CMIC News update - June 2011-2
**CMIC Signature Event 2012**
Board link: Engin Özberk and William Westgate
Just a 'heads up' to our members and friends that CMIC is planning a Signature Event for January 31 - February 1, 2012, in Toronto. It will include a day of discussion and presentations on innovation in Canada's mining sector. Great speakers will (tentatively) include Jay Ingram, the author and national science broadcaster of Daily Planet fame. Stay tuned for more information as things develop.
Great news - Trio saves woman stranded in van for seven weeks
Board link: Peter Kondos
In early May, Chad Herman, an electrical and instrumentation supervisor at Barrick's Goldstrike mine near Elko, Nevada, was hailed as a hero, along with his wife, Whitnie, and her father, Troy Sill, after the trio found a missing Canadian woman, Rita Chretien, who had been stranded in her minivan on a deserted back road in Nevada since Mar. 19. The three were out searching for elk antlers when they discovered the van and helped facilitate her rescue. It was described by the grateful woman's family as "a miracle."
The story made national headlines in Canada as well as the United States. Chad and Whitnie Herman appeared on major television programs, including the CBC National news and Good Morning America. Herman says the attention was overwhelming and exhausting.
"We didn't do anything in our minds that was heroic or any different than what anyone else would do," he said. "We tried to keep our names from getting out and didn't want any reward or attention from it. The sheriff finally got a hold of us on Monday, along with the reporters. It was really hard to deal with all of the pressure from the phone calls and reporters constantly coming to our house. We just want everyone to know that our thoughts and prayers are with Rita and her family, and we are hoping that they are blessed with one more miracle in finding their father."
Chad Herman
Rita Chretien was treated at St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho, and has been moved to a hospital in her home community of Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. She is expected to make a full recovery. The search for her husband, Albert, has been hampered by bad weather, muddy roads and melting snow, and has yielded no results. He left the van to seek help on Mar. 22. The Chretiens were travelling to a trade show in Las Vegas when they got lost and their van got stuck in the mud.
Academic recent developments
Board link: Tom Hynes
Laurentian University has been closely associated with mining for the past 50 years, with active programs in geology, engineering, environmental sciences and business management. It is also connected to a number of university-linked organizations (such as CEMI and MIRARCO), which build on the university's skills and capacity. Now, Laurentian is going one step further and creating a new School of Mines. The school will engage in work on exploration, mining, health, culture and the environment. It will focus on the scientific and technical research and skills development that the industry urgently needs, and will also place emphasis on the socio-economic and management skills required by mining professionals. For further information, contact Michael Lesher at mlesher@laurentian.ca
A proposal has been made for an international minerals innovation and training institute in Saskatchewan. With help from others across the country, a group of dedicated professionals from the province have been working for the past few years to assess the situation, evaluate options and put forward realistic proposals for consideration. The steering committee, led by Karen Chad, vice-president of research at the University of Saskatchewan, and Engin Özberk, vice-president of innovation and technology development at Cameco , has concluded that Saskatchewan's minerals industry is not as well addressed as it should be in terms of training industry professionals and of associated R & D. Chad and Özberk see the training and research components as necessarily linked, and their program proposal therefore includes two central streams: developing and training highly qualified people (HQP); and conducting research, development and implementation support for the industry.
The Committee is looking to create a world-class institute, with a particular emphasis on the unique circumstances of Saskatchewan (such as its potash and uranium mining operations).It has already conducted a feasibility study and is currently developing a detailed business plan and funding proposal with input from government, industry and academia. We wish the committee great success with this endeavour. This initiative will undoubtedly help all of Saskatchewan reap the economic and social benefits of its mining industry, and will contribute greatly to Canada's ability and capacity to address the national mining research and HQP issues. For further information, contact Karen Chad at karen.chad@usask.ca
Mining and Petroleum Industries Receive Funding for Research and Development
Board link: Tom Hynes
The Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC) today announced more than $960,000 to enhance geoscience research and development (R&D) in the province with the launch of GeoEXPLORE.
The funding will support 13 projects involving a range of field and lab-based R&D activities specific to mineral and petroleum exploration and development opportunities throughout the province. Leading researchers at Memorial University of Newfoundland will collaborate with Vale Inc., Silver Spruce Resources Inc., Search Minerals Inc., Rare Earth Metals Inc., Statoil Canada Ltd., Paragon Minerals, Rambler Metals and Mining Ltd., Aurora Energy, Altius Resources, Golden Dory Resources, the Geological Survey of Canada, the Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador, the University of Calgary, the National University of Ireland, and others.
"Leading-edge geoscience R&D plays a critical role in supporting mineral and petroleum exploration and development," said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. "As Newfoundland and Labrador's mining industry continues to grow, research and development will assist in greater exploration and development. These investments, through the Research & Development Corporation, mark a positive step in increasing the potential to develop new mines and invite new high value business and technology development opportunities for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians."
Mining is the second largest industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, employing more than 4,900 people in rural areas of the province, while oil production represents almost 27.5 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador's nominal gross domestic product. The total value of minerals and petroleum production in 2010 was $12 billion.
GeoEXPLORE, a three-year program, will enhance geoscience R&D capacity, collaboration and innovation in the province's mineral and petroleum industries. The program targets five areas for R&D investment: research team awards; geoscience research tools and equipment; collaborative research opportunities; post-doctoral researchers; and industry-led R&D, technology development and demonstration.
For further information, please see the release online at:
http://www.researchnl.com/pdf/11/rdc_news_release_june_9_2011.pdf
Or contact
Jeff Green, Manager, Communications & Marketing
Research & Development Corporation
709-758-0973 or jeffsgreen@researchnl.com
