The mineral exploration and mining industry in Canada has taken a few knocks since the global recession a few years ago. The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) was at the front lines then as they are now.
Glenn Mullan, President of PDAC remembers, “The mining industry was really hiding under the table or in a kind of rabbit hole. Things were not pretty, there was a dearth of financing and it was very hard for public companies and prospectors. We didn’t hear much about exploration and all of that really related to a crisis of confidence.”
Since 2016, the industry has shown welcome signs of recovery. PDAC is the leading voice of the mineral exploration and development community, and with over 7,500 members around the world, its mission is to promote a globally responsible, vibrant and sustainable minerals industry.
As the trusted representative of the sector, PDAC encourages best practices in technical, operational, environmental, safety, and social performance.
“The mining industry in Canada is huge and accounts for nearly 600,000 jobs,” Mullan says. “The GDP impact is around 4% which sounds modest — but in dollars, that’s over 60 billion dollars last year alone.” Huge numbers but equally important is Canada’s impact on the international stage.
Canadian exploration and mining companies work in over 100 countries including Africa, Asia, Australia, Russia, Central, and South America. These countries are now Canada’s partners and neighbors. It is a credit to Canada’s international reputation for fairness, openness, and innovation.
Five Year Strategic Plan: Including Aboriginal affairs, gender diversity, and innovation
To support a competitive and responsible industry, PDAC had undertaken a five year strategic plan that includes a focus on access to capital, access to land, advocacy, international affairs, responsible exploration, and Aboriginal affairs.
For the rest of this paid content: http://www.nationalpost.com/biggest+mineral+exploration+mining+convention+world+hits+toronto+march/17114183/story.html