Serving ONTARIO’S MINING INDUSTRY for Years · ontario mining association 90th anniversary 3...

ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

OCTOBER 2010

ComplimentaryPM no. 40069240

ONTARIO’S MINING INDUSTRYServing

90 for Years

Ontario Mining Association 90th Anniversary 3

INTRODUCTION4 .....MINISTER’S MESSAGE

5 .....PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

7 .....FROM THE EDITOR

8 ..... 2010 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGTHE OMA GETS TOGETHER IN NORTH BAY

9 ..... ONTARIO MINING ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERSKEEPING THE ASSOCIATION RUNNING SMOOTHLY: THE OMA STAFF

COMMITTEESHUMAN RESOURCES

10 ... EDUCATION AND OUTREACHFILLING THE LABOUR SHORTAGE

12 ...SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW MINING 2010

14 ... WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROMOTING SAFETY, HEALTH AND HEALING

18 ... ABORIGINAL RELATIONSOPENING THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION BENEFITS ALL

22 ... SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEECREATING A SAFER WORKPLACE THROUGH BETTER TRAINING

TECHNICAL

25 ... ENVIRONMENTWORKING WITH GOVERNMENT TOWARDS A GREENER, CLEANER WORLD

26 ... 2010 TOM PETERS MEMORIAL MINE RECLAMATION AWARD

29 ... ENERGYCONSERVATION AND LOWER RATES KEEP ONTARIO MINES COMPETITIVE

30 ... HOIST PLANT VITAL HOIST PLANTS REQUIRE SPECIAL ATTENTION

THE OMA COMMUNITY31 ... J. T. RYAN SAFTEY AWARDS

RECOGNIZING SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE BY PETER MCBRIDE

33 ...ONTARIO MINING ASSOCIATION MEMBER COMPANIES

34 ... CHRIS HODGSONSOME WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT

36 ... PAST PRESIDENTSPRESIDENTS AND CHAIRMEN — GUIDING ONTARIO’S MINING INDUSTRY

37 ...MINING COMPANIES PAST AND PRESENT

37 ...ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

38 ... PATRICK REIDTHE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME

Cover:The OMA’s logo represents Ontario’s modern, high-tech, envi-ronmentally responsible mining industry. The arc spanning the logo and going through the map of Ontario represents the range of mining. The gold colour represents precious metals, while the blue stands for base metals and the grey for industrial minerals. The head frame and the tree show that production of the metals and minerals is carried out in conjunction with and in regards to safety and environmental protection. The Red Lake Gold Mine headframe belongs to OMA member Goldcorp.

contents:

OMA 90th Anniversaryis published in co-operation with The Northern Miner12 Concorde Place, Suite 800 Toronto, Ont. M3C 4J2E-mail: [email protected]

Editor: George WerniukArt Director: Mark RyanProduction Manager:Tracey HansonAdvertising Sales:Brian Warriner

Joe Crofts Michael WinterPublisher:Doug DonnellyPrinted in Canada.All Rights Reserved.

The contents of this publica-tion may only be reproduced with the written consent of The Northern Miner.Canadian Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:The Northern Miner12 Concorde Place, Suite 800 Toronto, ON M3C 4J2

PHOT

O CR

EDIT:

GOL

DCOR

P IN

C

4 Ontario Mining Association 90th Anniversary

INTRODUCTION | MINISTER’S MESSAGE

On behalf of the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, I would like to

congratulate the staff, management and member organizations of the Ontario Mining Association on its 90th anniversary. The OMA plays an important role in managing and sustaining mining in Ontario. Mining is one of Ontario’s economic pillars employ-ing 75,000 people directly and indirectly and we are Canada’s largest producer of non-fuel minerals. Ontario ranks among the

top 10 global producers of platinum, nickel and cobalt, and among the top 20 produc-ers of gold, silver, copper and zinc. We have also joined the select group of jurisdictions that produce diamonds with the opening of the De Beers Victor diamond mine near Attawapiskat. Moreover, our considerable geological diversity continues proving itself with the recent discovery of Canada’s first potentially world-class deposit of chromite in the Ring of Fire area in Ontario’s far north.

The Ring of Fire is lauded as one

of Northern Ontario’s most promising development opportunities in several decades. Current estimates suggest the potential for a century of chromite produc-tion, as well as significant finds of copper, nickel, platinum, palladium and other minerals, even diamonds. The Ring of Fire could become a major economic force for nearby communities by supporting regional and community infrastructure, value-added manufacturing, and mining sector supply and services companies all across Ontario, including the financial services sector in Toronto.

Our commitment to advancing mineral development in Ontario is reflected in the passage of Bill 173, an act to modernize elements of Ontario’s current Mining Act. New legislation will not only revitalize Ontario’s approach to mineral explora-tion and development, it also takes bold steps to support significant strides in Aboriginal consultation throughout the mining sequence. It will address issues related to surface rights versus mineral rights and will link mining development to land use planning in Ontario’s far north. Most importantly, it will modern-ize and streamline regulations and bring greater clarity and certainty for the mining industry.

The need for minerals will increase as nations around the world advance. Ontario will continue to be a global supplier of many different minerals, have a highly skilled workforce and be a leader in mining technology. We are working closely with key stakeholders, such as the OMA, to ensure that Ontario remains a premiere destination for mineral explora-tion and mining investment and that the mining sector continues to be a vibrant element of the provincial economy. OMA

Michael Gravelle Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry

MINISTER’S MESSAGEMinistry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE | INTRODUCTION

This year, the Ontario Mining Associ-ation is celebrating its 90th anniver-sary – a worthy measure by any

yardstick. We thank The Northern Miner for this special publication to acknowledge the OMA’s anniversary and for sharing in the association’s landmark occasion.

Celebrating important anniversaries provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on the past for individuals and organizations. These anniversaries also give impetus to look where we are today and to measure accomplishments of how much progress has been made. However, they should also be used to look to the future and predict where we may be at anniversaries yet to come.

The OMA is one of the longest-serving trade organizations in the country and its strength rests with its dedicated member companies.

Since 1920, there have been 15 differ-ent Canadian prime ministers, 17 differ-ent Ontario premiers and 32 different Ontario mines ministers. In 1920, we lived in a world without televisions, computers, internet, satellite communi-cations, high-level medical diagnostic equipment, cell phones, super highways and global airline routes. Mankind has provided the ingenuity, and mining has provided the materials to create these advances in modern society.

As the world has progressed, so too has the OMA and the mining industry in this province – and they will continue to do so. Let’s look at mine safety. In the last 20 years, Ontario’s mining industry has recorded a 91% improvement in accident frequency reduction and a 65% reduction in medical aid frequency. For the first four months of 2010, mining was the safest industry in the province.

Through partnerships among manage-

ment, unions and government and large investments in safety training, OMA members are reaching for the milestone of zero lost-time incidents by 2015. This is the type of commitment the industry is making to its employees and the type of working environment it is striving to provide in the future.

Back in 1920, the word environment was not found in the dictionary. As with safety, the industry has made great strides forward environmentally. From 1990 to this year, the industry has reduced the release of a variety of substances from its operations by 87%.

We know mining has a huge role to play in building the green economy of the future that society strives to achieve. Mining provides the materials needed for water purification, renewable energy, energy conservation, rechargeable batter-ies and pollution controls and it is provid-ing these essential materials in better ways. As the industry continues along the path of continuous improvement, it is becoming a greener industry in its own right.

In Ontario, mining is going in two general directions – deeper and further north. As many older mines in established camps such as Sudbury, Timmins and Red Lake go deeper, new vistas with geological potential are being explored. The Ring of Fire region in the far north holds tremendous mineral potential. It has gained industry and media attention and been mentioned in the 2010 Throne Speech and Provincial Budget.

Perhaps no industry plays a greater proportionate role in helping to develop First Nation capacity than mining. The industry is the largest private sector employer of Aboriginals, who comprise 7.5% of the mining workforce in Canada. This number is growing and some

operations have more than 40% of their employees from First Nations. In Ontario there are in excess of 40 Impact Benefit Agreements that have been signed between First Nations and mining companies. The industry is playing an expanding role in providing employment and entrepreneur-ial opportunities for Aboriginals. This role will continue to grow in the future.

Another important group that needs to play a larger role in mining is females. While women comprise almost half of the total Canadian workforce, they make up less than 15% of the mining workforce. The industry is striving to become more female friendly and in growing numbers women are playing a bigger part in mineral production and processing. There is a long way to go, but more of mining’s future workforce will be female.

The OMA works with Skills Canada —Ontario to promote greater awareness of skilled trades and technologies among high school students. The association also manages its high school video competition, “So You Think You Know Mining”, which strives to put computer-savvy students with an artistic bent on the path toward a greater understanding of mining. We hope that these initiatives develop future mining sector employees and provide future decision makers with a better appreciation of the realities of modern mining.

Mining is working to go the extra mile in many areas to be a responsible partner in society. It is working hard to become a greener, more ecologically friendly and sustainable industry making contribu-tions to the economy and our lifestyles. These are the things the OMA wants to celebrate at future anniversaries. We look forward to assessing the progress in our centennial year — 2020. OMA

Chris Hodgson President Ontario Mining Association

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEFrom the Past to the Future

NEW DISCOVERIES IN OLD CAMPS

Go to our website at wkmining.com before March 9, 2011 and guess the location of one of the two photos shown on the left. Answer correctly and you will be entered for a chance to win 1 oz. of gold.

The best place to look for a gold mine - next to an old gold mine – sounds simple but that is what we do - successfully!

For further information about West Kirkland Mining please contact: Michael G. Allen, VP Exploration Tel: 604.685.8311 [email protected]

Congratulations to the Ontario Mining Associationon your 90th Anniversary!

WKM - TSXV


FROM THE EDITOR | INTRODUCTION

We’ve come a long way!

Contract mining Property development (equity, partnership, JV) Raise boring and raise excavation Mine construction and infrastructure Mine development and rehabilitation Headframes and hoisting plants Specialized services and solutions – grouting and ground freezing Engineering design and feasibility

ISO:9001 and OHSAS:18001 certifi ed

Canada 1-800-892-8293 USA 1-800-748-2375

www.dmcmining.com

For 30 years we have been the foremost provider of mining services and solutions to the North American mining industry.

1980

1987

1997

2006

2010

DYNATEC trademarks used under license

Congratulations to Ontario Mining Association on your 90th Anniversary

When given the assignment of writing and producing a magazine for the 90th

anniversary of the Ontario Mining Association, I didn’t know much about the organization or what it did.

At the time of the OMA’s founding in 1920, it was announced in the February 19, 1920, issue of The Globe and Mail “… that its influence will not be political, but rather will be directed to the general benefit of the mining industry.” The issues then were limited to legislation affecting the operations of mines. Those were much simpler times. Today the responsibilities borne by mines and the mining industry is much wider.

By talking to delegates at the OMA’s annual general meeting in North Bay in June and interviewing a number of committee chairs as well as the current

and past presidents, my understanding of the association’s mission and how it operates grew, and so did my apprecia-tion of the work it undertakes on behalf of its members.

The association should be proud of its accomplishments, particularly in the matter of worker safety. My son, who is a U.S. college baseball player, had the chance to work for a mining company this summer. When informed of this he turned his nose up and said that it was dirty, dangerous work. When I told him that the mining industry in Ontario had the best lost-time accident frequency (0.3 accidents per 100 workers) of any industry in the province, he still was not convinced. When I asked him how many of his team mates were on the disabled list or playing hurt, he thought about it and then his eyes lit up when

he realized that being a college or professional athlete was a lot more hazardous than working at a mine.

The OMA has developed into an organization able to address new and on-going issues and be proactive in the interest of its members. Its success can be attributed to the cooperation of experts within the industry working together for a common cause, and the association’s ability to communi-cate this knowledge to regulators and legislators. This success translates into a safer work environment, a cleaner world, high-paying, highly skilled employment, benefiting the province’s economy and its citizens with a modern, high standard of living.

The articles within this issue illustrate how the interests of the mining industry have evolved with the help of the OMA, to encompass the interests of society in general. OMA

George Werniuk Editor

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE BENEFITS SOCIETY


INTRODUCTION | 2010 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Ontario Mining Association annual general meeting was held this year at the Clarion Resort Pinewood Park in

North Bay, June 13 to 15. In earlier years in the OMA’s history, the meetings were held in a few select resorts, however, with the opening up of the association to suppliers and consultants and the higher profile of mining in southern Ontario, the event is now moved around the province.

The annual general meeting was a mix of business and pleasure. The board of directors met, committee chairs briefed the board, keynote speeches were given at lunches and dinners, and awards were given out. The social side included a boat cruise on Lake Nipissing, which was a joint event with the CIM Northern Gateway Branch, and a golf tournament. During the day, there were a lot of breaks between sessions to allow delegates from various parts of the province and differ-ent mines and businesses to meet one another and make, or reinforce, business contacts that are so important to the functioning of the association.

The Ontario government had a strong presence at the meeting. Ontario Mines Minister Michael Gravelle was a guest luncheon speaker. He was accompanied by his deputy minister, David O’Toole, and assistant deputy minister, Christine Kaszycki. The presence of such a high profile contingent from the government illustrates the importance of the mining industry to the province’s economy and the importance of communications between industry and government.

The featured speaker after dinner on the second day of the meeting was author and National Post columnist, Diane Francis. Her topic was “What in the world

is happening? Mining: Canada’s hidden success story.”

Session SpeakersThe organizing committee for the AGM had a mix of speakers for the delegates. All topics were of vital concern to the industry and ranged from safety training programs to the importance of stable electricity rates for the industry.

Candys Ballanger-Michaud, president and CEO of Workplace Safety North, discussed the safety organization’s role in boosting the industry’s safety performance; Doris Dumais, director of the Ministry of the Environment’s Approvals Program, discussed the modernization of approvals, Paul Shervill updated the delegates on the Ontario Power Authority and the mining sector, while Moe Lavigne, vice-president of exploration and development for KWG Resources, reviewed the developments in the “Ring Of Fire”, the province’s most exciting exploration play in years.

On the economic side of the business, Barry Cooper, executive director of institu-tional equity for CIBC World Markets, gave a run down of where he saw the gold market heading and what it meant to the mining industry. This was followed by a panel discussion on gold moderated by Donovan Pollitt, president of Wesdome Gold Mines. The panel participants were Gerald Panneton, president of Detour Gold, Jacques Perron, president of St Andrew Goldfields, Peter MacPhail, chief operating officer for Northgate Minerals, Martin Rivard, president of Richmont Mines and Brian Hagan, senior vice-president health, safety and environ-ment for Lake Shore Gold.

The final speaker was Louise Turcotte

who not only spoke, but also brought with her a 53-foot-long semi-trailer that can be deployed in minutes to nearly 1000 sq. feet providing customized on-site corporate training. Turcotte, who is associate dean of skilled trades at Cambrian College, discussed skilled trades training and took delegates on a tour of the mobile trades training trailer.

AwardsThe AGM is the most appropriate venue to honour accomplishments by the industry over the past year. This year three signifi-cant awards were handed out.

Gail Smyth, executive director of Skills Canada — Ontario, was recognized for her efforts in promoting mining as a possible career choice for Ontario’s high school students.

The third annual Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation award was given to the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists, the City of Elliot Lake and Rio Algom Limited for their work in converting the Milliken tailings management area into a 182-ha wetland. (see story page 26)

The industry also honoured the winners of the second annual “So You Think You Know Mining” high school video awards. This is an OMA initiative to raise the awareness of high school students to the importance of mining in society’s everyday life and to encourage these students to consider a career in mining. The competition for cash awards was intense with 40 entries reviewed by a panel of professional judges from theatre, media, the mining industry, and journal-ism. (See story page 12)

The annual general meeting is an opportunity to showcase to the members, the importance of belonging to the associa-tion and the work it does on behalf of the industry. David Church, mine manager for the Canadian Salt Company’s mine in Windsor, is serving his second year on the association’s executive council. He sees membership in the OMA benefiting his company in several ways: the OMA acts as a single voice for the mining industry in Ontario; it deals with health and safety issues, issues that his company has in common with hard rock mines in Northern Ontario; and membership in the OMA allows the exchange of ideas and to mix with miners from other parts of the province. OMA

THE OMA GETS TOGETHER IN NORTH BAY

Following his address to the OMA annual general meeting luncheon

audience, Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Develop-

ment, Mines and Forestry (centre) presented a plaque from Premier

Dalton McGuinty to OMA president Chris Hodgson (right) to mark the

OMA’s 90th anniversary.

CRED

IT: G

EORG

E W

ERNI

UK


ONTARIO MINING ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS | INTRODUCTION

Shortly after its formation in 1920, an office was set up in Toronto where the association could begin its communications efforts for the mining industry in Ontario.

Over the years, the office was moved within downtown Toronto. In 2006 the office moved north to its present location at 5775 Yonge Street. Although no longer at a downtown address the office is steps away from the northern terminus of the Yonge Street subway line.

CHRIS HODGSON PRESIDENTChris was hired as president of the association in October 2004 and is responsible for running the office and overseeing the smooth operation of the association. His management skills were honed while a cabinet minister in the Ontario government prior to his joining the OMA.

JOHN BLOGG SECRETARY AND MANAGER OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONSAlong with his duties as secretary for the association, he deals with issues concerning labour relations, employment standards, workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety, and is in charge of the First Nations file. John has been involved in safety, loss control and safety training for 30 years and he has been with the OMA for more than 20. He is a member of several safety– related associations and societies. Prior to joining the OMA, John worked in senior positions at Extendicare Health Services and the Construction Safety Association.

PETER MCBRIDE MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONSHe has been at the OMA since 1990. Along with being respon-sible for communications, he deals with economic and taxation issues for the association. He is also secretary and scorekeep-er for the John T. Ryan National Safety Trophies Committee. A graduate in political economy from the University of Toronto, he worked in public affairs and investor relations with major mining companies. Previous to his career in the mining industry he held writing and editorial positions with The Toronto Star and The Hamilton Spectator.

CHERYL BROWNLEE MANAGER STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS/EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTCheryl joined the OMA in 2005 and is responsible for managing the association’s activities regarding energy policy, fostering stakeholder and member relations and assisting the president. She is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in politi-cal science and a diploma in business studies. Prior to joining the association, Cheryl worked at Queen’s Park as a policy advisor.

ADRIANNA STECH MANAGER ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITYAdrianna brings a high level of international expertise and experi-ence to her position at the OMA, where she started working in 2005. A graduate of the University of Toronto, she has worked for a number of different organizations including the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine, a charitable foundation in New York and a financial consultant in Hong Kong. Adrianna is responsible for managing the activities of the Environment Committee and representing the

association in various environmental and sustainability working groups and at related conferences and events.

LESLEY HYMERS ENVIRONMENT AND EDUCATION SPECIALIST

Lesley has been on contract since January 2010, providing important support functions for the environmental and sustain-ability files, and the education and outreach files. She was previously with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s Mining Matters program and prior to that worked in the resource industry. She has a Master’s degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Guelph.

PAULETTE WASHER OFFICER MANAGER

Along with her office managerial responsibilities, Paulette handles the bookkeeping and contracts for the association and deals with budgets. She has been with the Ontario Mining Association for more than 30 years.

DAWN INKS SENIOR SECRETARY

Dawn, who has been with the association since 1997, provides secretari-al duties, organizational infrastructure and administrative support for all OMA managers. She also manages the association’s database and contact information with government and other organizations. OMA

Prospectors and DevelopersAssociation of Canada

recognizes

Ontario Mining Association

For 90 years of outstanding service to Ontario’s mining industry

PresidentScott Jobin-Bevans

www.pdac.ca

KEEPING THE ASSOCIATION RUNNING SMOOTHLY: THE OMA STAFF


HUMAN RESOURCES | EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

Ingrid Hann joined De Beers in 2006. Because of her background in human resources, including previous experi-

ence with mining companies, she was an ideal candidate for inclusion in the Education and Outreach Committee. She immediately joined. Besides chairing the committee, she is also currently on the board of the Mining Industry Human Resource Council (MiHR).

The Education and Outreach Commit-tee was formed in 2006 in direct response to the anticipated skilled labour shortage in the mining industry. The industry was wrestling with the challenge of where to recruit people, which prompted the committee to look at what others in the mining industry, such as the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), were doing in education and outreach. What became apparent was that while there was lots of support for mining, engineering and geology at universities and community colleges, the mining industry was not involved in the promotion of skilled trades and technolo-gies at the high school level and no effort was being made to help arts-oriented students in high school gain an apprecia-tion and understanding of mining.

Skills Canada — OntarioThe committee approached Skills Canada—

Ontario. This is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting skilled trades and technologies as viable, first-choice career options for Ontario youth, and is associ-ated with Skills Canada, a national organi-zation. The committee was able to get six mining careers (production miner, mine technologist, instrumentation and remote control technician, geological technician, environmental technician, and health and safety technician), and a personal profile of a geological technician, into the Skills Workbook. The workbook, a catalogue of potential careers for high school students, is distributed to all students in Grade 10 in Ontario and is used as part of the mandato-ry skills half-credit course in secondary schools. The committee sees the workbook as a useful tool in explaining what a career in mining has to offer.

So You Think You Know MiningAn initiative that grew out of the need to attract arts-oriented students into mining was the, “So You Think You Know Mining” (SYTYKM) video competition launched in October 2008. The competition offers an opportunity for Ontario high school students to enter their two- to three-minute videos on the benefits of mining in a competition for cash prizes and trophies.

The purpose of the competition is to help the industry meet some significant challenges, which include undoing the

negative public perception of the industry and promoting mining among Canada’s youth. Also, with a continuous skills shortage on the horizon, the competi-tion provides a vehicle for high school students to discover the benefits mining provides to society and to highlight the opportunities that exist in mining for an exciting and fulfilling career.

The support the OMA has received from the media and boards of education through-out the province has been vital to ensuring the continued success of this project.

Teachers’ Mining TourAnother endeavour of the Education and Outreach Committee is the Teachers’ Mining Tour held at the Canadian Ecology Centre, a non-profit environmental science education and research facility in Samuel de Champlain Park, near Mattawa, Ontario.

The association and its partners worked with the centre to deliver a professional development opportunity for teachers from August 10-13. This program is being run for the first time ever this year. Thirty teachers participated in a four-day/three-night mineral industry education program featuring educational resource workshops, exposure to industry professionals, field trips to mining operations and Science North/Dynamic Earth in Sudbury. The Teachers’ Mining Tour is a professional development program for Ontario teachers and teachers-in-training. Teachers taking the course will be able to earn a component of their Environmental Science Additional Qualification through Nipissing University and the Ontario College of Teachers.

Sponsorship dollars and in-kind donations for the program were received from the OMA, the CIM Northern Gateway Branch, Sudbury CIM branches, and industry sponsors. The program increases awareness and height-ens curiosity about mining. Hann believes that it is important to the OMA to keep the momentum going.

In some aspects, it is a replacement for a program that was known as the Geogra-phy-Teachers Tour, which was a week-long program that ran annually through the 1970s until the early 1990s. About 30 geography teachers, each from a different school board in southern Ontario, would learn about Ontario’s mining history

Filling theLabour Shortage

INDUSTRY ENCOURAGES ONTARIO YOUTH TO CONSIDER MINING

CRED

IT: G

EORG

E W

ERNI

UK

Delegates from the OMA annual general meeting in North Bay examine the Mobile Trades Training trailer that

provides almost 1000 sq. ft. of classroom space.


and visit past and present mining centres such as Cobalt, Elliot Lake, Sudbury, and sometimes Timmins. These tours included trips to active mining operations. It was an OMA effort to raise teachers’ awareness of the importance of mining in Ontario.

Meet the MinersA more political outreach by the committee is the OMA’s annual Meet the Miners function. The event has been held for more than 25 years and takes place at Queen’s Park in Toronto. The OMA organizes focus groups on different aspects of mining such as the environment, First Nations, economic benefits, and industry and trade. These are always well attended. Meeting face to face with the Minister, politicians, and senior bureaucrats allows for productive discussion. It is an opportunity for the mining

industry to communicate its concerns to the government and to move the business forward.

The industry can get this access to the seats of power at Queen’s Park as a result of its importance to the economy of Ontario and the fact that OMA president Chris Hodgson was former Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Minister of Natural Resources, Chairman of the Management Board and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing at Queen’s Park. The importance of mining to the province was reiterated in this year’s provincial budget, when Finance Minister Dwight Duncan made the future of

mining in Ontario significantly brighter in his latest budget. The budget not only boosts the prospects of existing mineral producing operations but it reduces economic resistance to new developments.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH | HUMAN RESOURCES

GLOBAL DRILLING SERVICES & PRODUCTS

SAFETY IS PRODUCTIVITYBoart Longyear® puts safety first - it’s the right thing to do. Our training programs and advanced drilling equipment ensure that everyone returns home safely to their families everyday, everywhere and from every job.

ASX:BLY

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OMA FOR 90 YEARS!

www.boartlongyear.com

CREDIT: THE ONTARIO MINING ASSOCIATION

Trenton high school student Elaine Quinn, 1999 Junior Miner of the Year, receives a share certificate from Vince Borg, VP corporate Communications, Barrick Gold Corp. at the Junior Miner of Ontario luncheon.

9-year old Margaret Werniuk dressed as a miner during Mining Millennium celebrations, March 2000.

CRED

IT: T

HE O

NTAR

IO M

ININ

G AS

SOCI

ATIO

N


HUMAN RESOURCES | EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

Other outreach efforts include the production of videos about mining (NickelQuest) and presentations at high school career fairs in the Greater Toronto Area by Lesley Hymers, OMA’s environment and education specialist, and manager of communications, Peter McBride.

Women in MiningOne of the goals of the committee is to encourage more women to seek careers in mining. It must work hard to overcome stereotypes (dangerous, dirty, unsafe and labour intensive) and make it attrac-tive to women. To achieve this goal, one initiative of the committee was to hold a panel discussion on women and mining careers, held at the 2008 OMA annual general meeting in Windsor.

Four women, each from a different discipline in the industry, shared with the audience their experiences, both positive and negative. Some of the topics they discussed included gender discrimination and how they coped with it; their attraction to the industry and their feelings about achieving their career objectives; and whether or not they would recommend mining to women who may be considering a career in this field. The discussion allowed the audience to hear firsthand what these women had gone through. The panel represented a cross-section of trades: a mining engineer who was a shift boss, a human resources professional, a cage tender/delivery person, and an underground equipment operator. The conclusion at the end of the discussion was that all four had every intention of staying in mining and, in general, they felt very good about their career choice and respective advancement.

Looking to the FutureHann sees the efforts by the committee paying off because mining is cyclical. “At times we will spin our wheels such as last year,” and she thinks it will continue to require a lot of effort. “We have to be more visible to have an impact; we need to be out there with the young people. We can’t afford at any time to take our eye off the ball, we have to keep the momentum going.”

Hann emphasizes that the market for labour is competitive. The more remote the mine, the harder it is to fill positions that require technical know-how (engineers, geologists, mining managers, surveyors, planners, all the skilled trades and professions). The OMA and the committee are well aware of the looming labour shortage and have been working hard to make mining an attractive career choice for young people and women, while at the same time keeping mining’s importance on the radar screen of the decision makers at Queen’s Park. OMA

So You Think You Know Mining 2010For the 2010 So You Think You Know Mining (SYTYKM) competi-tion, a panel of professional judges from theatre, media, the mining industry, and journalism, reviewed 40 videos. The panel then select-ed 23 videos for consideration for the People’s Choice Award.

In the 2010 competition, with a red carpet feature and a take on the Oscars, the Best Overall Video award went to David DeLong of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School in Sudbury for his production called “Lego Mining”. Katrina Malinski from Lockerby Composite High School in Sudbury won the Best Original Screenplay for her video “Mining Matters!” and the Best Original Score was awarded to Britt Sweeting from Nancy Campbell C.I. in London for “The Mining Rap”. Other award categories were Best Director, Best Video in a language other than English, Best Comedy, Best Animation and the SYTYKM People’s Choice Award.

Comprehensive web-based resources and a blog support the competition. The total prize money available for the 2010 event was $22,500, with the Best Overall winner collecting $5,000 and all other category winners receiving $2,500. There was also a prize of $500 worth of video equipment for the high school that produced the Best Overall winner and for the gala videographer.

The program has been so successful and popular that the third (2011) SYTYKM competition will be launched in September 2010. OMA

CRED

IT: T

HE O

NTAR

IO M

ININ

G AS

SOCI

ATIO

N

Premier Mike Harris pointing to his hometown on the list of

mining communities in Ontario, at a Meet the Miners function.

INSERT HERE | COMMITTEE



HUMAN RESOURCES | WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH COMMITTEE

Workers’ Compensation Board and Workplace Safety and Insurance BoardThe Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) began as the Workmen’s Compensa-tion Board (WCB) in 1915 through an Act of the Ontario Legislature. The legislature adopted the new system, based on recommendations in 1914 by Sir William Meredith, Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Fundamental to the system was — and still is — an historic compromise in which workers give up the right to sue for their work-related injuries, irrespective of fault, in return for guaranteed compensation for accepted claims. Employers, for their part, receive protection from lawsuits in exchange for financing the program through premiums. This system of collective liability provides fair compensation for injured workers and their families, while spreading individual costs among employers. As in other insurance schemes, industries with more claims costs pay higher premiums.

Workers’ Compensation According to John Blogg, the OMA’s secretary and manager of industrial relations, the Workers’ Compensation Committee has existed for decades. Its purpose is to ensure that companies are complying with their responsibilities under the legislation (Workplace Safety and Insurance Act), ensuring that they are paying fair premiums, and that they are

properly classified for premium payments, because some association members are in more than one rate group.

The committee provides OMA members with a collective voice to express their concerns to the WSIB and Ministry of Labour about changes. Member companies all face the same issues, so through the OMA they are able to present their collective concerns to the WSIB, as is done by other industry associations. These issues range anywhere from premiums to policies to procedures.

The committee also offers an opportu-nity for people from different companies to communicate and exchange informa-tion on whether or not their employers are getting injured workers back to work, how they are getting them back to work, whether the workers are getting proper medical attention, and how are companies handling workers’ compensation claims. Blogg states that, “It is a collaborative to make sure that certain things are happen-ing relative to what is written in the legislation, and that is essentially what we do today. It has worked well for us.”

From 1980 to 1989, the number of injuries in the mining industry reported to the WCB decreased by 47 percent. During the same period, assessments on mining companies increased by 140 percent to $108 million in 1989. This is the type of issue that the committee addresses on an ongoing basis.

In 1996 the Workers' Compensation

Reform Act was introduced. This led to the abolition of the Workers' Compensa-tion Board and the establishment of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. The act incorporated a number of sugges-tions made by the OMA in its submissions.

The current chair of the Workers' Compensation and Occupational Health Committee is Donna Kirkpatrick. She has been involved with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board doing claims management for about 15 years, most recently with Vale. She has also picked up valuable experience in safety matters over the years and continues to partici-pate in Vale’s safety group. She has been a long-standing committee member and its chair for the last several years.

As an OMA staff member, John Blogg plays a key role on the committee. With 35 years of experience, he is a major source of information about what is going on at the WSIB, and keeps member companies informed about what the WSIB will be proposing or what changes it wants to make. This information is vital to the commit-tee. One of the committee’s roles is to express the collective concerns of the OMA membership to WSIB proposals for change. This is done through written submissions, by inviting WSIB senior staff to committee meetings or by attending WSIB briefings.

According to Kirkpatrick, the greatest advantage of being a member of the

& safety, health healingPromoting


WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH COMMITTEE | HUMAN RESOURCES

Bringing Value to the Surface

Northgate Minerals Corporation is a gold and copper mining company focused on

operations and opportunities in the Americas and Australia.

We are currently building the Young-Davidson gold mine located in northern Ontario.

With total reserves of 2.8 million ounces of gold, Young-Davidson is targeting a

15-year mine life with start-up of production in 2012.

NGXTSX NXG NYSE Amex www.northgateminerals.com

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Northgate OMA 90th Issue Sept 2010.ai 30/08/2010 4:04:22 PM

Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Health Committee is getting to know the business, and what is really going on at the very highest levels of the WSIB. By knowing what the WSIB is thinking and proposing, OMA member companies have time to comment and prepare for change. Committee membership also provides a venue to share best practices and some of the challenges committee members are having with the WSIB.

How does the committee organize a response to a WSIB proposal? Through John Blogg, the committee asks for a meeting with the senior WSIB staff that are responsible for the proposal. The senior WSIB member receives the concerns of the committee members and hopefully makes some changes to their proposal.

If a company is not a member of the committee it may not have the advantage of expressing its views or learning about proposed changes. Depending on the issue, the committee will present a written submission. The committee is careful to respect the confidentiality of every OMA member and its staff.

Kirkpatrick states that the WSIB is very open to communi-cations, and it is her impression that the OMA is well respect-ed within the WSIB with regards to its approach to presenting concerns and proposals. The WSIB management knows that OMA submissions have merit because they are based on actual cases, science and/or legislation.

Occupational HealthThe OMA has two occupational hygienists on the committee. When the Ministry of Labour annually proposes changes to the occupational exposure limits for specific substances found

John Blogg, secretary and manager of industrial relations for the OMA, is a member of the Canadian

Standards Association Executive Committee and

the Qualifications Committee of the Board of Canadian

Registered Safety Profes-sionals and is a member

of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering.

CRED

IT: G

EORG

E W

ERNI

UK


OA Ads2.indd 1 8/20/2010 11:42:53 AM

Congratulations on your outstanding history of representing the interests of Ontario’s mining industry

and those employed by it. Your 90 years of leadership has enabled the mining industry to advance and be a major contributor

to the provincial economy.

We wish you continued success in building an even stronger provincial mining industry in the future. From all of us at

The Northern Miner.

www.northernminer.com

in the mining process, the commit-tee’s hygienists put together a factual, science-based position on the viabil-ity of proposed changes in the mining industry. The proposals are based on recommendations of the American Congress of Governmental Industrial Hygienists who do not recommend the changes be used in legislation. The hygienists, some of whom have PhDs, have the respect of the Ministry of Labour, and credibility with the scientific community. The committee’s concerns are always based on objective data and are given serious weight by the Ministry.

The OMA is also proactive when it comes to occupational health. One such initiative was its Industry Smoking Cessation Program initiated in December 1996. The committee knew there were great challenges in making workers aware of the health hazards involved in smoking. The program only really became successful when municipal by-laws

were enacted that prohibited smoking in the workplace. A number of companies promoted smoking cessation programs with reimbursements for such things as nicotine patches to help workers quit smoking. Specialists were brought in to discuss the risks of smoking and ways to stop the habit. These efforts had varying rates of success. The success of the programs, such as at the Red Lake gold mines, benefited the worker through better health and the company with a healthier, more productive workforce.

What is the committee’s future?Kirkpatrick sees achieving and sustaining a zero accident rate and continually improv-ing a company’s return to work program as ideal goals. If there is an accident in the workplace the committee must ensure that injured workers are able to return to work and are accommodated after their injuries. The role of the committee is to promote OMA members to meet the goals, particu-larly in these times of financial restraint.

In last 20 to 30 years there has been an improvement in the success of modified or accommodated work for injured workers because of a desire by employers to have their employ-ees at work and safe. This is driven by legislation and by companies taking on these responsibilities. OMA member companies do not have any issue with returning people back to work. Accord-ing to Kirkpatrick, “Where we may have an injury, the employers are meeting their obligations and taking them very seriously. This benefits employees and the employer.”

Kirkpatrick observes that, “Sometimes employers are not seen as being concerned about a worker, but the people I work with on the committee are very much concerned about the worker and concerned about ensuring the system is there in the event it is needed.” As chair of the committee and her role at Vale, Kirkpatrick finds that it is, “enjoyable work.” OMA

HUMAN RESOURCES | WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH COMMITTEE

Congratulations on your outstanding history of representing the interests of Ontario’s mining industry

and those employed by it. Your 90 years of leadership has enabled the mining industry to advance and be a major contributor

to the provincial economy.

We wish you continued success in building an even stronger provincial mining industry in the future. From all of us at

The Northern Miner.

www.northernminer.com


HUMAN RESOURCES | ABORIGINAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE

Opening the lines of

COMMUNICATIONS benefits allFIRST NATIONS BECOME STAKEHOLDERS IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

The Aboriginal Relations Commit-tee was formed in 2006 to improve communications between the mining

industry and First Nations, and to assist the government develop consultation models to match evolving court decisions.

Jeremy Wyeth, De Beers’ representative at the Ontario Mining Association, was the first to suggest that the association set up the committee and served as its first chair. He later went on to be the OMA Executive Director for 2007 and 2008. The current chair is Jonathan Fowler, a geologist who has worked at De Beers for 42 years, 28 of which have been spent in Canada.

As an exploration geologist, Fowler was usually one of the first people De Beers sent in to investigate remote areas. In the field, he would talk to hunters and trappers and tell them about the work De Beers was planning. This practice evolved into communicating with local communities then with communi-ty leaders. Due to the remoteness of the exploration projects, the locals Fowler dealt with were usually First Nations.

Fowler’s years of experience communi-cating with local populations in remote communities has gotten him involved in numerous impact agreements with First Nations, serving him well in dealings with

indigenous peoples everywhere from northern Canada to South Africa.

Under Fowler’s leadership, the Aborigi-nal Relations Committee has adopted a mandate that includes fostering closer ties with industry members of the Minister’s Mining Act Advisory Committee and senior government officials, as well as building closer relationships with the leaders of the First Nations and Metis of the province.

The Mining Act Advisory Committee represents a broad cross-section of interests and perspectives ranging from industry associations and Aboriginal representatives, to environmental non-governmental organiza-tions that advise the Minister on Mining Act modernization. The importance of the Mining Act Advisory Committee was acknowledged recently at the Ontario Mining Associa-tion’s Annual General Meeting in North Bay, when Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry stated, “This committee has been working diligently to provide support to my Ministry. The group’s expertise and efforts have been critical to the success of the Mining Act modernization process.” Gravelle also noted that it would continue to be “an important partner as we forge ahead with Mining Act modernization.”

The Aboriginal Relations Committee

has been quietly carrying out its mandate. Members of the committee have met with Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy, with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, and the Aboriginal Secretariat. The commit-tee has adopted the De Beers consulta-tion protocol as its engagement model, and has provided input to submissions on Bill 173, the Modernization of the Mining Act, and Bill 191, the Far North Act. It also hosted an information session with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry on the Mining Consultation Workbook. There are also plans to meet with the minister of Natural Resources.

These activities are a mix of behind-the-scenes meetings with various committees, but also include face-to-face meetings with representatives of the First Nations in the province.

The Aboriginal Relations Committee draws on the experience of its members in dealing with First Nations. It is an evolving process that depends on the building of trust through communications. But good communications require a common language and this can be a barrier when dealing with Aboriginals. Most remote Aboriginal communities have good English speakers but some people (elders

Aboriginal participation was key to the development of the De Beers

Canada Victor Mine, Ontario’s first and only diamond mine. Visitors to the mine enjoyed some local

hospitality during the official opening ceremonies in 2008.


ABORIGINAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE | HUMAN RESOURCES

and those who live off the land) need interpreters. In some of the communities where there is a language problem language workshops have been held to develop terminol-ogy for words that do not exist in a local native tongue. In the past the Ontario Geological Survey and De Beers have set up workshops of this kind.

One of the OMA’s initiatives in recent years was the production of a 14-minute video called “Mining New Opportunities”. The project was the collec-tive brainchild of the OMA and was led by a team of professionals in the communications industry. The video was intended to help First Nations residents get

a better understanding of the mineral industry and the employ-ment and entrepreneurial opportunities it offers. The film was created by Big Soul, an Aboriginal-owned and -operated televi-sion production house. The video, produced in Cree, Oji-Cree, Ojibway, English and French, is available for downloading on the OMA website. Its production was seen as a way to help promote partnerships with First Nations and to allow for greater participa-tion in the social and economic benefits of responsible mineral development. When asked if the production was a success Jonathan Fowler replied, “There were no significant complaints other than why haven’t you done several sequels.”

Another video production, “NickelQuest”, made its debut in 2007. It is a virtual reality DVD that promotes the reality of modern mining. It also is being used by First Nations as an educational tool.

Mining today faces a looming crisis. A large proportion of miners will be retiring and their positions will have to be filled by trained replacements. An obvious source of new labour will be the youth of the First Nations. First Nations are the fastest growing demographic and also have one of the highest unemployment rates. Aboriginals would like to work close to their communi-ties and could fill in the labour gap particularly in remote areas where mines tend to be built.

The OMA encourages companies to work together on training and can give input into training programs.

At De Beers’ Victor project the company worked with Northern College to train workers, but the colleges in Northern Ontario also work together on training courses so as not to duplicate efforts and resources.

To enable local communities to benefit from the work being done by the mining and exploration industry, “Impact Benefit Agreements” or “Memorandums of Understanding” are usually

signed by the mining company and the local community. Currently there are at least 35 to 40 such agreements in effect according to Fowler, who cautions that agreements must be reached in a responsible and respectful way.

Typically the agreements include commitments to local employment and training by mining companies. By working through OMA committees such as the Aboriginal Relations Committee Fowler explains, “companies can share bruises and successes” through networking.

One of the earliest such agreements was the Musselwhite Agreement in 1992 between First Nations, Placer Dome Canada, TVX Gold, the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada. The Musselwhite Agreement defined how First Nations would benefit from the mine and provided a strategy to minimize any possible negative effects. The agreement also established commitments to protect the environment.

The mining industry is reaching out to the country’s First Nations and the Aboriginal Committee is leading the way for Ontario’s mining industry. The outreach is beneficial for both parties. The First Nations have been stewards of the land and the mining companies need their cooperation and input to maintain the quality of the land if they want to proceed with a mining project. On the other hand, First Nations benefit by getting jobs, training and skills that leads to a higher quality of life. OMA

Waste/Water Management

Tailings Disposal

Heap Leach Pads

Open Pit Stability

Hydrology/Hydrogeology

Baseline Environmental Studies

Environmental Assessments

Mine Reclamation

Cold Regions Engineering

Renewable Energy

Offering Engineering and Environmental services for over 80 years in more than

100 countries worldwide

Explore the possibilities...

Knight PiésoldC O N S U L T I N G

www.knightpiesold.com

CRED

IT D

E BE

ERS

CANA

DA

CRED

IT D

E BE

ERS

CANA

DA

Workers collect water samples near the De Beers Canada Victor Mine as part of the ongoing environmental monitoring program at the site.


TECHNICAL | SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

T he Safety and Training Advisory Committee was formed in 2001 to provide the industry with a single

voice concerning safety and training recommendations to the Ontario Mining Association’s board of directors and various safety associations, and to provide a sounding board for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ (MTCU) Mining Tripartite Committee. The tripartite commit-tee consists of labour, management and government, and meets at least four times a year to discuss changes to the common core training program.

The mandate of the committee is to provide advice and recommendations to the OMA board of directors and industry employers on issues related to health and safety and employee training. When new legislation is proposed or there are changes to Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards that affect the mining industry the committee discusses these changes.

Fred St. Jean is chair of the OMA’s Safety and Training Advisory Committee. He is currently superintendent of safety for Vale, Ontario Operations. His technical background is in mines engineering and he has worked underground in various capaci-ties including supervisor, safety supervisor and general foreman operations.

St. Jean is proud of the fact that many of the committee members are active on other provincial health and safety fronts including the Mining Legislative Review Committee and its subcommit-tees, the Mining Tripartite Committee

and the Safety Association Advisory Committee. He acknowledges that he has “a very talented committee with a very experienced, enthusiastic, and very well-connected group of people on health and safety matters in the province.”

One of the current issues before the committee is the Ministry of Labour’s review of Ontario’s occupational health and safety prevention and enforcement system. The review is being carried out with the support of the Expert Advisory Panel comprised of safety experts from labour, employer groups and academic institutions. The panel is researching best practices that improve workplace safety in national and international jurisdictions and is looking at a range of issues including:• Safety practices in the workplace and

entry-level safety training; • Impact of the underground economy on

health and safety practices; • Legislation and how it serves worker safety.

The Safety and Training Advisory Commit-tee members took the proposals back to their respective companies for discussion and provided the OMA board with feedback and thoughts about the changes. After the board reviewed the feedback, the committee wrote the submission, which Chris Hodgson presented to the Labour Ministry. The OMA’s input is currently under review.

Another example of an issue being addressed is the CSA’s request for the mining industry’s views on recent changes to the confined space standards (this deals with working in confined vessels such as

tanks in mills). The committee tried to assess how the changes would impact the industry, and what suggestions the industry could make if it didn’t agree with what the CSA was recommending.

The committee also works with safety statistics. These are received from Workplace Safety North, which is the current incarnation of the Mines Accident Prevention Association of Ontario, the previous safety overseer for the mining industry. Statistics are produced on “Medical Aids” (any injury that requires the attention of a medical professional such as a doctor or dentist), and “Lost Time Injuries” (an injury serious enough to cause a worker to miss the next scheduled day’s work with the approval of a medical professional).

Lost time injuries can be reported in injuries per 100 workers, which is the same as injuries per 200,000 hours worked, as workers work about 2,000 hours per year. While companies log all types of injuries, including first aid, the safety association does not keep first aid data.

1976 was a pivotal year for safety in the mining industry in Ontario. The Ham Commis-sion Report published that year included more than 100 recommendations concerning mining health and safety. Dr. James Ham, the report’s author, also discussed the manage-ment of health and safety in the workplace. He introduced the Internal Responsibility System for the performance of work, and the concept of “safe production”, which would require the cooperation of government, employers, and workers to improve health and safety practices in the workplace.

Creating a safer workplace through

better training


SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE | TECHNICAL

In 1976, the industry had a lost time frequency (LTF) of over 12 for every 100 workers, according to Blogg. By 1996, the LTF was just over three injuries per 100 workers and in June 2010 the LTF was 0.3 workers per every 100 workers. Total medical aid, that is everyone who was injured, dropped from 20 men per 100 to 4 men per 100. “That shows a dramatic shift,” Blogg notes. “Not only are people not getting seriously injured, they are not getting injured to the point they need medical attention.”

Another milestone was the 1981 Burkett Commission. The commission was appointed in part because of concerns about the unusually high number of mining fatalities the previous year. When the report was released it contained 83 recommendations involving nine topics, including worker training.

Since the release of the Ham Commission Report, accident frequency has been trending downward. This is due to a number of factors including the introduction of a common skills program, union cooperation, the implementation of many of the Ham Commission recommendations, improved focus on safety management systems, and training. The Common Core Training Program is under the aegis of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Training modules are developed based on the needs of the industry. All program changes or recommendations are discussed and decided by the Mining Tripartite Committee members, who are

also responsible for ensuring the development of the modules for the program and any changes that may be necessary. Any amendments to this program must be agreed to by all parties of the Mining Tripartite Committee.

The Common Core program has been recently updated with the introduction of new training modules and proposals to eliminate some old modules for processes that are no longer used in the industry.

1984

1990

1996

1985

1991

1997

2002

1986

1992

1998

2003

1987

1993

1999

2004

2007

1988

1994

2000

2005

2008

1989

1995

2001

2006

2009

Jul -

201

0

Tota

l Med

ical

Inju

ry F

requ

ency

per

200

,000

Em

p. H

rs.

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

20.0

22.0

Ontario Mining Industry Total Medical Injury Frequencies 1984 to July 2 2010Source: WSN Mining Group Injury Statistics Program, 1976 - July 31, 2010.


TECHNICAL | SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Always productive

Whether it’s diamonds, gold, or coal being mined, Atlas Copco has the right equipment to get the job done. There’s a reason Atlas Copco is relied on around the world. With customer centers offering a complete range of parts, service, sales, rentals, repairs and consultants, we help keep you productive.

Atlas Copco Construction and Mining Canada 800-465-6719www.atlascopco.ca

“The way in which management has changed in how it looks at unions and addresses the health and safety concerns of workers has had a lot to do with the building of an environment where people work together better than they did prior to 1976,” says Blogg.

Health and safety should never be adversarial. It is everybody’s responsibility.

If you teach people to do the job right, they will do it safely automatically, Blogg argues, adding that the safety management

system and safety training becomes a support mechanism for a skill training program. “Rather than just depending on the safety training to make people safe,” he explains, “you have to develop a culture, and that culture starts from day one when somebody starts to work for a mining company.”

The Safety and Training Advisory committee is currently providing input into the Occupational Research Cancer Centre (OCRC), which is looking at the health effects of shift work. The first of its kind in Canada, the OCRC was established in 2009 to fill the gap in our knowledge of occupation-related cancers and to translate these findings into preventive programs to control exposure to workplace carcinogens and improve the health of workers.

The committee has also reviewed Bill 168, Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), which came into force in June. The committee encourages members to ensure that they meet standards in the new legislation, which includes new risk assessments, policies, and training programs.

Looking to the future, St. Jean sees the committee working on increasing awareness of risk management, identifying hazards, assessing risks, and dealing with energy sources that workers interact with daily. “It is all about risk,” he says. “You can’t eliminate all hazards so you have to manage risk every day.” OMA

11.0

12.0

1984

1976

1990

1982

1996

1985

1977

1991

1983

1997

2002

1986

1978

1992

1998

2003

1987

1979

1993

1999

2004

2007

1988

1980

1994

2000

2005

2008

1989

1981

1995

2001

2006

2009

Jul -

201

0

Lost

-tim

e in

jury

Fre

qu

en

cy

per

20

0,0

00

Em

p H

rs.

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0

Ontario Mining Industry Lost-time Injury Frequencies 1976 to July 20Source: WSN Mining Group Injury Statistics Program, 1976 - July 31, 2010.


ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE | TECHNICAL

The Ontario Mining Association’s Environment Committee is committed to helping its members improve the industry’s overall environmental performance by exploring, promoting

and sharing best practices and technologies, with the goal of ensuring the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the industry.

The OMA encourages and supports its members to act respon-sibly by preventing or minimizing any adverse environmental impact arising from their activities, which include exploration, mining, processing and decommissioning.

Drew Lampman, the committee’s current chair, joined Omya Canada Inc, a calcium carbonate industrial mineral producer in Perth, 13 years ago as a project engineer. From the start he was involved with the usage of water and monitoring levels around the plant site. Over the years, his involvement with water matters increased and five years ago he became the environmental coordinator/manager for the site. Much of his work involved following the requirements for the operation’s permits, so it wasn’t much of a stretch for him to start applying for air and water permits as opposed to just follow-ing their conditions. This experience made him the ideal choice for eventually chairing the OMA’s Environment Committee.

The committee was formed in 1972 to address environmental issues related to the operation and closure of mines in Ontario. The main mandate is still the operation and closure of mines, but Lampman adds, “A lot of the work now is about information sharing on upcoming or proposed legislation, trying to be proactive rather than just comply-ing with the legislation, which we obviously try to do.”

With this in mind, it is the objective of OMA members to collec-tively pursue excellence in environmental performance by incorpo-rating the following principles into their activities and processes:• Assessing and managing environmental risks; • Preventing pollution; • Complying with and moving beyond legal compliance requirements; • Continually improving environmental performance.

According to Lampman, when new legislation or regulations are proposed, the OMA submits its comments to the government, noting the positive aspects of the proposal and offering sugges-tions for improvement, particularly in cases when the changes have the potential to negatively impact the sector with no improve-ment in environmental performance. The committee monitors the Environmental Bill of Rights and tries to provide constructive comments on regulations that affect the mining industry.

Formulating Recommendations to GovernmentWhen a new piece of legislation is proposed, the OMA will forward the proposal to member companies for their information. The proposed legislation is discussed in-house and a draft response incorporating the suggested improvements that members would like to see goes out for review amongst everyone on the Environment Committee, as well as the OMA president and staff. Following a final review, the written response is submitted to the government.

In some instances, the OMA also makes presentations to a Parliamentary Committee, which is reviewing a legislative proposal. Chris Hodgson, OMA president, typically presents the industry position, with help from Adrianna Stech, manager environment and sustainability, and/or Lesley Hymers, OMA environment and education specialist.

In addition, OMA member companies often send representatives to Queen’s Park, who provide expert input and information on the practical implications of the new legislation. This allows member companies to be directly involved in the consultation process, which frequently requires multiple meetings with policymakers, ministerial staff, other stakeholders and members of the communi-ty. Typically, the OMA is engaged in consultations on a number of files. As an example, Drew Lampman recently contributed to discus-sions on the Toxics Reduction Act and Ontario Regulation 419/05 Air Pollution - Local Air Quality when he, along with representatives of Vale and Xstrata, sat down with the Minister of the Environ-ment in June. “It was a valuable experience to sit down with the minister as well as directors of the programs and give our thoughts on where the proposed legislation didn’t make practical sense at a facility level. We feel we were able to demonstrate that, as written, the legislation would take up a tremendous amount of industry and government resources, without really benefitting the environment.” Contributions like these are meant to help the government address

GREENERCLEANER WORLDWORKING WITH GOVERNMENT TOWARDS A

At the 1997 Meet the Miners, Premier Mike Harris and Paul Yearwood of Inco’s Environmental Department, look at Red Pine seedlings grown underground in Inco’s Creighton Mine.

CRED

IT: T

HE O

NTAR

IO M

ININ

G AS

SOCI

ATIO

N

TECHNICAL | ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE


the unintended consequences of legislation and achieve its intended goals in the most efficient way without sacrificing industry competitiveness.

The efforts of the committee to change proposed legislation or regulations are sometimes successful. One example that Lampman gives relates to water permit renewals. The Ministry of the Environment was proposing to deny a company’s right to take water if its permit expired during the renewal application review period. At the behest of the OMA, through the Environ-mental Committee, this was changed, allowing the original permit to remain effective until the renewal review was completed, provided that the renewal application had been submit-ted at least 90 days in advance of the permit expiry. This sounds like a small victory, but this type of win – improving a bureaucratic process that impedes operations and achieves no environmental gain - is very important to the OMA Environment Committee. Accumu-lating these types of wins will ultimately improve both the business climate and the environment in Ontario.

Committee MembershipAny association member company may send a representative to committee meetings. Typically, 20 to 30 people attend the commit-tee quarterly meetings. Attendance is usually split 50-50 between mineral producing companies and the mining service sector (consulting companies, suppliers, etc).

Vast amounts of legislation must be dealt with in the environmental area. It is the task of the committee and the OMA to keep members informed about new legislation and changes to existing legislation. How is this monitoring accomplished? Accord-ing to Lampman, many of the member companies are ISO 14001 certified. This certification is the environmental manage-ment tool that enables an organization of any size or type to: • Identify and control the environmental

impact of its activities, products or services;• Improve its environmental perfor-

mance continually; • Implement a systematic approach

to setting environmental objectives and targets, to achieving these and to demonstrating that they have been achieved.

2010 Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation AwardThe 2010 Tom Peters Memorial Reclama-tion Award was given to the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists (PHFN), the City of Elliot Lake and Rio Algom Limited for the work they did in converting the Milliken tailings management area (TMA) into a 182-ha wetland that includes marsh, bog and shoreline, as well as mature mixed forest.

The Milliken mine and mill operated from 1958 to 1964, producing 5.7 million tonnes of tailings to the Stanleigh TMA. During this period an estimated 76,500 tonnes of tailings were released to Sheriff Creek in an area later rehabilitated to form the Milliken TMA, This 17-ha area was remediated in the late 1970s. Drainage channels were installed on part of the tailings. The flat area that remained was covered by three feet of sandy gravel to form a ball field while the rest of the tailings area was flooded to form a wetland. The field was transformed in 1978 into an equestrian practice and competition field.

In 1997, a berm was constructed at the outlet of the wetland to ensure the tailings remained saturated. In 2000, the berm and spillway were upgraded to safely cope with a probable maximum precipitation event.

In 1990, Erwin Meisner of the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists, asked Rio Algom whether it would consider transforming Sheriff Creek Park into the Sheriff Creek Bird Sanctuary. (The naturalists recognized the diversity of bird habitats that had evolved in the area.) With the support of Rio Algom, the PHFN secured support from the city and established a bird sanctuary at the park. In 1996, PHFN and Rio Algom entered into a “Stewardship Agreement” that identi-fied operational objectives and prescribed activities for the sanctuary.

Walking trails through five distinct habitats were also established in the Sherriff Creek Sanctuary area. Between 1997 and 1998, trail development included the installation of causeway bridges and lookout blinds. In 2009, PHFN, Rio Algom and the city were granted funding by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities job creation program that enabled the partners to purchase and install a new bridge and boardwalk for the “Red Trail.”

Since the establishment of the Sheriff Creek Sanctuary, the PHFN has worked tirelessly on habitat-enhancement projects and signage to improve the sanctuary’s biodiversity and educational value. Today the Sherriff Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is home to many forms of wildlife, herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees in an area that was once a sterile mine tailings disposal area. OMA

CRED

IT: R

ICK

BELL

RIO

ALG

OM L

TD.

Aerial view of Sheriff Creek Sanctuary

CRE

DIT:

ONTA

RIO

MIN

ERAL

INDU

STRY

CLU

STER

Family on sanctuary causeway.

ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE | TECHNICAL


Companies’ legal obligations include compliance with regulations, keeping up to date on standards, knowing what is applicable to their company, and proper-ly monitoring and measuring effluents to know that they are at acceptable levels.

The OMA is great for that. It often hears about proposed legislation before it is posted on various government web sites, and it lets members know that changes are coming. Part of the OMA’s role is to monitor proposed legislation for the industry. “They are the industry’s eyes and ears at Queen’s Park.” The process of change is not adversarial and Queen’s Park sometimes asks for the OMA’s participa-tion in the drafting stage of new legislation. “Our main goal is to keep the process as cooperative as possible with the govern-ment of the day.” says Lampman.

Milestones in Environmental LegislationOne of the larger environmental issues facing the industry in recent years was the introduc-tion of the Municipal/Industrial Strategy for Abatement (MISA), which first came to the attention of the OMA in 1986. The MISA program was the provincial response to addressing levels of persistent toxic substanc-es in industrial direct discharges entering Ontario’s waterways. The program focussed on nine industrial sectors, covering the major toxic polluters, including metal mining and industrial minerals.

Another seminal legislative initiative was the Spill Prevention and Contingency Plans Regulation that came into effect in 2007. In advance of the legislation being promulgated, the committee published an extensive spill prevention and contin-gency guideline that looked at virtually every activity in the mining production process (excluding underground develop-ment) and identified activities like refuel-ing of equipment, tracking and possible risk reduction methods. The approximately 200-page document on how to develop the spill contingency plan requirements was made available to member companies and the general public. That was the biggest issue the committee has dealt with during Lampman’s tenure on the committee.

At about the same time, Ontario Regula-tion 419/05, Air Pollution – Local Air Quality came into effect, requiring new emission

modeling and lower limits. There is a phase-in program for Regulation 419, with compli-ance dates determined by a facility’s industry code. Smelters have the shortest time frame to comply, metal mine sites were given the second shortest time to comply and industri-

al minerals were given the longest compli-ance time. Compliance extends to 2020, but requires the development of a plan for best management or methods to reduce emissions to the new stringent require-ments. The OMA has ongoing input into the

Building a Mid-Tier Gold CompanyLake Shore Gold Corp. is building a mid-tier gold company anchored in Timmins, Ontario, with plans to have three mines in full production by 2013. The Company is targeting commercial production at its Timmins Mine by late this year, has completed the refurbishing of its Bell Creek Mill, with plans to expand the mill to 3,000 tpd by late 2011, and is conducting advanced underground exploration programs at its wholly owned Thunder Creek and Bell Creek Complex properties. The Company has a large number of highly prospective exploration targets in Timmins and other parts of Ontario as well as Quebec and Mexico and plans to spend $31 million on exploration in 2010. Lake Shore Gold’s shares trade on the TSX under the symbol LSG.Proud to be part of the North’s Mining Heritage

2008 2009

Zin

c, C

ob

alt

Nic

kel,

Co

pp

er

01999

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

02000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Nickel tonnes Copper tonnes Zinc tonnes Cobalt tonnes

Ontario NPRI Total On Site Releases (NAICS 212)


TECHNICAL | ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

28 Ontario Mining Association 90th Anniversary28 Ontario Mining Association 90th Anniversary

process. The Ministry of the Environment is still developing the regulations for several substances. The OMA Environment Commit-tee is providing ongoing commentary on potential impacts to the industry.

Towards Greener Footprints This is an environmental progress report that has been published twice in recent years by the OMA. Based on data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), the general trends indicate that environmental performance in Ontario’s mining industry has shown continuous improvement over the last decade.

Always looking for ways to improve communications, the committee conclud-ed that the Towards Greener Footprints publications (2004, 2006) were a little too technical for the general public. The committee is still looking for ways to simplify them. According to Lampman, it is almost five years since the last one, so it is probably time to start looking at another update. An option being consid-ered for the next edition is to have the data and commentary distributed online.

Tom Peters AwardThe Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA), in cooperation with the OMA and the Ontario Ministry of Northern Develop-ment and Mines, established the Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation Award.

The aim of the award is to encourage the pursuit of excellence in mine reclamation and to recognize and promote, to the mining industry and environmental community

at large, outstanding achievement in the practice of mine reclamation in Ontario.

On June 15 of this year, the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists, the City of Elliot Lake and Rio Algom Limited were awarded the Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation Award in acknowledgement of the project that turned the Milliken Tailings Management Area into the Sheriff Creek Sanctuary in Elliot Lake. Although the OMA environment committee is involved with the award, it does not select the winner. However, OMA member, Vale, finances the $5,000 scholarship offered to a Masters- or PhD-level student undertaking reclamation-related research involving a mine site in Ontario, which goes along with the award.

This year, the Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation Award was presented at the general meeting of the Ontario Mining Association in North Bay and, again, at the annual mine reclamation symposium organized by the CLRA and the OMA in Elliot Lake. This symposium is held in conjunction with one of the OMA Environment Committee’s quarterly meetings, usually in June, and committee members try to visit the winning site.

Ongoing Committee WorkThe committee will continue to work on industry best practices and guidelines similar to the spills manual, pertaining to issues such as dust control and water usage. At the September Committee meeting they will discuss matters relating to the Toxics Reduction Act, holding a workshop on how to prepare the required reports and plans under the legislation. Last year, 15

OMA members attended a mining-specific environmental auditing course conducted by the committee. The course included a full review of environment-related legislation, but specifically targeted mining activity.

Future Challenges Some committee work is ongoing, because issues have not been resolved. Lampman foresees an update to the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, as it reflects dam safety for tailings dams. There will be new risk manage-ment activities and requirements when the Ministry of Natural Resources proposes new technical guidelines for dams. He thinks this will require significant effort from the committee and individual dam owners.

On the federal level, there will be new tailings reporting requirements related to the National Pollutant Release Inventory. Lampman thinks that there will be a fair bit of public dialogue related to this, as the new reporting requirements pertain to substances that are being released into mine tailings and the results may be easily misinterpreted by the general public. At issue are the vast quantities of naturally occurring substances in the tailings, compared to the relatively small amounts being released in the water and in the air. Whereas NPRI used to focus on water and air emissions, the shift to reporting on substances in tailings will result on numbers that are orders of magnitude bigger. Although nothing will change from an environmental impact point of view, the committee will have its hands full with combating the negative perception left by the NPRI reports.

The creation of the Environment Committee in 1972 was a response to the growing concern about how mining was affecting the world in which we live. Today, the industry is very proactive concerning the environment. As stated in the association’s 2006 issue of Towards Greener Footprints, it “strives to clean up legacy issues of the past, improve the way it operates to leave less of a mark on the land, prevent pollution, reduce energy consumption, and encour-age greater recycling of metals. In short, the mining industry recognizes the inherent responsibilities that come with being able to conduct mining and mining related activi-ties in Ontario.” OMA

Ars

enic

, Cad

miu

m

Lead

Ontario NPRI Total On Site Releases (NAICS 212)

0

180,000

160,000

140,000

120,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

200,000 9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

02008 20091999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

arsenic kg lead kg lead kg


ENERGY COMMITTEE | TECHNICAL


Ontario’s $10 billion mining industry spends more than $500 million annually on energy, which represents on average, between 15% and 30% of

operating costs at various mining operations. With energy being such a significant portion of operating costs, there is little doubt that miners are working aggressively to lower their power expenditures. They also know that both industry and government have a role to play in meeting Ontario’s conservation targets.

The Ontario Mining Association (OMA) Energy Committee’s mandate is to promote energy policies that enhance the competi-tiveness of mining in Ontario, and to share conservation strategies amongst members. The committee meets four times a year and is always looking for more OMA companies to join. At the recent OMA annual general meeting, the committee chair, Mark Passi, senior energy specialist with Xstrata Nickel, outlined several changes to electric-ity policies and the reasons for the price escalations over the past eight years. He also discussed the price forecast for electricity.

The committee has been lobbying for two things: a change in the calculation of the “Global Adjustment,” and the need for more and better energy conservation

programs. Recently the government has moved a long way to make energy more affordable for mining. Three programs have been initiated since the provin-cial budget was tabled earlier this year: changes in the Global Adjustment regula-tion, the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program (NIERP), and the Industrial Accelerator Program.

Together with the Association of Major Power Consumers in Ontario (AMPCO), more than two years of effort have gone into developing a new Global Adjustment mechanism. The effort has been success-ful with the release of a draft regulation for consultation. The proposed changes will encourage reduced electricity consumption

during costly peak periods and provide a greater degree of price certainty.

OMA president Chris Hodgson explains that under the old Global Adjustment arrangement, “there was no incentive to conserve because your rate was based on total consumption, not peak consump-tion.” The hydro infrastructure is built to meet peak power consumption so if the

peak power demand was reduced, the cost for all consumers would be reduced.

Hodgson credits Mark Passi for realiz-ing that the current formula for Global Adjustment was making Ontario’s mining industry less competitive. Through his diligence in tracking down the numbers,

Continued on page 30

ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION AND LOWER RATES KEEP ONTARIO MINES COMPETITIVE

CRED

IT B

RUCE

POW

ER

CRED

IT B

RUCE

POW

ER

An aerial view of the Bruce Power site with the Bruce B Generating

Station in the foreground.

Bruce B Turbine Hall

TECHNICAL | HOIST PLANT COMMITEE


ATTENTIONThe mine hoist plant is the gateway

to an underground mine. It provides access from surface to

the workings below via a shaft. Every-thing that goes underground (workers, equipment, supplies) and everything that comes out of the mine (waste rock and ore) can only be transported if the hoist system in the mine is working properly. The proper care and maintenance of the plant allows safe, energy efficient transportation from surface to working levels below, and back.

At this year’s Ontario Mines Associa-tion annual general meeting in North Bay, the outgoing chairman of the Hoist Plant Committee, Curtis Pedwell, gave his final report to the board of directors. He reviewed the current list of issues before the committee, which include regulations under the Occupa-tional Health and Safety Act pertain-ing to hoist free fall testing, hoist rope attachments and the use of hoist executive bells. He also outlined the activities of the committee in the area of industry best practices.

Pedwell, who chaired the committee since 2007, is maintenance manager at Goldcorp’s Red Lake Gold Mine. His work experience and training on the job provided him with the qualifi-cations and experience to chair the committee. The incoming chair of the committee is Chris Deschesne of Xstrata Copper. He takes over a committee that is currently engaged in developing industry best practices, dealing with hoist plant operations. Some of the best practice issues are: to outline the design, testing and inspec-tion of hoist brakes and for the care and maintenance of hoist plants. The best practices manual will be available to all OMA members.

Some of the regulations pertaining to hoist plant operations are outdated

due to advances in technology, so the committee is working with the Ministry of Labour to update these regulations. This is done through the Mining Legisla-tive Review Committee (MLRC).

The committee has the important function of interacting with labour groups and government in formulat-ing regulations and bringing them up to date to ensure the safe operation of a vital piece of equipment and to ensure that the hoist plant meets all regulations. As Curtis Pedwell stated very bluntly, “regulations are written in blood”. It is extremely important that regulations keep up with technology and mining practices to protect the health and safety of underground workers.

One of the most prominent partner-ships that the Ministry of Labour’s Mining Health and Safety Program (MHSP) is involved in is the MLRC. This committee was formed to provide advice to the Minister of Labour on health and safety in the mining sector. Meeting regularly, the MLRC is the venue for dialogue on safety concerns between management and labour. The MLRC submits joint recommendations to the Minister for improvements in legislation. The Hoist Plant Commit-tee is responsible for formulating the OMA’s input on behalf of its members to the MLRC for its area of expertise.

The Hoist Plant Committee is also involved in the creation of a training program for hoist plant operations. This initiative is in conjunction with Cambrian College and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universi-ties (MTCU). The training modules are designed by the college with input from industry and then approved by the MTCU. This training program will ensure that there will be enough qualified people to safely handle hoist plant operations in the future. OMA

Vital hoist plants require specialContinued from page 29 the OMA had the tools to educate people that this was a serious issue.

If the regulation is approved, mining companies will begin seeing the savings in January 2011 and it will make Ontario mines more competitive. Hodgson notes that depending on how much energy can be conserved and the success of avoiding peak power, it can really help a lot. Smelting or refining, or any kind of processing, accounts for 50% to 70% of an operation’s total energy cost. “That’s a huge component of your budget. If your [hydro] rates are totally out of whack with every other jurisdiction, you can’t afford to do it in Ontario.”

Passi’s report also discussed the Northern Industrial Electricity Rebate, which was announced in the last budget. The OMA met with the government immediately follow-ing the announcement to suggest policy and implementation options. Qualifying mines will see a $20/MWh rebate and the program is retroactive to April 1, 2010. The NIERP is similar to a program for the forestry industry and will effectively reduce electricity costs by 25% from 2009 levels for large northern facilities.

The Industrial Accelerator is a new program designed to assist transmission-connected industrial electricity users to fast-track capital investment in major energy-efficiency projects. This five-year program will provide significant financial incentives to speed up investment in electricity-saving projects and equipment retrofits so that the rate of return is competitive with other capital projects. In exchange, companies will contractually commit to achieve specific conservation targets within a set period of time and to maintain them over the term of the contract. A similar program is expected in January 2011 for mines served through Local Distribution Companies.

The committee is also pursuing green energy development, and monitoring Ontario Energy Board rate applications — all of which have the potential to increase costs for Ontario mines.

Judging by these new programs the Energy Committee has been very success-ful in serving the association’s members by reducing the cost of electricity through reduced rates, and rewards for conserva-tion and energy efficiency. OMA

at Sandvik_Mining

© 2010 Sandvik Mining and Construction

www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com/[email protected] • 800.826.7625

90 years of digging and you’re still on top.Congratulations to the Ontario Mining Association from all of us at Sandvik®.

Ontario Mining Association 90th Anniversary 31 Ontario Mining Association 90th Anniversary 31

JOHN T. RYAN SAFETY AWARDS | COMMUNITY

Human excellence in all areas of endeavour deserves to be acknowledged and celebrated. An important component of any successful safety-performance-improvement program needs to be recognition. As long as these activi-

ties are managed effectively with strong communications, recognition programs serve the dual goals of rewarding the good performers and of giving the not-so-good performers reason to improve. But perhaps most importantly, they provide a venue for sharing information and experiences, of sharing best practices and learning the right – and no-so right – ways of doing things.

The structure of the John T. Ryan Safety Trophy Committee allows information and best practices sharing to take place. The two main components of the committee are the provincial and territorial chief mines inspectors, and the head of provincial and territorial mining associations.

Partly because occupational health and safety is a provincial jurisdiction, few industries in Canada have national safety recogni-tion programs. Of the few that do, mining has the longest running program. The John T. Ryan Safety awards began in 1941. Since that time, as part of its ongoing commitment to occupational health and safety, the Ontario Mining Association has provided the secretariat and scorekeeping duties for the safety awards. Since the inception of the awards, only four OMA employees have carried out this function. Currently, these duties are handled by Peter McBride, the OMA’s manager of communications.

Winning a Ryan trophy is not happenstance. It is the result of clear messages being sent from senior management, a dedication to safety throughout the entire workforce, training, communica-tions, workers knowing they matter – that they matter a lot – and the evolution of a safety culture. There are numerous mining operations in Canada that have found a winning formula.

The John T. Ryan Safety trophies are part of the mining industry’s tradition and Canada’s history. The statue - a father coming home to his family at the end of his shift with his arms around the shoulders of a son on one side and a daughter on the other side - rests atop the Ryan trophies. What could be more important?

WORKPLACE‘‘ The most important thing to

come out of a mine is the miner.’’-- Frederic Le Play (1806 – 1882)French sociologist and Inspector General of Mines for France.

CRED

IT C

IM/N

H PH

OTOG

RAPH

ESWinner of the National trophy – metal mines category: Cameco and McArthur River team

Recognizing safety in the

BY PETER MCBRIDE


COMMUNITY | JOHN T. RYAN SAFETY AWARDS

Current and near-term producti on

120km of explorati on ground

Experienced and proven management team.

St Andrew Goldfi elds Ltd. (TSX:SAS) 20 Adelaide Street East, Suite 801Toronto ON M5C 2T6

AN EMERGING JUNIORGOLD PRODUCER IN THETIMMINS CAMP

www.sasgoldmines.com

Toll free 1-800-463-5139; 416-815-9855 Fax 416-815-9437Email [email protected]

John Thomas Ryan was involved in safety and rescue programs in the U.S. coal mining industry – primarily in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the early 1900s. Through his character, spirit and shared inspiration in recognizing the need for safety equipment in mines, he and his partner George Deike started MSA – Mine Safety Appliance Company – based in Pittsburgh in 1914. MSA launched a crusade for safety, centred on eliminating open flames in miners’ helmet lights.

Ryan worked with Thomas Edison to scale down a storage battery and make it compact enough to be carried by a miner underground and thus the miner’s cap lamp was born. The lamp and battery were the forerunners of equipment that is still in use today.

Following the First World War, John Ryan spread his safety message to other industries and MSA grew and expanded into Canada. In the Second World War, Canada played a key role in providing manpower and materiel for the Allied war effort.

At that time, with merchant shipping across the North Atlantic providing a lifeline for Britain, Canada’s mining industry was absolutely crucial to the Allied war effort. It was important, given the work environment at the time, to optimize safe production. Canadian metals and materials were vital cornerstones of the Allied victory.

In order to promote safe production – after all, an injured worker can’t be productive – Mine Safety Appliances Company of Canada Limited (now MSA Canada Inc.) offered to donate a prestigious trophy to recognize notable achievements in safety. This trophy was gratefully accepted by the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (before Petroleum was added to the CIM name) to launch the John T. Ryan National Safety Trophies in 1941.

The first trophy awarded, named the John T. Ryan Trophy to honour the founder of Mine Safety Appliances, was won by the Chesterville Mine near Virginiatown, Ontario. John T. Ryan died in February 1941 at the age of 57.

While Canada’s major sports trophies – Stanley Cup, Grey Cup, Minto Cup – are named after British appointees to be Governors General of Canada who donated trophies in their name, Canada’s mining industry’s major national safety trophy is named in honour of an American who donated a trophy in his own name.

It is a passion for safety that creates safe workplaces and the Ryan trophies have come to symbolize that passion for safety being converted into success. The goal for all is zero incidents and any goal less than zero is not worthy.

The success of the Ryan trophies program in Canada has led to its export abroad as a safety promotion tool. The Ryan trophy was launched in Chile in 1996. Following the successful expansion of the program in Chile, discussions began in 1998 about starting the program in Peru where trophies were first presented in 1999.

Mining is emerging as a leader in industrial safety perfor-mance. The Ryan trophies play a role in helping to create that culture of safety. Over the years, one can note several common characteristics among Ryan winners. They would include: • Safety and production do not compete – they support each other • No one program or system is a panacea • Engagement and commitment of those most at risk – the people

at the ore face • Leadership and demonstrated commitment from management • Support and training at the supervisory level • Willingness to adapt technology • Perseverance • Target of zero.

But we know, safety is a job that is never done. We all, always have more to do. OMAPeter McBride is manager of communications for the Ontario Mining Association and can be reached at: [email protected].

CRED

IT C

IM/N

H PH

OTOG

RAPH

ES

Diavik Diamond Mine, a Rio Tinto/Harry Winston Diamond Corporation joint venture - winner of the National trophy – select mines category: From left to right: Gord Winkel, John T. Ryan Trophy Safety Committee chair, Benn Armstrong, manager health safety and environment, Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., Kim Truter, president and COO, Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. and Michael Allan, CIM 2009-2010 president.


MEMBERS LIST | COMMUNITY

ABB Canada www.abb.ca

AECOM www.aecom.com

Agnico-Eagle Mines www.agnico-eagle.com

Agrium www.agrium.com

AMEC Earth & Environment www.amec.com

Barrick Gold Corporation www.barrick.com

Barrick – Hemlo www.barrick.com

BHP Billiton www.bhpbilliton.com

Blue Heron Solutions for Environmental Management www.blueheronenv.com

Boart Longyear www.boartlongyear.com

Brigus Gold www.brigusgold.com

Cameco Corporation www.cameco.com

Canadian Gypsum Company www.cgcinc.com

CAMIRO www.camiro.org

Cementation Canada www.cementation.ca

CH2M HILL www.ch2m.com

Church & Trought www.churchandtrought.com

Cliffs Natural Resources www.cliffsnaturalresources.com

De Beers Canada www.debeerscanada.com

Denison Mines www.denisonmines.com

Detour Gold Corporation www.detourgold.com

DMC Mining www.dmcmining.com

Dumas Mining www.dumasmining.com

Environmental Applications Group www.environmentalapplications.ca

Federated School of Mines www.fsom.ca

First Nickel www.firstnickel.com

Goldcorp - Musselwhite Mine www.musselwhitemine.ca

Goldcorp - Porcupine Gold Mines www.porcupinegoldmines.ca

Goldcorp - Red Lake Gold Mine www.goldcorp.com/operations/ red_lake_mine

Golder Associates www.golder.com

Hatch Associates www.hatch.ca

Horne Conveyance Safety www.hornecs.ca

IronPlanet www.ironplanet.com

J.S. Redpath www.jsredpath.com

Johnson Matthey www.matthey.com

KWG Resources www.kwgresources.com

Kirkland Lake Gold www.klgold.com

Knight Piesold Consulting www.knightpiesold.com

Lake Shore Gold www.lsgold.com

Miller Thomson www.millerthomson.com

Newmont Canada www.newmont.com

Noront Resources www.norontresources.com

North American Palladium www.napalladium.com

Northgate Minerals Corporation www.northgateminerals.com

Omya Canada www.omya.com

Ontario Graphite [email protected]

QuadraFNX Mining www.quadrafnx.com

R.C. Moffatt Supply www.moffattsupply.com

Richmont Mines www.richmont-mines.com

RWDI Air www.rwdi.com

St. Andrew Goldfields www.sasgoldmines.com

Sandvik Mining and Construction www.smc.sandvik.com

SGS Lakefield Research www.sgslakefield.com

Sifto Canada www.siftocanada.com

SNC-Lavalin www.snclavalin.com

Stantec Consulting www.stantec.com

Teck www.teck.com

The Canadian Salt Company www.windsorsalt.com

Vale www.nickel.vale.com

VG Gold www.vggoldcorp.com

Unimin Canada www.unimin.com

Wabi Iron & Steel www.wabicorp.com

Wallbridge Mining Company www.wallbridgemining.com

Wardrop Engineering www.wardrop.com

Wesdome Gold Mines www.wesdome.com

Xstrata www.xstrata.com

Yamana Gold www.yamana.com

Congratulations to the OMA on your 90th anniversary (you’re half way to another diamond anniversary!)

The De Beers Canada Victor Mine, Ontario’s first and only diamond mine, is a proud member of the Ontario Mining Association and looks forward to many more years of working together. www.debeerscanada.com

dbc_oma_4.5x4.875.indd 1 9/10/2010 12:56:22 PM

Ontario Mining Association Member Companies


COMMUNITY | INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS HODGSON

The President’s JobChris Hodgson became the Ontario Mining Association’s president in October of 2004, taking over from Patrick Reid. Hodgson was well suited for the job, having entered the Legislature in 1994 represent-ing the riding of Haliburton-Victoria-Brock. While in government, Hodgson served as Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Chairman of the Management Board, and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

As OMA president he is responsible for its operation - staffing, implementing the association’s strategic plan and the committee work plans, coordinating association activities and making sure that everything runs smoothly. He is also responsible for presenting an annual budget to the executive committee. There are six people on the executive committee and 20 board members. The chairman of the board is Marc Boissoneault, vice president at Xstrata, the past chair is George Flumerfelt, president of J.S. Redpath and the vice chair is George Burns, senior vice president for Goldcorp Inc.

Every six weeks Hodgson has a conference call with the executive committee to discuss association business and industry developments. During these meetings he fields sugges-tions on activities that the association should be involved in. Working with the executive, Hodgson’s job is to implement the suggestions. He points out that, “they give strategic direction and we do the implementation.”

To reinforce communications, Hodgson is also involved in provincial and national mining-related associations, which often have overlapping memberships. “We don’t want to be duplicating effort and spending members’ money, all doing the same thing.”

CommitteesCommittees come and go says Hodgson, but essentially, “the form has to follow the function. When members say it is a priority area i.e. an Aboriginal Committee, we will create one. The nature of mining has changed, and so has the nature of the work required to make sure we are competitive” When an issue is solved or no longer relevant, the committee is wrapped up.

SafetyPrior to Hodgson’s arrival the safety record had been improv-ing, and a goal of zero lost-time accidents had been set. That was a lofty goal. “Companies, and management and unions and government working together started to make it look like a reality.” Hodgson explains that, “this is a huge improvement, not by accident… it is a partnership with a lot of resources and time and money thrown towards it.”

EnergyThe government has moved a long way to make energy more affordable for mining and large mines. Since the most recent budget three programs have been initiated: changes in the Global

Adjustment regulations, the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program (NIERP), and the Industrial Accelerator Program. These programs will have a positive effect on hydro costs and help keep the province competitive with other mining jurisdictions.

PollutionThe industry, in Hodgson’s eyes, is a solution provider. “If you are looking at making the environment a better place to live you need mining. Our industry is getting greener, but we also provide the materials to make a greener economy.” He continues by saying, “the footprint of mining is decreasing with advances in technol-ogy and planning. Also, the way we conduct our energy conserva-tion and effluent management has seen huge improvements, and the job is not done. That job is continuous improvement.”

Meet the MinersIt is vital to the association that the mining industry maintains a high profile with politicians and senior civil servants. “Meet the Miners” is an annual event that was started in the early 1990s,

SOME WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENTChris Hodgson comments on his job and the association


INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS HODGSON | COMMUNITY

Lake Central is a General Aviation full service and repair facility, with manufacturing approvals. This service includes an in house TC Design Approval Representative.We have been involved with design, manufacture

LAKE CENTRAL AIR SERVICESRR # 1 Gravenhurst, Ontario Canada P1P 1R1Phone 1-705-687-4343 • Fax 1-705-687-8983

Email [email protected] page www.lakecentral.com

LAKE CENTRAL AIR SERVICESDesign, Manufacturing & Approvals.

Canadian STC’s for over 80 Makes & Models of Fixed & Rotary Wing Aircraft.

and installation of survey modifications for 30 years.Lake Central will design modifications to carry your

survey equipment, and install and wire your equipment in your racks or ours.

and since 1995 has been held at Queen’s Park. In the last six years it has been a full day event. The association executive meets with cabinet ministers and senior civil servants, and in the last few years the Premier has attended. Members of the opposition also partake in the event. This is a day to socialize but it also literal-ly keeps the doors open at Queen’s Park.

Women In MiningAttracting women into the mining industry has been a project that Hodgson started several years ago. In the very near future there will be a labour shortage in the industry. One of the ways to solve it is to get more women into the industry. Today women make up 13% of the mining workforce, but that includes head office jobs. “If we can move that up closer to the average of other industries we won’t have a problem. We have to get our workplaces so that they are more attractive to women.”

Changes

Amongst the changes he has seen since becoming president are: the “social licence” to operate, and outreach out to the public. The outreach program includes the “So You Think You Know Mining” video competition, and the partnership with Skills Canada — Ontario.

Final word“The strength of the OMA comes from the input of the members.” There is good representation on the board and committees and the association has a good dialogue with the govern-ment and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Hodgson observes, “We make sure that we have access to explain our point of view. Sometimes we win and even if we don’t at least the government or decision makers are cognizant of what our point of view is and that is beneficial in its own right.” OMA

With the exception of Sudbury’s nickel deposits, Ontario’s other great mineral deposits had not yet been found at the turn of the 20th century. The value of the province’s mineral production in 1900 was $10.8 million (all figures in current dollars). By 1920, the year the Ontario Mining Association was founded, the value of mineral production had jumped to $78.1 million. The Cobalt, Porcupine and Kirkland Lake camps had been found while Sudbury had grown in importance due to wartime metal requirements.

The value of mineral production exceeded $100 million for the first time in 1929 when $112.4 million worth of minerals were extracted from the ground. Mineral production value kept increas-ing after that, spurred on by new discoveries, the requirements of the Second World War, and the demands of an expanding economy in the post-war period. By 1967, the value of produc-tion was $1.186 billion dollars. Mineral production peaked in 2008 at $10.675 billion and is a corner-stone of the provincial economy.

Ontario Non-fuel Mineral Production


COMMUNITY | PRESIDENTS LIST

DATE FOR YEAR PRESIDENT COMPANY

Feb 20, 1920 1920 – 1921 A. D. Miles Inco

June 17, 1921 1921 – 1922 R. B. Watson Nipissing Mining Co.

July 6, 1922 1922 – 1923 C. V. Corless Mond Nickel Co.

July 5, 1923 1923 – 1924 J. P. Bickell Castle-Trethewey Mines

July 18, 1924 1924 – 1925 J. L. Agnew Inco

July 6, 1925 1925 – 1926 J. P. Watson Mining Corp. of Canada

June 25, 1926 1926 – 1927 A. F. Brigham Hollinger Consolidated Gold

July 8, 1927 1927 – 1928 Harry Oakes Lakeshore Mines

June 15, 1928 1928 – 1929 J. Y. Murdoch Noranda Mines Ltd.

June 20, 1929 1929 – 1930 J. C. Nicholls Inco

July 10, 1930 1930 – 1931 H. P. DePencier Dome Mines Ltd.

July 10, 1931 1931 – 1932 D. H. L. Forbes Teck-Hughes Gold Mines

July 8, 1932 1932 – 1933 J. G. Dickenson M. J. O’Brien Ltd.

July 5, 1933 1933 – 1934 F. D. Reid Coniagas Mines Ltd.

July 6, 1934 1934 – 1935 D. MacAskill Inco

July 3, 1935 1935 – 1936 R. J. Ennis McIntyre Porcupine Mines

June 25, 1936 1936 – 1937 M. W. Summerhayes Wright-Hargreaves

June 25, 1937 1937 – 1938 E. Futterer Howey Gold Mines

June 18, 1938 1938 – 1939 John Knox Hollinger Consolidated Gold

June 23, 1939 1939 – 1940 R. A. Bryce Macassa Mines Ltd.

June 25, 1940 1940 – 1941 J. H. Stovel Dome Mines

June 17, 1941 1941 – 1942 M.W. Hotchkin Toburn Gold Mines

June 23, 1942 1942 – 1943 Oliver Hall Noranda Mines Ltd.

June 29, 1943 1943 – 1944 K. C. Gray

June 30, 1944 1944 – 1945 R. E. Dye Sylvanite Gold Mines

June 29, 1945 1945 – 1946 E. V. Neelands Dome Mines

July 3, 1946 1946 – 1947 E. L. Longmore Ventures Ltd.

June 23, 1947 1947 – 1948 A. L. Blomfield Hollinger Consolidated Gold

June 17, 1948 1948 – 1949 R. L. Healy Wright-Hargreaves

June 23, 1949 1949 – 1950 J. R. Gordon Inco

June 15, 1950 1950 – 1951 W. S. Row Kerr Addison Gold

June 28, 1951 1951 – 1952 R. E. Dye Dome Mines

June 12, 1952 1952 – 1953 H. J. Fraser Falconbridge Nickel

June 11, 1953 1953 – 1954 H. L. Roscoe Pamour Porcupine Mines

June 3, 1954 1954 – 1955 J. Beattie Delnite Mines Ltd.

June 20, 1955 1955 – 1956 J. C. Adamson Lake Shore Mines

June 18, 1956 1956 – 1957 M. L. Urquhart McIntyre Porcupine Mines

June 17, 1957 1957 – 1958 R. D. Parker Inco

June 14, 1958 1958 – 1959 R. D. Parker Inco

June 15, 1959 1959 – 1960 E. G. Crayston Madsen Red Lake Mines

June 13, 1960 1960 – 1961 M. S. Fotheringham Steep Rock Iron

June 12, 1961 1961 – 1962 R. C. Mott Falconbridge Nickel

DATE FOR YEAR PRESIDENT COMPANY

June 10, 1962 1962 – 1963 C. M. Beck Algoma Ore Properties

June 10, 1963 1963 – 1964 E. A. Perry Hollinger

Consolidated Gold

June 15, 1964 1964 – 1965 John Kostuik Denison Mines

June 14, 1965 1965 – 1966 Frank Buckle Little Long Lac

June 13, 1966 1966 – 1967 C. P. Girdwood Dome Mines

June 19, 1967 1967 – 1968 S. C. Yule, R. D. Lord

Rio Algom

June 19, 1968 1968 – 1969 R. D. Lord Rio Algom

June 23, 1969 1969 – 1970 D. E. G. Schmitt Noranda Mines

May 5, 1970 1970 – 1971 J. A. Pigott Inco

May 4, 1971 1971 – 1972 J. H. Stovel Kerr Addison Mines

May 2, 1972 1972 – 1973 J.E. Worley Algoma Ore Properties

May 1, 1973 1973 – 1974 D. R. Lochhead Falconbridge Nickel

May 7, 1974 1974 – 1975 J. A. Graham Noranda Mines

April 29, 1975 1975 – 1976 P. R. Clarke Texasgulf

May 4, 1976 1976 – 1977 C. B. Ross Hollinger Mines

May 3, 1977 1977 – 1978 M. J. De Bastiani Denison Mines

May 5, 1978 1978 – 1979 J. E. Finlay Falconbridge Nickel

April 30, 1979 1979 – 1980 J. E. Finlay Falconbridge Nickel

May 6, 1980 1980 – 1981 M. A. Taschereau Dome Mines Ltd.

April 27, 1981 1981 – 1982 W. Curlook Inco Metals Ltd.

May 4, 1982 1982 – 1983 P. R. Clarke Kidd Creek Mines Ltd.

May 3, 1983 1983 – 1984 J. A. Hall Noranda Mines Ltd.

May 1, 1984 1984 – 1985 W. R. O. Aitken Inco Limited

April 30, 1985 1985 – 1986 C. H. Brehaut Dome Mines

April 1, 1986 1986 – 1987 C. H. Brehaut Dome Mines

On September 21, 1987 J. M. Gordon became Chairman and Patrick Reid became President

March 31, 1987

1987 – 1988 J. M. Gordon Noranda Mining Inc.

March 29, 1988

1988 – 1989 J. M. Gordon Noranda Mining Inc.

Feb 28, 1989 1989 – 1991 A. Rickaby Denison Mines Ltd.

March 6, 1991 1991 – 1993 W. Holmes Falconbridge Ltd.

June 3, 1993 1993 – 1994 W. R. C. Macdonald

Canadian Gypsum Comp.

May 18, 1994 1994 – 1996 L. Ames Inco Limited

May 2, 1996 1996 – 1998 P. Rowlandson Williams Operating Corp.

Nov 3, 1999 1999 – 2002 R. Aelick Inco Limited

Oct 24, 2002 2002 – 2005 J. Vincent The Canadian Salt Company

Sept 23, 2005 2005 – 2007, A. Hayward Falconbridge Limited

2007 – 2007 O. Chatillon Omya

April 4, 2007 2007 – 2008 J. Wyeth De Beers

June 9, 2008 2008 – 2010 G. Fumerfelt J.S. Redpath Limited

June 14, 2010 2010 – 2012 M. Boissoneault Xstrata Nickel

Presidents and Chairmen - GUIDING ONTARIO’S MINING INDUSTRY


MINING COMPANIES PAST AND PRESENT | COMMUNITY

AMEC .....................................................16

Atlas Copco Construction and Mining Canada ................................24

Blue Heron - Solutions for Environmental Management Inc. ...........37

Boart Longyear Ltd. ...............................11

Cementation Canada Inc. .......................13

City of Greater Sudbury ..........................12

De Beers Canada Corp. . .........................33

Detour Gold Corp. ..................................34

DMC Mining Services .............................. 7

Dumas Contracting Ltd. ........................... 4

Hatch Ltd. ..............................................23

J.S. Redpath Ltd. ..................................... 2

Knight Piesold Consulting ......................19

Lake Central Air Services .......................35

Lake Shore Gold Corp. ...........................27

Northern Miner ......................................17

Northgate Minerals Corp. .......................15

PDAC ....................................................... 9

Sandvik Mining and Construction Canada Inc. ................31

St. Andrew Goldfields Ltd. ......................32

Stantec Inc. ...................................... 20-21

Vale Inco ................................................40

Wabi Iron & Steel Corp. ..........................39

West Kirkland Mining Inc. ........................ 6

A D V E R T I S E R S ’ I N D E X

Mining Companies Past and Present

P ast presidents of the Ontario Mining Association represented a cross-section of the mining industry in the province. Most of the companies in the accompa-

nying list no longer exist. The venturesome nature of explora-tion and mining is such that over the years companies have been reorganized, renamed, wound up or taken over. For instance, the Mond Nickel Company was acquired by International Nickel Company Ltd. in 1929; Nipissing Mining Co. was taken over by the Patino Group in the 1960s and the Patino Group’s Canadian assets in turn were taken over by Northgate Exploration in 1981, while the affairs of Castle Trethewey Mines were wound up in 1959 and the assets acquired by McIntyre Porcupine Mines Ltd.

Often, companies disappeared after their main deposits were mined out (Castle-Trethewey Mines, Howey Gold Mines, Toburn Gold Mines) or because through the years they were taken over and operated under new owners and new names (Inco-Vale, Placer Dome-Goldcorp, Falconbridge-Xstrata).

In the past, member companies worked the major mining camps that were found throughout northern Ontario, some of which are still active (Sudbury, Timmins, Red Lake) some trying to be revived (Kirkland Lake) and others, examples of finite resources being extracted to their economic limits, mined out (Cobalt, Elliot Lake).


COMMUNITY | PATRICK REID

A fit-looking Patrick Reid is enjoying his well-deserved retirement, but is still keeping a hand in the mining business by sitting on the boards of

four junior mining companies. Originally from northwestern Ontario, he was the Member of the Provincial Parliament for Rainy River for 17 years before joining the Ontario Mining Association as executive director in November 1984. Politics is in his blood — his father was Reeve of Atikokan and his brother was a Member of Parliament and cabinet minister.

Prior to his appointment, mining men who knew their mining business had held the position of OMA executive director. Reid, fresh out of a long career in politics, was not a miner, but he knew how govern-ment worked, and was well connected in the corridors of Queen’s Park.

When Reid took the helm he did not have a mandate but was told by the board, “Just make things better.” The OMA needed help – they had little credibility with the government and were insular. His job was to turn things around. When he started at the OMA, Reid met with numerous people within ministries, from some of the lowest to the highest, includ-ing all of the deputy ministers. Reid had been chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and he knew a lot of people, so his background and personal connec-tions in government helped a lot.

He encouraged the Ontario Department of Mines (ODM) to become more vocal and gain clout within the government (he had been mines critic). Around 1986, with the help of Brock Smith, who became the assistant deputy minister of mines, the ODM became part of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, and was starting to get recognition at Queen’s Park.

At about the same time, Reid started to contact other mining-related organizations such as the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. Reid observes that the “mining industry does not work together, only in times of crises.” He adds that even

today, “I just wish that they could really act in harmony, more than they do.”

“The biggest problem I had was communications. Too often the mining industry talks to itself, they don’t understand that they are talking ‘miningese’ rather than words. To improve communications, a researcher was hired to prepare presenta-tions that were not couched in mining jargon or written by engineers.” To create a united public front Reid told committees to work together, and with the government. The committees became more professional.

“Keeping the mining industry of Ontario competitive became one of our underlying themes” says Reid. When he started the job, the tax rate for mining was 30%. When he retired it was 10%. This effort kept the Ontario mining industry competitive in the global market.

Another cost issue that the OMA addressed was energy rates. Reid thinks that it is “one of the worst things that has happened over the years. Ontario’s whole industry, forestry, cars, mining, every big business, was built on relatively cheap but stable electricity rates. Successive governments from Peterson on have not appointed very good people within the ministry or as ministers in what should be one of the most important portfolios.” Reid goes on to say that companies can control labour rates, but collectively, energy and workers compensation costs were the variables in everybody’s budget every year.

Reid is proud of turning the OMA into a professional organization with very good people. A couple of things flow from that —credibility with the Workers Compensation Board so that the rates have come down, the establishment of the industry’s credibility on environment, on workers compensation and on energy. Health and safety was huge. “We spent about 50 percent of our time on safety… and I think we have the best health and safety record, even better than education.” However, he observes that, “nobody outside of the mining industry and probably half within it don’t know that we have this safety record.

The mining industry is a terrible communica-tor… we have this tremendous story to tell but we keep telling it basically to ourselves.”

Not being a mining man, he has the advantage of seeing the industry from an outsider’s perspective. Proud as he is of the accomplishments of the association and the industry, there are still some disappointments.

“When I joined the OMA one of my aims was to educate the mining industry about government and to teach the government about the mining industry. Maybe I was more successful than I thought, but I still get the impression that in the boardrooms of the mining companies they still don’t understand that the government is their partner, whether they like it or not and that the public, however perceived, is watching them.”

In conclusion, Reid comments that the violent ups and downs in commodity prices probably won’t change, but the reaction by mining companies to them astounds him. “When things go bad, there seems to be only one thing to do and that is to cut.” He was always flabbergasted that geologists were the first to go. “If you don’t spend money and you don’t have geologists, where are you going to find the ore?”

Today the doors at Queen’s Park are open because of what Reid had started, but also because Chris Hodgson, who has credibility there, has continued the rapport between the industry and the government.

Reid’s job was to promote the interests of the industry. He was successful in raising its profile and getting the industry to work with the government to achieve its own ends. Sometimes it would take years to achieve its goals and sometimes the industry was not successful, but it did gain the respect of those who regulate the mining industry, and much of the credit has to go to Patrick Reid, the right person at the right time. OMA

PATRICK REID THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME

CRED

IT: T

HE O

NTAR

IO M

ININ

G AS

SOCI

ATIO

N

Mine Services Division Engineering, General Fabrication, Machining & Assembly

Innovation & Custom Design Engineering services and material handling equipment for mining, forestry and construction industries. Steel and Aluminum Mining Capabilities

Skips ● Cages

Chutes ● Sheaves

Conveyance holding ● Dump systems Corporate Strengths

ISO 9001:2008

CWB certification and inspection, aluminum and steel

APEO authorization

Foundry Division General and Abrasion Resistant Iron & Steel Castings

Strength and Reliability Design and manufacture of custom castings in over 100 alloys.

Corporate Strengths

Metallurgy / chemistry alloy technology o Custom engineered to meet a specific application

Integrated manufacturing o Pattern shop o Sand moulding o Four induction melting furnaces

o Heat treating

o Machining

Quality assurance and delivery o ISO 9001:2008

Corporate Head Office 330 Broadwood Ave. New Liskeard, ON Canada P0J 1P0 Tel: +1 705 647-4383 Fax: +1 705 647-6954

Peter Tuomi [email protected] 330 Broadwood Ave. New Liskeard, ON Canada P0J 1P0 Tel: +1 705 648-0246 Fax: +1 705 647-6954

Dave Bowering [email protected] 330 Broadwood Ave. New Liskeard, ON Canada P0J 1P0 Tel: +1 705 647-4383 x 210 Fax: +1 705 647-6954

Wabi congratulates the Ontario Mining Association on it’s 90th Anniversary

www.wabicorp.com

Vale congratulates the Ontario Mining Association (OMA) on90 years of excellence representing Ontario’s mining industry.

Through its advocacy work with government, its commitmentto educating students and the public about mining and itspromotion of the industry in the province and around theworld, the OMA is a key partner in building the competitivenessof mining in Ontario.

Vale looks forward to working alongside the OMA to promotemining excellence for years to come.

We salute you

Final OMA ad correct size_Layout 1 8/30/10 10:15 AM Page 1

Serving ONTARIO’S MINING INDUSTRY for Years · ontario mining association 90th anniversary 3...

Documents

Transcript of Serving ONTARIO’S MINING INDUSTRY for Years · ontario mining association 90th anniversary 3...