This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.
The Ontario Mining Association and the Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA) are combining forces again. This successful collaboration is working on the sixth annual Ontario Mine Reclamation Symposium and Field Trip, which is scheduled for June 18 to 20, 2013. The organizers are holding the event this year in the community of Cobalt, which in many respects is the genesis of Canada’s hard rock mining industry.
At this time, the organizing group is seeking abstracts for presentations to be made at the symposium on June 18. The workshop will highlight the historic and current status of mining in the Cobalt region, the latest in research and rehabilitation practices and updates on specific mine reclamation projects. Those wishing to make presentations should contact Bryan Tisch at btisch@nrcan.gc.ca or 1-613-943-8746 before May 22.
The event will also include a one-day field tour of mine sites and rehabilitation work in Cobalt. A reception and banquet will include the presentation of the Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation Award and the presentation of the $5,000 student bursary. Nominations for the Tom Peters Memorial Reclamation Award can be made up until May 31, 2013. Information and entry details are available from Mr. Tisch.
A full symposium program will be available for distribution soon along with hotel details and other information on the Cobalt area. Lesley Hymers lhymers@oma.on.ca and Adrianna Stech astech@oma.on.ca at the OMA can be contacted if you have questions related to the symposium.
Sponsorship opportunities will be available. Last year, registration was $75 with various charges for banquets and field trips. Don’t let the name the community’s name sake element fool you. Silver was discovered in Cobalt in 1903 and the area quickly became one of the largest silver producing areas in the world. In 1911, silver production exceeded 30 million ounces.
The OMA and CLRA have held this mine reclamation conference in a variety of communities across Ontario in the past. Previous locations for the workshops have been Kirkland Lake (2008), Timmins (2009), Elliot Lake (2010), Sudbury (2011) and Thunder Bay (2012).
The purpose of these mine rehabilitation conferences is to encourage the pursuit of excellence in mine reclamation, share knowledge, information and research results and to share best practices. It is also to promote a better understanding of the outstanding achievements in mine reclamation to Ontario’s mining industry, the environmental community and the broader public.