an independent supplement by m ediaplanet to the v ...doc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/5880.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Helmet Calcium carbonate, talc, clays, sulphur, mica
Zipper Chrome-plated zinc
Sun protection Zinc Oxide
GearS and Seat poStS Steel, aluminum
HandlebarAluminum, titanium
brakeSAluminum,
steel, magnesium
GearSSteel, aluminumSteel, aluminum
FrameSteel, aluminum,
chromoly steel, titanium and/or carbon fibre
buildinG conStruction Gypsum, clay, limestone, sand, gravel
computer Screen
Silicon, boron, lead, indium
jewelryGold, diamonds, iron oxide, zinc, titanium dioxide
cementLimestone
tireSSulphur,
bromine, iodine
batteryCadmium, lithium,
nickel, cobalt
Banner 11.33 x 3.6 inches
Mining
An independent supplement by mediAplAnet to the VAncouVer sun
the importance of zinc Fighting against malnutrition
panel of experts leaders speak on the environment and mining in bc
opportunities and adventures abundant in mining
The GLObAL induSTry yOu knOw nOThinG AbOuTexciting opportunities and industry initiatives highlighted
Photo: Photo IllustratIon by MIssy KayKo; source: MInIng WorKs for canada
The GLO3FACTS
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET TO THE VANCOUVER SUN
Huge career opportunities await our youth
With over 120 different types of occupations sup-porting the industry, including surveyors, haul-truck drivers, geologists and engineers to name a few, mining careers have a lot to offer today’s youth.
With over 800 mines across the country directly em-ploying more than 198,000 workers, Can-
ada ranks fi rst in the world for the pro-duction of potash and uranium and among the top fi ve for the production of nickel and diamonds. Canada’s mining industry is highly competitive on the world stage and is now a major player in Canada’s economy, contributing nearly fi ve percent of the country’s Gross Do-mestic Product. With new mineral de-posits being discovered regularly, the economic potential of the Canadian mining industry is enormous, creating many exciting career opportunities for youth.
A variety of choiceWith over 120 di� erent types of occupa-
tions supporting the industry, including surveyors, haul-truck drivers, geologists and engineers, to name a few, mining careers have a lot to o� er today’s youth.
First, the stability of the industry is a strong incentive. Unlike the hard eco-nomic times currently troubling other industries, the Canadian mining indus-try is experiencing rapid growth and prosperity. This means tremendous ca-reer opportunities within the industry in all aspects of exploration, develop-ment, operations, and site reclamation. Latest research conducted by the Min-ing Industry Human Resource Coun-cil (MiHR) reveals the Canadian mining industry will have to hire 100,000 new workers by the year 2020, largely due to retirement rates.
The mining industry is also one of the highest paying industrial sectors in Canada, o� ering very competitive salar-ies. In 2007, the average weekly earnings in the metal mining industry was $1200,
“The average annual total compensation pack-age, including benefi ts, exceeds $100,000.”
WE RECOMMEND
PAGE 5
A career in mining p. 5Dave Bazowski explains the trends
Environmental standards p. 7An important focus in the industry
Trends in mining employmentDave Bazowski ex-plains where the indu-stry is headed.
MINING1ST EDITION, SEPTEMBER 2010
Country Manager: Justin [email protected] Manager: Jackie [email protected]
Responsible for this issue:Publisher: Joshua [email protected]: Penelope [email protected]
Contributors: Jeannie Armstrong, Damien Lynch, Ryan Tapping, Jill Tsolinas, Labour Shortage Task Force, Mining Association of British Columbia, Mining Industry Human Resources, Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, The Association for Mineral Exploration of British Columbia
Distributed within:Vancouver Sun, September 2010This section was created by Mediaplanetand did not involve The Vancouver Sun orits Editorial Departments.
Mediaplanet’s business is to create new customers for our advertisers by providing readers with high-quality editorial contentthat motivates them to act.
CHALLENGES
which is 30 percent, 29 percent, 24 per-cent, and 22 percent higher than the salaries of workers in the construction, manufacturing, forestry, and fi nance/insurance sectors, respectively.
In addition to the fi nancial benefi ts, careers in mining are also challenging, o� er unique opportunities to travel the world and present advancement op-tions for eager employees.
“That’s the great thing about mining. There are a wide variety of jobs avail-able and you don’t necessarily have to work at a mine. There are so many in-teresting opportunities,” says Steph-anie Jaworski, a mining engineering graduate from McGill University.
MELANIE STURK
Director of Attraction, Retention and Transition,
Mining Industry Human Resources Council
MINING SALARY RANGE
■ New grad Eng-Mine (undergrad-uate degree): $51,000 to $73,000
■ Mine Geologist: $65,000 to $88,000
■ Surface Miner: $75,000 to $85,000
■ Human Resources Manager: $91,000 to $127,000
■ Underground Miner: $80,000 to $85,000
■ Environmental Offi cer: $58,000 to $81,000
MINING OFFERS MANY
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
MINING OFFERS
1FACT
ON SITERyan Tapping (Blender Media) and Jill Tsolinas (Wardrop) at Teck’s High-land Valley Copper Mine
PHOTO: BLENDER MEDIA
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET TO THE VANCOUVER SUN
When you were getting ready for work and brushing your teeth this morning, did you consider that the fluoride in your toothpaste can be traced back to a rock that came from a mine in Canada?
Fluorite is a widely occurring mineral which is found in large deposits in On-tario, Newfoundland and across the world, and it is one of the most common ingredients in toothpaste.
It is common knowledge that mining provides us with valuable resources, but people are often surprised to learn that the products of mining provide not on-ly many of the essential consumer goods we use, but also much of the infrastruc-ture that we rely on daily—highways, electrical and communications net-works and housing, to name a few.
There are many examples of mining products in action:
■ Batteries: cadmium, lithium, nickel
■ Circuitry: gold, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, lead and zinc
■ Sports equipment: graphite, aluminum and titanium
■ Computer and television screens: silicon, boron, lead, phos-phorus and indium
■ Cosmetics and jewellery: gold, diamonds, iron oxide, zinc and titanium dioxide
■ Sun protection and medical ointments : zinc
■ Surgical instruments: stainless steel
■ Electricity: coal and uranium ■ Vehicles and tires: steel, copper,
zinc, barium, graphite, sulphur and iod-ine
■ Eyeglasses: limestone, feldspar and soda ash
■ Housing construction: gypsum, clay, limestone, sand and gravel
■ Fertilizer: phosphate, nitrogen, sulphur and potash
■ Hybrid car components: rare earth elements such as dyspro-sium, lanthanum, neodymium and samarium
Mining supports our everyday lives and it also supports the economy of our na-tion, directly employing over 200,000 Canadians and contributing $40 bil-lion to Canada’s gross domestic prod-uct. Canada is the world’s top produ-cer of uranium and potash and third in diamond production.
While Canada’s mining industry is highly lucrative, the sector is threat-ened by looming labour shortages and
human resources challenges, most notably the aging workforce, produc-tivity and challenges in attracting new talent. People are the industry’s most valuable resource.
One of the main issues a� ecting at-traction stems from a lack of aware-ness about the industry among youth. A 2006 survey conducted by Ipsos Re-id for the Mining Industry Human Re-sources Council (MiHR) revealed 85 percent of youth respondents were unfamiliar with the mining indus-try, a fi gure which was signifi cantly higher than all other industries, ran-ging from 40–60 percent. This fi gure indicates there is an opportunity to shape the perceptions of the industry around young people and this is one of the priority areas for MiHR’s Explore for More career awareness strategy.
Explore for More is the mining in-
dustry’s brand to promote careers in mining. It refl ects changing percep-tions about mining among key tar-get audiences for attraction and re-cruitment: women, youth, Aborig-inal peoples and new Canadians. With more than 120 di� erent types of careers in mining, the industry is a wealth of opportunity for current-ly under-represented groups. The Explore for More career awareness strategy presents the opportunities through methods such as videos, vir-tual mentoring and outreach presen-tations.
For more information on careers in mining, please visit www.explorefor-more.ca.
NEWS
Mongolia • USA • Canada China • Australia • Peru
+ peopleHighly experienced team
+ strategic partnersRio Tinto and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.
+ assetsJV partner in Oyu Tolgoi Project
Reserves and resources in Mongolia
Copper resource in Nevada
Expanding project pipeline
Copper | Gold | Molybdenum | Coal
+ treasury~CAD$30 million and no debt
it all adds up...
JV partner in Oyu Tolgoi Project
Reserves and resources in Mongolia
Expanding project pipeline
Copper
+ strategic partners
+ treasury~CAD$30 million and no debt
it all adds up...
Entrée Gold Inc.Suite 1201-1166 Alberni Street Vancouver, BC Canada V6E 3Z3 Tel: 604-687-4777 | Contact: Monica Hamm | [email protected]
+ peopleHighly experienced team
MELANIE STURK
Director of Attraction, Retention and Transition,
Mining Industry Human Resources Council
What’s mined is yours
Did you know that from the moment you brush your teeth in the morning, you’re using the byproducts of mining?
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET TO THE VANCOUVER SUN
Question: What is the life cycle of a mine?Answer:A mine evolves in four phases: exploration, development, production and reclamation–a process that takes 10 to 20 years to bring the average mine to production. Billions of dollars will be invested and thousands of jobs created.
The mine life cycle: exploration to reclamationExploration: hidden treasures and great expectationsA quest for hidden treasure, every new mine begins as an exploration project. Before setting foot on the ground, geol-ogists review existing data including maps, geological surveys and assess-ment reports. If additional exploration is warranted, a mining claim is staked. Next, detailed ground and airborne geo-physical surveys are conducted. Geo-chemical analysis of soil and rock sam-ples takes place. Environmental data starts to be collected.
“The next step is to put a drill on the property,” says Rodney Orr, vice-president of Golden Band Resources, a Saskatchewan gold mining company. Over three decades, the geologist has managed domestic and foreign explor-ation programs for uranium, gold and diamond companies. Golden Band has
explored the La Ronge gold belt in Sas-katchewan for 16 years. “We are now getting into production. It can be a long process,” Orr says.
In British Columbia, Geophysical surveys are underway at Entrée Gold’s Ann Mason property in Nevada. Exten-sive drilling will follow. The Vancouver-based mining company estimates the claim holds over seven billion pounds of copper.
Development: the paper work stageDuring mine development, data gath-ered during exploration is used to plan and design the mine. Prefeasibility and feasibility studies determine the prof-itability of the mine and identify risks. Consultations with government agen-cies and local communities begin to ad-dress their requirements.
Environmental baseline studies are conducted in preparation for manda-tory government environmental assess-ment. Mining companies must demon-strate to federal and provincial author-ities that environmental impacts are understood and can be mitigated.
Pending the outcome of these re-views, permits and licenses are ob-tained.
Construction of the mine, its mill and related infrastructure can now begin. This is the most expensive stage and biggest job creator in the mining cycle.
To raise development capital, min-ing companies often enter into joint ventures or seek outside investors.
Hunter Dickinson, headquartered in Vancouver, has an enviable track re-cord of international mine develop-ment.
Production: rock onThis is where mining really becomes fun and profi table. During the produc-tion phase of a mine, ore is extracted, minerals are separated from waste rock, waste tailings are deposited and sale-able minerals shipped. Furthermore, exploration activities are ongoing, to replenish ore reserves and extend the mine’s life.
A leader in production is the Eldorado Gold Corporation which has all its bases covered. The international gold produ-cer, based in Vancouver, has four oper-ating mines in China and Turkey, two mines under construction, one in late stage development, and extensive ex-ploration programs in Brazil, China, Tur-key and Nevada.
Reclamation: the final chapterAfter a mine closes, reclamation tech-
nologies are employed to restore the land to its original environmental footprint.
“A plan for closure and reclamation has to be submitted and approved up front as part of the initial regulatory process,” Orr says.
Teck Resources is taking an eco-system approach in reclaiming its Highland Valley copper mine near Lo-gan Lake, B.C. Native trees, shrubs and grasses were planted. Tailing ponds and pit lakes were rehabilitated and now support a successful sport fi sh-ery. Close to 200 bird species inhabit the grassland and wetland habitats.
Environmental monitoring continues long after mine closure. “The goal is to make sure the site is once again a healthy environment,” Orr says.
DAMIEN LYNCH
Mining education takes training to the next levelMining is a huge industry that extends from the gleaming boardrooms of the largest finan-cial districts to remote, isolated corners of the world.
While many mining professionals re-ceive their training in big-city univer-sities and technical colleges, profes-sional development can be di� cult be-cause mines are mostly located outside the major centres.
The Certifi cate in Mining Studies (CMS) at the University of British Col-umbia was formed seven years ago to fi ll a niche for those in the industry seeking to upgrade their skills.
Professional aimThe program, run through UBC’s Nor-mal B. Keevil Institute of Mining En-gineering, is aimed at the working min-ing professional. It consists of nine days of classroom-based short cours-es, and 160 hours of online courses run
through EduMine, the professional de-velopment portal of Vancouver-based InfoMine Inc.
Program administrator Malcom Ma-cLachlan said the CMS originally tar-geted mining engineers, but has since grown to attract professionals in other fi elds, such as geologists, business ana-lysts and CFOs, who work in mining but may lack a mining background.
The courses can be taken individual-ly, with each course counting towards a Certifi cate in Mining Studies, if the stu-dent wants to continue through the en-tire course load.
New partnershipsMacLachlan said a recent change is the introduction of new partners. UBC’s partnership with EduMine has been expanded to include the University of Arizona and more recently, UBC’s Saud-er School of Business.
The method of program delivery has also changed, with an increasing num-
ber of short courses now o� ered via live webcast. “The requirement to come in-to Vancouver to take a short course no longer exists,” says MacLachlan. “It al-lows them to update their skill sets without taking time o� from a job.”
The success of the program can be judged from the number of students, which has tripled since 2003 and now includes representation from North and South America, Central Asia and Africa. It can also be measured through the support of the mining industry. MacLachlan pointed to the launch of a training partnership in Mongolia, co-inciding with a large copper-gold mine proposed by Rio Tinto and Ivanhoe Mines, and CMS courses run through the Whitehorse Board of Trade, as two recent examples.
“This program can be tailored to meet the needs of specifi c organiza-tions,” he said.
NEWS
JEANNIE ARMSTRONG
REDUCING THE ENVIRONMEN-TAL FOOTPRINT IS A MAIN GOAL
REDUCING THE ENVIRONMEN-
2FACT
BACK TO THE CLASS-ROOMMining students gain field experience exploring re-mote areas in Northwest BCPHOTO: NORTHWEST COMMUNITY
COLLEGE SCHOOL OF EXPLORATION
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET TO THE VANCOUVER SUN
■ Q. What is the biggest prob-lem facing the mining sector?
■ A. A lack of skilled labour. This is a problem for the global mining indus-try. The world is a really small place and mining workers will go to wher-ever the best job o� ers are. We need to be very proactive in attracting and re-cruiting the best and brightest in the face of sti� competition. Many occu-pations associated with mining are transferable to other industries, which is another challenge, and attraction!
■ Q. What caused this prob-lem?
■ A. The global recession in the ear-ly 1990s created a severe downturn in demand for mining products. Min-ing companies were forced to cut back
and lay o� employees. Young people chose other professions. Existing em-
ployees left B.C. and Canada to go over-seas. Then we had a sharp increase in the number of baby boomers re-tiring and lately a lot of mergers and acquisitions within the industry.
■ Q. What are the attractions of a career in mining?
■ A. There are more than 120 di� erent occupations associated with mining. Skills are transferable within and out-side the industry. The average annual total compensation package, including benefi ts, exceeds $100,000. There are many entry level ways for young people to enter the industry and advance through a variety of streams. Many ex-ploration/mining operations are located in beautiful rural environments where living costs are lower than in larger cit-
ies and the quality of life is tremendous. It is an industry that enables young people to build up a nest egg while enjoying hobbies and outdoor pursuits. The industry in Canada is recognized for its use of advanced technology, pro-ductivity, environmental stewardship and, most importantly, its safety record.
■ Q. How is the industry pre-paring for the future?
■ A. Mining will not become a “sunset industry” unless we stop driving cars and bicycles, and constructing build-ings, ships and roads. Almost every-thing around us uses products derived from mining. Other countries, includ-ing China and India, require huge quan-tities of commodities, including mined products. This does not include demand
in established countries. There are cur-rently more than 30 mine proposals for permits on the table in B.C. alone.
■ Q. What is the mining indus-try doing for sustainability?
■ A. The mining cycle starts with ex-ploration, which may result in the de-velopment of a mine. Then comes prod-uct extraction until the product is de-pleted. However, that is not the end of the cycle. The surrounding land and water is returned to its natural state. Over time there is little evidence that the mine even existed. Great technol-ogy, corporate and operational commit-ment and a strong regulatory rules and obligations ensure this happens. The in-dustry is committed to the principles of sustainability through best practice.
Dave BazowskiChair, B.C. Mining Labour Shortage Task
There’s a lot about our mining sector you might not know. Here are 10 facts that might surprise you.
1. B.C.’s mining sector contributed $5.7 billion to the provincial economy in 2009. Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers 2009 Mining Report
2. Less than 0.045 per cent of B.C.’s total land base is currently being used by mining. Source: Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
3. More than 18,000 hectares of previously mined land has been reclaimed and returned to its natural state.Source: Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
4. There were about 7,688 people employed by B.C. metals and coal mining companies in 2009. Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers 2009 Mining Report
5. The average salary for B.C.’s mining industry in 2009 is $110,800. Mining is one of the highest paying jobs in the heavy industry sector. Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers 2009 Mining Report
6. Metallurgical coal - a necessary ingredient in the production of steel - represents a third of the industrialtraffic at the Port of Vancouver, the largest port in Canada.Source: Vancouver Port Authority
7. Fifty per cent of all the silver mined across Canada is mined in B.C.Source: Mining Association of BC
8. As Canada’s only producer of molybdenum, B.C. provides 4.4 per cent of the world’s production – just over 8,000 metric tonnes. Molybdenum is used to create ultra-high strength lightweight steel alloy and is used in products such as hybrid cars and the massive propellers used to harness wind energy.Source: Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
9. The largest gold nugget ever discovered in B.C. weighed over five pounds - that’s 2.32 kilograms. It was found in 1899 on Spruce Creek near Atlin.Source: Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
10. More than 50 metal, coal and industrial mineral mines are currently in production in B.C. and we have new mines set to open. The future of B.C. mining is very strong andgetting stronger.Source: Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
10 Facts About Mining
NEWS
Q&A: trends in mining careers
First nations and the BC government make historyIn August, the Province signed mining revenue-sharing agre-ements with two First Nations. These agreements, with the Stk’emlupsemc of the Secwe-pemc Nation and the McLeod Lake Indian Band, are the first of their kind in B.C. and among the first in Canada.
“This agreement makes me happy,” says elder and band councillor Josie Tylee of the McLeod Lake Indian Band. “It means a lot to me, because all the years we’ve lived on reserve, my people and my family have been struggling.”
Each agreement places a strong focus on community development to help First Nations achieve their social and economic goals. For Josie, it a� ects not only her eight children and 23 grandchil-dren, but future generations. The band
council will set up trust funds for band members to benefi t far into the future.
Sharing resourcesThe Economic and Community Develop-ment Agreements will see First Nations sharing mineral tax revenues from the New Afton copper-gold project outside Kamloops and the Mt. Milligan copper-gold project near Fort St. James.
“B.C. continues to lead the way in Can-ada with our Economic and Commun-ity Development Agreements ensuring First Nations communities benefi t dir-ectly from resource development,” said Randy Hawes, Minister of State for Min-ing.
And it’s just beginning. There are simi-lar agreements with other First Nations in the works.
“We want to work with other First Na-tions to develop mining projects that meet some of the highest environment-
al standards in the world for the bene-fi t of all British Columbians,” Hawes said.
In areas devastated by the mountain pine beetle epidemic and hit hard by the economic downturn, these agree-ments will provide hope and keep First Nations youth in their communities.
The sentiments of the Tk’emlups First Nation are loud and clear.
“With this agreement, we are building and strengthening our government-to-government rela-tionships on ventures that bene-fi t us all,” said Chief Shane Gottfried-son of the Tk’emlups First Nation. “We look forward to seeing the re-sults of this work in the near future.”
For more information, visit http://w w w. b c j o b s a n d e c o n o m y. g o v.bc.ca/2010/08/historic-agreement-to-change-lives-in-small-community/
The mining industry may have su� ered during the global downturn of the 90’s, but it has rebounded to the point where labourers are at a premium–and opportunities abound.
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET TO THE VANCOUVER SUN
Rick Van NieuwenhuysePresident and CEO,NovaGold
Rick ConteVice President, Technical and Regulatory Affairs, AME BC
Tim WatsonSenior VP of Project Development, Teck Resources Ltd.
PANEL OF EXPERTS
Question 1:How did you get involved in the industry and what was appealing to you?
Question 2:What is the industry doing to help decrease its environmental footprint?
Question 3:Where do you see the mining in-dustry in British Columbia going in the near future?
The industry is moving toward using lar-ger, more e� cient pieces of equipment for both mining and processing, with the object-ive of reducing total energy needs through re-duced power and fuel consumption. The in-dustry is also reviewing alternative methods of tailings disposal to maximize the recyc-ling of process water in order to reduce the demand on fresh water. Many mining com-panies, including Teck, are also engaging in progressive reclamation rather than waiting until the end of a mine’s life; this means that the landscape and wildlife habitat is restored before mining operations are complete.
To say mining has reduced its footprint is probably not accurate simply because soci-ety continues to demand more metal, ma-terial and energy, but certainly it is a softer footprint than 50 years ago. The mining in-dustry has changed dramatically in many ways, but none more than how it approach-es its responsibilities with respect to the en-vironment and bringing tangible benefi ts to local communities. Improvements in mine design and technology mean mines are run more e� ciently, both economically and en-vironmentally. And industry leaders have strengthened their commitment to con-structing, operating and reclaiming mines to ensure clean water and clean air, and mitigat-ing impacts to fi sh, wildlife and local people.
The mineral exploration and the mine production industry are constantly looking for new, more e� cient ways to produce the essential minerals that we all rely upon using new and developing technology. More im-portantly, our industry is working backwards in time to clean up former mine sites and looking into the future by reclaiming land that we have used so it goes back to nature.
The mining industry in BC has a bright fu-ture. The province is blessed with tremen-dous natural resources including coal and base metals as well as considerable by-prod-ucts such as moly and precious metals. There are a number of projects in various stages of development which provides considerable employment and business opportunities for British Columbians.
British Columbia is well positioned to take full advantage of the bull market in commod-ities, which is driven largely by demand from China and India. BC is endowed with great geology and contains signifi cant deposits of base and precious metals and the potential for many new discoveries. It also has a well-established, e� cient and rigorous permitting system that ensures high environmental safeguards. BC is one of the preeminent min-ing jurisdictions in the world and is well pos-itioned to ship bulk commodities to China, India and other developing countries.
I see the industry becoming more technol-ogy driven, more scientifi c. I say this because most of the easily found mineral deposits have been found and the industry will need to be more clever in looking into the earth at depth. We may also see more exploration and mining of more exotic elements such as rare earths that are used in all high-tech applica-tions such as computers, cell phones, iPods and also used in new medical applications, tools and machines. Any new device that comes out requires a mix of base metals such as copper, zinc, and molybdenum and rare earths and rare metal.
I have been involved in the mining indus-try for over 30 years. From the time that I was quite young, I had always wanted to be an engineer.I was intrigued by the work and by the opportunity to travel around the world. In grade 10 I worked as a summer student at an engineering fi rm that was dedicated ex-clusively to the mining industry and I con-tinued there each summer through to the end of my undergraduate degree before pur-suing a career in the mining industry on the engineering/construction side.
As a kid I loved maps and rocks–I still do–and one of my heroes was Marco Polo. Put those interests together and you get a geologist traveling the world looking for discovery and business opportunities. I started working in the mining industry as a teenager at a small family-run mine in Alaska and instantly knew that was what I wanted to do as a profession.
I got involved in mineral exploration through my grandfather, who was a pros-pector. After my fi rst trip into the woods, I was hooked into the whole idea of climb-ing mountains and looking for gold. My fi rst paying job in the industry was as a drill helper on a drill in the Lac Le Jeune area of southcentral BC.
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET TO THE VANCOUVER SUN
The lifesaving qualities of zinc
INSPIRATION
The importance of zinc as a mi-cronutrient cannot be underes-timated.
Studies show that zinc supplementa-tion results in improved growth in chil-dren, lowers rates of diarrhoea, malaria, and pneumonia, and reduces child mor-tality.
The consequences of severe zinc defi -ciency have been known since the 1960s. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 800,000 people, including 500,000 children under the age of six,
die as a direct result of zinc defi ciency each year.
According to UNICEF, diarrhoea–which is signifi cantly worse in children who su� er zinc defi ciency–is the second most common cause of child deaths worldwide, claiming two million chil-dren under the age of fi ve annually.
Canada takes the leadThe World Bank this year said it would cost US$346 million a year to establish zinc supplements for the management of diarrhoea in children between the ages of six months and fi ve years.
It was against this back drop that Can-adian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced during the recent G8 Sum-mit his government would increase funding for maternal and child health strategies and place more of an empha-sis on making certain that the nutrion-al needs of newborns, young children,
women and mothers alike, have been met.
The Micronutrient Initiative, a Can-adian-based non-profit organization working to improve global nutrition through vitamins and minerals, said it does not know how much of the $1 bil-lion will fl ow down to micronutrient programs, but welcomed the announce-ment as it opened the door to funding and highlighted the issues involved.
“We are very optimistic that the Can-adian PM took the time to listen and act on our concerns. PM Harper made the vital link between nutrition, particu-larly micronutrients, and child survival and maternal health,” says tVenkatesh Mannar, President of the Micronutrient Initiative.
Zinc saves kidsBig corporations are also getting in-volved in promoting the importance of
zinc, not just for health, but for sustain-ability reasons too.
Zinc Saves Kids, a joint initiative of UNICEF and the International Zinc As-sociation (IZA) was launched this year. It helps fund UNICEF-supported zinc programs around the world.
IZA has committed to raise US$5 million over a three-year period from the global zinc community. It is chaired by Don Lindsay, CEO of Teck Resources Limited, a thought lead-er in promoting zinc in present and potential product applications, hu-man health and crop nutrition, and in highlighting zinc’s contribution to sustainable development.
Doug Horswill, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and External A� airs at Teck, served for 10 years until 2008 as Chairman of the Environment and Sustainability Committee of the IZA. He was previously a professional
public servant and is using his busi-ness and political clout and know-ledge to promote partnerships with civil society organizations for the ad-vancement of zinc nutrients around the world.
“We cannot do this without private and civil society organizations being involved. It is the only way to make sure children get zinc in the form they need and through the right distribu-tion channels,” he says.
The Zinc Saves Kids initiative is in-spired by the IZA’s Sustainability Charter, one of whose elements in-cludes developing and communi-cating a full scientifi c understand-ing of zinc’s impact on the environ-ment and its role in human health and eco-systems.
DAMIEN LYNCH
■ Question:How is zinc lowering the mortality rate worldwide?
■ Answer: The Micronutrient Initi-atve and Unicef are looking to im-prove global nutrition with the provi-sion of vitamins and minerals
LEADER TO LEADER
FIGHTING MALNUTRITIONFormer U.S. President Bill Clinton meets with IZA at the Clinton Global Initia-tive in New York City.PHOTO: SUSAN MARKISZ
“Mining can’t succeed if we’re not car-ing of our environment,” says Ed Bes-wick, P. Eng., past vice-president of the Canadian Mining Institute, now en-vironmental director with Hard Creek Nickel Company in British Columbia. “Anything we do, we have to do within the environmental conscience.”
To align its actions with the environ-mental priorities of Canadians, the Min-ing Association of Canada has developed the “‘Towards Sustainable Mining”’ in-itiative, based on a set of guiding princi-ples for sustainable development, Bes-wick says. The industry-based voluntary
initiative strives to “achieve sustain-able resource stewardship wherever we operate.”
“If there’s a demonstrated environ-mental impact, mining has to lead the way to show that we can basically pre-vent that impact. The mindset has to be protection of our environment,” says the veteran mining engineer.
“We’ve come a long way. It’s only been in the last 40 years that the industry has had the opportunity to work in a regu-lated environment.”
Beswick cites the example of the his-toric Britannia Mine, located between
Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. The copper mine, which operated
without regulation for almost a century until closing in 1974, was one of the lar-gest heavy metal pollution sources in North America, depositing over 600 kilo-grams of contaminants a day into Howe Sound.
In 2005, EPCOR and the B.C. govern-ment built a water treatment facility at the site to clean up the acid run-o� . In its fi rst year of operation, the facility re-moved 255,000 kilograms of heavy metal contaminants.
“Now, sea life is growing again in front
of that mine,” says Beswick.Technology breakthroughs, ranging
from energy e� cient mining equip-ment to biological water treatment sys-tems, are helping to reduce the Can-adian industry’s environmental foot-print.
“A lot of the solutions to any environ-mental impacts are through advances in technology. We have to keep our foot on that gas pedal. That’s where our uni-versities play a signifi cant role,” says Beswick.
Companies like Hard Creek Nickel Corporation are funding research pro-
grams at UBC and other universities to develop advanced environmental pro-tection technologies.
“Mining is what sustains society, and society has to engage that. We just can’t put our heads in the sand and say let’s import our metals from other jurisdictions. We have to allow tech-nology the opportunity to address sus-tainable development,” he says.
JEANNIE ARMSTRONG
Advancing environmental standards in mining
MICRO-NUTRIENTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PROVIDED BY
MINING
MICRO-
3FACT
