Sudbury: Ontario’s mining superstore – by Dick DeStefano (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal – May 2013)

Dick DeStefano is the Executive Director of Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA).destefan@isys.ca This column was originally published in the May 2013 issue of Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal.

SAMSSA is having a banner year on its tenth anniversary with multiple accolades recognition and events. One of the most important acknowledgements came from The Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

A study entitled, Chamber of Commerce Mining Report Mining Capital-How Canada Transformed its Resources Endowment into a Global Competitive Advantage, announced the importance of years of effort by SAMSSA to identify the “Sudbury Mining Cluster” as the leader in underground intelligence in Canada.

The report demonstrates how Canada is home to a number of competitive clusters that deserve greater recognition not only for Canadians but from the Canadian Government as well. After multiple interviews with the Canadian Chamber researchers the following important statements were included in the Study:

  • Toronto is the small to medium capitalization finance capital of the world, boasting a unique collection of experts and institutions that draw exploration and mining companies seeking capital from around the world.
  • Vancouver has established itself as a global hub of the exploration sector, running projects in Africa, Asia, South America and Europe well as Canada and the United States.
  • Sudbury’s emerging mining supply and technology cluster is the “superstore” of Ontario for underground mining with the potential to become a global leader.

This testimonial is a major announcement for Northern Ontario and especially for Sudbury and comes at an important time in the history of SAMSSA which has spent a significant amount of energy establishing a global brand that is recognized around the world.

We are very proud of the recognition and establishing our mining cluster in Northern Ontario as a centre of underground mining intelligence.

The other important recognition was a Community Award from Northern Life that acknowledged the important contribution our association made to economic development within the Region of Sudbury in the past ten years. The mining supply and service companies which exceeds 320 is a major force in creating wealth and jobs.

The approximately 13,500 employees in the Sudbury is three times the number of jobs in extractive and refining jobs regionally.

This recognition by the Canadian Chamber has attracted a number of international requests for meetings and potential partnerships within Northern Ontario with Mining supply companies which SAMSSA facilitates on a weekly basis.

The recent Sudbury visit  by Aarti Mona Soerensen, Department Manager, Mining & Mineral Resources, Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Inc., in April was an important link and preliminary dialogue on potential partnerships and synergies which could be forged in the forthcoming years with German mining suppliers.

The World Bank recently interviewed SAMSSA regarding a special feature report that will acknowledge the importance of our mining cluster within a global context.

Recently SAMSSA met with representatives from the British Consulate in Sudbury regarding potential relationships and investments in Northern Ontario.

During the discussions it was evident that northern Ontario’s and Sudbury’s expertise in “underground mining intelligence” was an important attraction and further meetings are being planned.

There are signs that the intelligence and mining expertise that exists in our cluster is becoming more global with new markets opening in Chile, Mexico. Peru, United States, Poland and Hungary.

While commodity prices are in a down cycle our mining intelligence in Northern Ontario is still a stable product in demand around the world.