Canadian Trade-Ex is a family-run business that has been organizing the Big Event, the Canadian Mining Expo, for almost 20 years.
Canadian Trade-Ex is also TimminsToday's inaugural Mid-Week Mugging.
The Canadian Mining Expo along with the Kayak Challenge in August are the largest annual events in Timmins drawing thousands of people to the McIntyre Community Centre Grounds to view the heavy machinery used in mining; watching friendly mining based competitions like the Mayor’s Challenge Jackleg competition; the Ladies Novice Jackleg and the Professional King Jackleg.
“They call it the 'Big Event' for many reasons,” said Glenn Dredhart, the president of Canadian Trade-Ex. “One being that all the hotel rooms from Timmins to Kirkland Lake are filled to capacity; the grounds are packed with big, heavy mining equipment and we are always solid out or nearly sold out.”
“We have 400 booths occupying the hockey arena, the curling arena and every inch of McIntyre Ground,” Dredhart added.
“The Big Event attracts participants from throughout Northern Ontario from as far away as Kenora, and we have also some participants in from Quebec, British Colombia and around the world,” he said.
This year there are about 400 information booths at the CME highlighting the skills, experience and expertise of Northern Ontario’s mining supply and services sector.
The Canadian Mining Expo which started out as the Northern Mining Expo has grown to the point that it attracts participants from Across Canada and globally.
“Canadian Trade-Ex puts on a great event here in Timmins and it brings in people from around Canada and the world to Timmins the City with a Heart of Gold; the No. 1 place to do mineral exploration in Ontario,” said Timmins Mayor Steve Black.
Its information exchange sessions such as the annual seminars hosted by The Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund on First Nations and Mining provide the most up
The organization was founded by Jay Cornelsen and dates to the 1980s when they organized home shows and other trade shows. In the 1990s, Glenn Dredhart, Cornelsen’s step-son became the president after serving as a top-notch salesman.
Since the mining has been the major focus of Canadian Trade-Ex. The Canadian Mining Expo is a feather in the cap for the organization. But it has also held the North America Mining Expo in Sudbury and will continue to run a biennial event in the Nickel City.
Jay Cornelsen remains the voice and at times the face of the CME, serving as the master of ceremonies at the Grand Opening Event annually and that leads into his play-by-play announcing of the ever-popular jackleg drilling competitions.
In addition to mining tradeshows, Canadian Trade-Ex also organizes a forestry and lumber show every few years in Eastern Ontario. This year it will host an event in Renfrew featuring Ontario’s forestry, lumber and wood industry.
Canadian Trade-Ex, first established in 1994, is a company that works with organizations, associations and communities across Canada in the establishing of events, conferences, trade shows and seminars within specific markets.
In 2009, Canadian Trade-Ex along with the City of Timmins and the Mining Industry hosted the first Northern Mines and Exploration Expo to correspond with the 100th Anniversary of the Porcupine Mining Camp and the City of Timmins.
Canadian Trade-Ex has also hosted The North American Mining Expo in Sudbury since 2015; and events such as the CAN-USA Forestry & Construction Equipment Expo held in Sault Ste. Marie; Saw-Tech Log Expo which is Canada's largest hardwood and private woodlot event held in Bancroft Ontario; The Canadian Outdoor Recreation Expo which is held in Trenton; and the Lake of The Woods Expo held in Kenora, Ontario. In 2003, Canadian Trade-Ex Group hosted the Boreal Summit in 2003;
In addition to the tradeshows, Canadian Trade-Ex operates Mining Life, a quarterly magazine on the mining industry and mininglifeonline.net an online information source for the mining sector. It also operates, Forestry Life.
The other members of Canadian Trade-Ex family, and it is a family, are Claudette Cornelsen, Rory Dredhart, John Goulet, Audrey Dredhart, Gary Boucher and Rhonda Lachapelle.
