, there is something for the whole family! Activities to check out: • Water park at Sheraton on the Falls • Maid of the Mist-Journey Behind the Falls • Guinness Book of World Records Museum • Rock Legend’s Wax Museum • Butterfly Conservatory – over 2,000 fluttering butterflies • Bird Kingdom, the world’s largest, indoor, free-flying aviary featuring over 500 colourful birds • And more!

GUEST PROGRAM Guests will have the chance to take an organized tour of Niagara, including charming Niagara on the Lake and a boat trip on Maid of the Mist. Of course, no visit to Niagara is complete without some wine tours!

Register before August 1 and save $100! Early bird rates (before August 1): CIM national members and sister societies: CIM life members: CIM retired members: Authors, presenters and session chairs: Non-members: Students: Canadian University Undergrads: MetSoc Student Chapters:

http://www.cim.org/COM2012

$850 $0 $200 $850 $1020 $170 $0 $125

June/July 2012 | 79

HISTORICAL

metallurgy

Metallothermic reactions (Part 2) A short history By Fathi Habashi, Laval University, Quebec City

Part 1 explains how the discovery and isolation of alkali metals led to a more in-depth investigation of the potential of metallothermic reactions (see May issue). Below are some of the metals chemists were able to obtain. This reaction is the basis of the Thermit process, introduced by German chemist Hans Goldschmidt in 1899 to weld rails. The same reaction was also used to make incendiary bombs.

Boron After the isolation of elemental boron in 1808, German chemist Friedrich Wöhler obtained crystalline boron in 1856 by dissolving amorphous boron in molten aluminum. On cooling, crystalline boron separates out and can be recovered by dissolving aluminum in sodium hydroxide. Silicon In 1811, Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thénard prepared impure amorphous silicon by heating silicon tetrafluoride with potassium, but they did not purify and characterize the product. Silicon, in its more common crystalline form, was prepared in 1854 by Henri Étienne SainteClaire Deville by electrolyzing impure sodium-aluminum chloride containing around 10 per cent silicon. Zirconium In 1789, German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth analyzed a sample of zircon from the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and discovered a new element, which he named Zirkonerde. Zirconium metal was first obtained in an

impure form by Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1824 by heating a mixture of potassium and potassium zirconium fluoride in an iron tube. The iodide process was the first industrial process for the commercial production of metallic zirconium. This method was superseded by the Kroll process, developed by Wilhelm Kroll in 1845, in which zirconium tetrachloride was reduced by magnesium.

Titanium was first isolated by Berzelius in 1825 by reducing K2TiF6 with potassium. In 1887, Lars Nilson and Sven Otto Pettersson in Stockholm isolated the metal in 95 per cent purity by reducing TiCl4 with sodium. In 1910, Matthew A. Hunter prepared 99.9 per cent pure titanium metal by reducing TiCl4 with sodium in a steel bomb. In 1938, Wilhelm J. Kroll produced pure titanium by reducing TiCl4 with magnesium. In 1942, under Kroll’s direction, the US Bureau of Mines operated a pilot plant in Boulder City, Nevada, for the production of titanium based on his process. In 1948, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company produced the first commercial titanium.

Magnesium was discovered and isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808 by fused salt electrolysis of MgCl2. Antoine Alexandre Brutus Bussy prepared a sample in 1831 by heating magnesium chloride and potassium in a glass tube. When he

Founding fathers of metallothermic reactions Matthew A. Hunter (1878– Lloyd M. Pidgeon (1903– 1961) was born in Auckland, New Zealand, studied at University College in London, and then emigrated to the United States to work with the research laboratories of General Electric Company. In 1908, he joined Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s electrical engineering department.

1999) developed the magnesium process when he was at the National Research Council in Ottawa. In 1941, he became director of research at Dominion Magnesium, and, in 1943, chairman of the department of metallurgical engineering at the University of Toronto.

Hans Goldschmidt (1861–1923) Wilhelm J. Kroll (1889–1973) fled from studied chemistry at Berlin University and then joined the management of the family firm, Chemische Fabrik Theodor Goldschmidt. In 1899, he developed the Thermit process which was originally meant for the preparation of carbon-free metals but became the standard method for welding railroad and streetcar rails. 80 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

Luxembourg to the United States in 1940 when Nazi troops were advancing in Europe. He joined the US Bureau of Mines in Albany, Oregon, where he further developed his research on the production of zirconium and titanium. In the 1950s, he produced titanium on a commercial scale. Upon retirement in 1960, he donated generously to Colorado School of Mines, where the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy was founded in 1973.

HISTORICAL

metallurgy washed out the potassium chloride, small, shining globules of magnesium remained. The first industrial production of magnesium by electrolysis of molten carnallite from Stassfurt deposits began in 1886 near Bremen, Germany. In 1915, Dow Chemical Company started producing magnesium from naturally occurring subterranean brine in Midland, Michigan. The use of magnesium in the aircraft industry in World War II resulted in a greater demand and large-scale production methods had to be found. In 1941, the Dow Chemical Company produced an ingot of magnesium at Freeport, Texas – the first metal ever to be taken from sea water.

Uranium When French chemist Eugène Péligot realized that the substance Martin Heinrich Klaproth considered to be metallic uranium was an oxide, he obtained the metal in 1841 by reduction of the tetrachloride with sodium. During World War II, uranium was prepared on a large scale by the reduction of UF4 by magnesium in connection with the Manhattan Project to be used for the manufacture of an atomic bomb. The work was conducted at Iowa State University in Ames, under the direction of Harley A. Wilhelm. With his process, which is still in use today, Ames Laboratory produced over 1,000 tons of high-purity uranium for the Manhattan Project.

chemistry in Nancy, was the first to produce a considerable amount of the metal by this process in 1970.

Plutonium After the discovery of plutonium by Glenn T. Seaborg and co-workers, reports from the University of Chicago laboratories showed widely varying densities of these almost invisible beads of metal. The small amount of plutonium in Los Alamos at the end of 1944 served for all chemical and metallurgical development work. When there was enough material for one bomb, all efforts were directed at shaping the available supply into the final form as quickly as possible. On July 15, 1945, the plutonium core was placed in the subassembly on the test site at Alamogordo. Shortly thereafter, electrolysis from a fused-salt bath was used. Today, a large supply of plutonium is stored under strictly controlled conditions at Rocky Flats in Colorado.

Epilogue Metallothermic reactions are batch processes in which both reactants are solids. There are a few exceptions, however, where at the reaction temperature the reducing metal is a liquid and the other reactant is a gas. In both cases, numerous steps are involved and that is why it has been challenged by fused salt electrolysis. CIM

Barium Davy isolated the metal barium by means of the voltaic pile in 1808. Although the mineral barite in which this element was first recognized has a high specific gravity, the metal itself is very light. John William Mallet, professor of chemistry at the University of Virginia, described in 1878 the preparation of barium by the reduction of barium oxide with aluminum at 1,100 C in an evacuated retort. Barium vapour is collected in the condenser. Antoine Guntz, professor of

Suggested readings F. Habashi (editor), A History of Metallurgy, Métallurgie Extractive Québec, Quebec City, 1994, distributed by Laval University Bookstore “Zone” F. Habashi, Readings in Historical Metallurgy, Volume 1. Changing Technology in Extractive Metallurgy, Métallurgie Extractive Québec, Quebec City 2006 M.E. Weeks, Discovery of the Elements, published by Journal of Chemical Education, Easton, Pennsylvania 1960

Carl Gustav Mosander (1797– 1858) studied pharmacy and medicine, and served as an army surgeon in Sweden. He became one of Berzelius’ assistants in Stockholm (1824–1831) and eventually his successor at the Karolinska Institute.

Harley Wilhelm (1900– 1995) invented the process for large-scale production of highly pure uranium and thorium for the Manhattan Project by reducing the fluorides with magnesium.

Georg von Hevesy (1885–1966) was Eugène Péligot (1811–1890) was a professor of chemistry at the École centrale des Arts et des Manufactures in Paris. He was the first to isolate uranium and the first to use an organic solvent for the extraction and purification of metal ions. He extracted uranyl nitrate solution by ether in 1842 to separate it from other constituents of pitchblende. About 100 years later, the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works operated a uranium refinery in the United States based on this principle. Extraction of metal ions from aqueous solutions by organic solvents is now widespread. Péligot was employed at the Mint in Paris for 40 years.

born in Budapest, Hungary, and educated at the Technische Hochschule in Berlin and the University of Freiburg in Germany. In 1911, he worked at the University of Manchester in the U.K. under Ernest Rutherford on the chemical separation of radium. He joined Friedrich Paneth at Vienna in 1912 and made significant progress in tracer studies. Hevesy became professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm after fleeing from the Nazis. He earned the 1943 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

June/July 2012 | 81

International Mine Management 2012 tion y a r t is arl Reg ing e k r n ope ly, ma ies! Ju diar r you

20-21 November 2012 Grand Hyatt, Melbourne Australia Working again with CIM (Canadian institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum) and SAIMM (Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy), this AusIMM’s conference will bring together mining professionals and provide a forum for the discussion of the key management issues facing the industry today, and with sharing experiences and lessons learnt. The present resources boom has served both to emphasise and to exacerbate the shortage of trained and broadly experienced managers in the mining industry. The mining industry has been notoriously volatile in its demand for both managers and technical specialists, and places heavy demands on those who choose a career in the industry, including the need to work in remote locations and a lack of employment security during periods of cyclic recession. Minerals industry managers working in remote locations assume diverse responsibilities unfamiliar to their urban management peers, and must be sensitive to the expectations of a broader range of stakeholders. Hosting a two day technical program, social functions and the launch of The Mine Management Handbook, International Mine Management 2012 is definitely one to add to your industry calendar.

Gold Sponsors

Official Conference Dinner

Conference Lunches

Technical Sessions

Name Tags

Media Supporter

Official Publication

The Program Keynote Presenters:

• Andrew Michelmore – Chief Executive Officer, MMG • Tony O’Neill – Executive Vice President – Business and Technical Development, Anglogold Ashanti • Ian Smith – Chief Executive Officer, Orica Ltd Please visit the conference website for the preliminary program.

Event Management: The AusIMM For all enquiries including sponsorship, please contact: Events Department Telephone: +61 3 9658 6120 | Email: conference@ausimm.com.au

www.ausimm.com.au/imm2012

TECHNICAL ABSTRACTS

CIM

The future of environmental regulation: Saskatchewan’s move to results-based regulation M. B. Wittrup and K. M. Murphy, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, Regina, Saskatchewan

journal

ABSTRACT The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment recognizes the importance of environmental protection as an important contributor to Saskatchewan’s economy, with the environmental performance of industry closely monitored. Unfortunately, environmental regulation is often accompanied by significant process that does not always add value to environmental protection activities. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment has embarked on a visionary restructuring of its regulatory framework from conventional command and control regulation to a results-based regulatory framework. This new regulatory framework will provide for establishing clear environmental protection and resource management objectives; streamlining the environmental acts and regulations; developing an environmental code of practice; relying on qualified persons; enhancing compliance and enforcement tools; eliminating of many permits; and developing greater certainty in environmental assessment decisions. Results-based regulation promises to deliver enhanced environmental protection with less process. The uranium industry in Saskatchewan will be used as an example of the potential effects of results-based regulation. RÉSUMÉ Le ministère de l’Environnement de la Saskatchewan reconnaît l’importance de protéger l’environnement car il est un contributeur important à l’économie de cette province, tout en suivant de près la performance environnementale de l’industrie. Malheureusement, la réglementation environnementale est souvent accompagnée d’importantes procédures qui n’ajoutent pas toujours de la valeur aux activités de protection de l’environnement. Le ministère de l’Environnement de la Saskatchewan se lance dans une restructuration visionnaire de son cadre réglementaire depuis une réglementation de commandement et de contrôle à un cadre de réglementation basée sur les résultats. Ce nouveau cadre réglementaire permettra l’établissement d’objectifs de protection environnementale et de gestion des ressources; la rationalisation des lois et des réglementations environnementales; le développement d’un code de pratique environnementale; la confiance en les personnes qualifiées; la mise à jour des outils de conformité et de mise en œuvre; l’élimination de nombreux permis et le développement d’une plus grande certitude dans les décisions d’évaluation environnementale. La réglementation basée sur les résultats promet de livrer une meilleure protection de l’environnement avec moins de procédures. L’industrie de l’uranium en Saskatchewan servira d’exemple pour montrer les effets potentiels de la réglementation basée sur les résultats.

Michelin uranium project, Labrador, Canada: Metallurgical test work, economic studies, and process design J. R. Goode, Aurora Energy Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, J. A. Brown, SGS Mineral Services, Lakefield, Ontario

ABSTRACT Aurora Energy Ltd. is considering a 10,000 t/d process plant to produce 97 million lb (43,998,460 kg) of U3O8 over a 17-year project from uranium deposits in coastal Labrador. This paper summarizes the test work, mostly done by SGS Mineral Services in Lakefield, Ontario, and the economic studies supporting flowsheet selection. The proposed flowsheet includes semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) and ball milling, acid leaching using air/SO2 as an oxidant, and resin-in-pulp (RIP) extraction of uranium from the leached slurry. Other unit operations examined include ore sorting, heap leaching, liquid-solid separation, solvent extraction, and nanofiltration for eluate upgrading. We also review the extensive environmental test work and studies that were completed.

RÉSUMÉ Aurora Energy Ltd. étudie la possibilité de construire une usine pouvant traiter 10 000 t/j afin de produire 97 millions de livres (43 998 460 kg) de U3O8 au cours d’une période de 17 ans à partir de gisements d’uranium sur la côte du Labrador. Le présent article résume les travaux d’essais, principalement effectués par SGS Mineral Services à Lakefield, Ontario, ainsi que les études économiques appuyant le choix du schéma de traitement. Le schéma de traitement proposé comprend des broyeurs semi-autogènes et des broyeurs à boulets, la lixiviation à l’acide en utilisant l’air/SO2 comme agent oxydant et l’extraction de l’uranium par résine en pulpe (RIP) depuis la boue lixiviée. D’autres opérations unitaires étudiées comprennent le tri du minerai, la lixiviation en tas, la séparation liquide-solide, l’extraction par solvants et la nanofiltration pour purifier l’éluat. Nous réviExcerpts taken from abstracts in CIM Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2. sons aussi les travaux d’essais approfondis sur Subscribe—www.cim.org l’environnement et les nombreuses études effectuées. June/July 2012 | 83

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Boomtown businesswoman: the wide-ranging career of Nellie Cashman by Correy Baldwin

Courtesy of Royal BC Museum, BC Archives.

he winter of 1874 was particularly Nellie was a restless businesswoman, and harsh. Nellie Cashman had alher ventures took her throughout the southready left the Cassiar Mountains west. She established boarding houses, in northern British Columbia for the searestaurants, and shops wherever she went, son when she heard a blizzard had and continued prospecting, investing in and stranded a group of miners there. She developing claims, and grubstaking other immediately took charge of a rescue miners. Nellie also remained generous with effort, knowing that the men would be in local charities, helping establish schools, danger of starvation. She collected food churches and hospitals. and medical supplies, recruited five othNellie’s reputation grew. She had a sharp ers to join her, and snowshoed hundreds business sense and an impressive will, of miles to find the men – against the becoming an influential and prominent citiadvice of the Canadian Army. After 77 zen everywhere she lived. Even when her days, Nellie and her team rescued the sister died of tuberculosis, Nellie managed to men, who were suffering from scurvy. care for the five children and continue her After that she was known as the business ventures. Miner’s Angel, but the affectionate nickIn 1898, she joined the Klondike gold name only told half the story, for Nellie rush and ventured to Dawson City where Nellie Cashman, around 1874 Cashman was impressive in many she once again established a restaurant and regards – a respected entrepreneur and a went about acquiring and developing claims strong-willed woman who cut her own path in a world domi- – a tried-and-true approach that brought in a handsome nated by men. wealth. In 1904, she followed the gold rush to Fairbanks, Nellie left her native Ireland when she was just a child, emi- Alaska, and in 1907, at age 60, she moved north to Alaska’s grating to the U.S. with her widowed mother and sister in remote Koyukuk region. Nellie remained in the area and pur1850. When Nellie and her mother opened a miners’ boarding sued, a US deputy marshall appointment for the mining dishouse near the silver mining town of Pioche, Nevada in 1872, trict – a bold request for a woman. Nellie gained an appetite for the mining life. Despite her getting on in years, Nellie would visit family Soon after she followed the gold rush to the Cassiar, and and friends in Arizona. The first leg of the trip was a 350-mile was the first and only woman in the district. There she honed passage by dog sled. These epic journeys attracted the attena business approach that would serve her well for the rest of tion of the national press, which covered her trip in 1922 her life: establishing a business (a saloon and boarding house) when she was 77 years old, and again the next year. In 1924, to finance her mining ventures, prospecting, and investing in she developed pneumonia and was admitted to the Sisters of and developing claims. Saint Anne, the same hospital she helped establish 51 years She also became highly involved in charity work, raising earlier. She died soon after, in January 1925. She was inducted donations for a new hospital in Victoria for the Sisters of Saint into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Anne. In fact, she was delivering $500 in donations to the Sis- Alaska Mining Hall of Fame in 2006. CIM ters when she received news of the stranded miners, and turned back for the rescue. By the time Nellie left the Cassiar in 1876, she had done well financially and gained the respect of fellow miners. She then made her way to Arizona, first Tucson, and then Tombstone, where she based herself for nearly two decades. Tombstone was one of the richest silver towns in the region, and hosted such characters as Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp.

86 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 7, No. 4

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