Blogs

Last week I attended the CIM meeting in Toronto.  The conference opened with a plenary session that focused on global leadership and was titled  "The Courage to Change."  The discussion ranged across many topics, but there were common underlying themes that each of the panelists highlighted.  These included unlocking value through innovation and strong leadership, committing to collaborative and responsible resource development and the need to invest in people to equip the next generation of industry leaders with the skills required to take our industry into the future.  Speaking of the future, there was stimulating and thought-provoking discussion around extraterrestrial mining and the need to develop resources in space to support  eventual human habitation away from Earth.  It sounded a bit like science fiction, but with a good measure of reality thrown in.  

Following the plenary session, there were technical sessions that expanded on some of the themes introduced during the plenary.  For example,  the Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Sciences Symposium showcased innovative technologies for mining other planets and asteroids.  A panel discussion on Women in Mining explored the theme of developing the next generation of workers with a focus on women and diversity. One speaker presented a very compelling and provocative perspective on gender and how workforce diversity issues are not necessarily solved by hiring more women, but by addressing the more ingrained and systemic issues related to gender.  One of the highlights for me was a Showcase on the Ring of Fire that brought together all stakeholders involved in this project, including industry, contractors, government, First Nations and various NGOs.  Topics included  local purchasing initiatives to support local communities, examples of how to manage partnerships between stakeholders to support the common goal of developing resources for the benefit of all, developing training programs that sustain local communities post mining, and how the needs of industry and local communities can be met simultaneously through open and transparent dialogue.  One of the First Nations’ leaders stated that they view mining as their best hope for breaking the devastating cycle of poverty that they have struggled with for several generations.  As I listened to each speaker, a message emerged.  The message was that everyone is committed to making the Ring of Fire a success story and a showcase for how to develop a mining project that meets the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.  It was a powerful message and I was inspired by how everyone worked together to solve very complex and difficult social, technical, economic and environmental challenges.