Delegates to this year’s PDAC Convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) March 6 to 8 may be making fewer deals than in previous years, but they’ll have plenty of opportunities for commiserating with old friends about one of the worst downturns the mining industry has experienced in recent memory.
Rod Thomas, president of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, doesn’t expect numbers close to the 30,000 delegates of a few years ago, but he’s still confident of a respectable showing.
Giving up on the PDAC, said Thomas, is equivalent to giving up on the mining industry. Aside from the deal making, it’s an important social occasion offering people in the industry an opportunity to catch up with colleagues and friends from around the world.
Thomas said he can’t imagine things getting much worse than they are and hopes to see some improvement in the second half of the year. To help the exploration industry climb out of the hole it’s in, the PDAC is urging the federal government to double the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit from 15 to 30 per cent and lock it down for three years.
Following are some key events to put in your calendar:
• Once again this year, the Northern Ontario Mining Showcase in the MTCC North Building will host 70 Northern Ontario mining supply and service companies.
• The Ontario reception, hosted by Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle, will take place Sunday evening, March 6th, 5 to 7 pm at the Steam Whistle Brewery.
• The City of Sudbury reception is scheduled for Monday, 5 to 7 pm, Ballroom B at the Intercontinental Hotel.
• In addition to all the usual events delegates look forward to, this year’s PDAC will feature an exhibition of the Royal Ontario Museum’s Kirwin Collection, consisting of hundreds of rocks from deposits around the world. The Kirwin Collection will be on display in the North Building.
• New to the Investors’ Exchange this year will be a souped up Tesla all-electric vehicle with infographics highlighting the critical importance of mining industry products required for the manufacture of next generation technologies.
For more information about this year’s PDAC, go to pdac.ca/convention.
