Major mining conference returns for first time in two years

The Northern Ontario Mining Showcase will highlight key mining supply and engineering companies in Sudbury and other Northern Ontario cities.

TORONTO — Hundreds of mining exploration representatives from Sudbury and northern Ontario are attending the annual meeting of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC).

They are joined by thousands of representatives from mining supply companies, mining technology companies, mining safety companies, mining education and employment companies, and actual mining production companies, of the whole world.

They attend the annual event to share information about new mining properties, share knowledge about new mining techniques, and determine which mining prospects are worth investing in.

In the past, the Toronto-based convention has attracted over 22,000 delegates and attendees from around the world. This is the first live convention since the onset of COVID-19, which was declared, by the way, just days after the last convention was held in Toronto in March 2020.

One of the main exhibits will be the Northern Ontario Mining Showcase, which is expected to be the largest single pavilion at the conference, as it has been in the past. It will feature dozens of Northern Ontario companies closely tied to mineral exploration, mine supply and mine production.

The PDAC held an official opening event on Monday morning, but the Northern Showcase held its own opening event later in the morning, with mining executives and municipal leaders from across the North in attendance.

MineConnect, the Sudbury-based mining supply organization, will also be participating in the Northern Ontario Showcase, which will host a few key events.

On Tuesday, MineConnect will partner with MNP, a professional services firm, to host a two-hour panel discussion titled Labor Solutions in a Changing Mining Market.

Organizers said the discussion will focus on the past two years of labor market turbulence and examine how mining is one of the Canadian industrial sectors that is considered to flourish in terms of technological advances, improvements operations and growth opportunities.

But with ever-changing mining practices, the agenda for this event indicated the need to build teams equipped to pivot with technology.

An event titled “Opportunities in the Canadian Mining Landscape” will also take place at the Northern Ontario Showcase. It will feature a panel of mining procurement leaders from Northern Ontario who will discuss the opportunities and challenges of the sector in their respective jurisdictions.

As the largest pavilion of the PDAC, NOMS showcases more than 100 companies and organizations from Northern Ontario, while showcasing the wealth of products, services and investment opportunities the region has to offer. Designed to showcase Northern Ontario, a region of recognized mining excellence, the pavilion assists companies in their efforts to expand operations, increase trade and create high-quality jobs. Since its inception in 2015, the FedNor-funded pavilion has helped create more than 690 jobs in Northern Ontario, with exhibitors reporting increased sales totaling more than $80 million.

Sudbury.Com is covering the convention and will be providing articles on Northern Ontario businesses at the event.

Len Gillis covers mining and healthcare for Sudbury.com. From June 13-17, he will report on the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto.