The 85th Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto, closed on Wednesday, having attracting 24,161 registered attendees and 900 exhibitors from mining, financing, mining supply and government sectors from around the world
“The mineral exploration and mining industry is cyclical in nature and has faced a variety of economic challenges over the past several years, but optimism has always remained and it’s fantastic to see this being reflected at the PDAC Convention,” said PDAC President Glenn Mullan.
PDAC 2017 hosted sold-out exhibitor space, investor meetings, Short Courses, Mineral Outlook Luncheon, and Awards Gala.
“There was an upbeat vibe throughout the convention — a positive sign for the sector going forward,” Mullan added.
Attendance was up by approximately 2,000 over 2016 when 22,000 attended — a strong indication that confidence has returned to the mineral exploration and mining industry.
Timmins, Ontario and Northeastern Ontario was well represented with companies such as Goldcorp, Gowest Gold, Kirkland Lake Gold, the Bucket Shop, Dumas and Porcupine Moneta Mines to name a few having booths to tell an international audience about what they had to offer.
Mayors Steve Black, from Timmins, and Al Spacek, from Kapuskasing, attended and encouraged investment in mining or mining supply services in their respective cities.
Timmins and area First Nations, such as the Wabun Council and Mushkegowuk Council, were present to remind the mining industry they welcome mining, as long as it is fair to the indigenous people in whose territory much of the mining takes place.
Rory Dredhart and John Goulet from the Canadian Mining Expo were there to remind many of the exhibitors and attendees from all over the world that Timmins hosts a hands-on mining show of its own – the Big Event. Organized by Canadian Trade-Ex, The Big Event allows participants to try first hand the changing technology that drives mining forward with easy reach of operating gold mines and Kidd Creek, one of the most prosperous base metal mines in the world.
Timmins has played a major role in PDAC.
In fact, Viola MacMillan, noted for the discovery of the Hallnor deposit in Timmins, as part of the second wave of the Porcupine Gold Rush, was the president of PDAC and served for 20 years (1944-1964).
MacMillan resigned her position after her company Windfall Mines was implicated in a scheme to defraud investors by claiming its property had the potential to be as successful as the Texas Gulf Kidd Creek Mine which was at the time nearing production. Kidd Creek came into production in 1966.
MacMillan was eventually convicted of fraud not for the Windfall stock market investment manipulation, but on another incident despite the holding of a Royal Commission into its activities. She served a brief period and then was released. Eventually she received a full pardon.
Thirty years ago today, another incident occurred that will forever be etched in the history of PDAC.
On March 9, 1987, Guy Lamarche, a stock promoter from Timmins, was shot dead by Timmins Bissonnette, a former friend and a resident of Timmins.
The shooting took place during the dinner hour of PDAC 1987 at the Royal York Hotel where the conference was held in those days in front of many convention attendees and hotel patrons.
Reports from Toronto newspapers wrote that Lamarche was gunned down at 6:20 p.m. in the main mezzanine of the hotel and was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.
The newspapers described the shooter as his childhood friend Timmins Andre Bissonnette, also of Timmins.
Bissonnette was eventually found guilty of murder and served 25 years in prison. Bissonnette, who was 54 years old when he murdered Lamarche was 79 years old when released from prison.
