NEWS RELEASE: LAURENTIAN LOOKS TO RECLAIM CANADIAN MINING GAMES TITLE

National competition returns to Sudbury for first time since 2005

SUDBURY, ON (Feb. 22, 2012) – Laurentian University is proud to be hosting the 2012 Canadian Mining Games from Feb.23rd to Feb 26th, and is preparing to welcome teams from across the country for this prestigious national competition.

“There’s a lot of bragging rights that go with the Canadian Mining Games,” said Dr. Ramesh Subramanian, Director of Laurentian University’s Bharti School of Engineering. “Our guys and girls are really pumped about taking back the title they feel rightfully belongs here at Laurentian.”

A series of events and challenges designed to test and sharpen the skills of engineering students in all aspects of mining, the Games have been held annually since 1991. Typically, each of the 10 participating universities sends a team of 12 students to compete. Laurentian University’s team has won the title more often than any other university (7 times in the 21-year history of the Games).

Participating universities include: Dalhousie, McGill, Ecole Polytechnique, Laval, Queen’s, U of Toronto, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and UBC. Laurentian will welcome the visiting teams on Thursday afternoon at the Great Hall with a short speech competition, followed by a semi-formal dinner, hosted by Vale.

Among the events scheduled over the two-day competition are challenges in mineral separation, mine design, ground control, mine rescue and jack-leg drilling. Media are particularly invited to the Equipment Handling event, involving the operation of a scoop tram and an excavator, on Friday, February 24th from 8:00 am to approximately11:30 a.m. in Laurentian University Parking Lot # 15, off South Bay Road.

“The competition is always fierce, but friendly,” said Dr. Subramanian. “It’s a great way for the upcoming cohort of mining engineers to learn about different aspects of the industry while socializing and making contacts.”

For interviews or more information:

Craig Allen c.) 705-690-4604

Canadian Mining Games Co-Chair
cm_allen@laurentian.ca

Simone Hensher c.) 705-521-2999

Canadian Mining Games Co-Chair
shensher@laurentian.ca

http://www.canadianmininggames.com

Sherry Drysdale

Communications
Laurentian University
705-675-1151 ext. 3412
c.) 705-698-4702
sdrysdale@laurentian.ca

About Laurentian University

Laurentian University is one of the fastest growing universities in Canada in the past decade, now serving close to 10,000 students. With its main campus in Sudbury, it now offers a growing number of programs in Barrie to the 1,200 students located on that campus.

Laurentian is a bilingual university with a tri-cultural mandate to support Aboriginal students. For two years in a row, the University ranked #1 in Canada in total sponsored research income among primarily undergraduate universities. Laurentian has one of the highest post-graduation employment rates in Ontario and receives high recognition for its enviable class sizes, having one of the lowest faculty-to-student ratios in Canada. For more information on Laurentian University visit www.laurentian.ca

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