By NICK STEWART
With interest in mineral exploration taking on an increasingly global scale, it only seemed logical to take an increasingly global perspective for this year’s Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, according to the organizing chair.
“In contrast to what the convention was when I first started going to it, it’s now much more worldwide in nature, and it’s a lot more inclusive,” Rodney Thomas, chair of the PDAC’s organizing committee, says.
“There’s a big focus on technologies, techniques and where to look, but there’s also a lot of emphasis on Aboriginal peoples, women, young people as well as the environment and health and safety, so there’s the sustainability aspect to. It’s much more comprehensive and global in scope.”
Taking place in Toronto from March 2 - 5, the event maintained this theme of current global issues even throughout its signature technical discussions. These included talks not only on diamonds, geophysics, finance, and how to adapt to growth, but also on emerging exploration venues. Burgeoning places of interest such as India and Pakistan were highlighted, while some talks also took place on the mineralization in places like Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Iran.
The hot-button issue of Aboriginal involvement in the Canadian mining industry was also analyzed, featuring Northern Ontario representation through De Beers Canada’s involvement with the Attawapiskat First Nation, and Tres-Or Resources’ work with the Timiskaming First Nation.
Although held once again at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, organizers have had to move the event from the North building to the South in order to provide additional space for the ever-expanding event.
Having grown every year for the past six years, the 2008 event marked the largest attendance yet, with an attendance of approximately 18,000 people from around the world for the 76th anniversary. This marks 3,500 more attendees than 2006, which saw 14,500 participants.
As an example of this significant growth, 650 public companies participated in the investors’ exchange to exhibit progress and attract investment, 221 more than took part last year. What’s more, 69 of these were from outside Canada, further solidifying the international appeal of the event, Thomas says.
He credits much of this growth to the current strength of the international minerals markets, and the growing role of Canada on the world stage of exploration.
While allowing for a greater sense of offering “something for everyone,” the event’s ever-growing popularity can threaten to leave attendees feeling adrift in a sea of options.
In fact, with a constantly growing list of offerings which include a core shack, prospectors tent, trade show, short courses, an innovation forum and keynote speakers, people can easily become lost in the fray. This leaves pre-planning more important than ever, Thomas says.
“If you just walk in, you’ll be completely overwhelmed,” he says. “I cannot stress enough how important it is to pre-plan your route ahead of stepping through the doors. Of course, you’ll still come away feeling that it’s huge, which of course it is, but at least you’ll be able to come away with a more solid picture of what’s happening.”
