Mining Education and Innovation – Page 29

[Ned Goodman] Donor hopes to create world’s best mining school – by Heidi Ulrichsen (Sudbury Northern Life – October 16, 2012)

May 7, 2013October 18, 2012

http://www.northernlife.ca/

LU names mining school for Ned Goodman

Ned Goodman said his goal is nothing less than to make the Goodman School of Mines the best mining school in the world.

Laurentian officially named its new mining school after the CEO of Dundee Corporation Oct. 15 after the Goodman Family Foundation made a large contribution to an endowment fund set up for the mining school.

The contribution was made with the condition that any financial commitment, present or future, remains confidential.

However, Laurentian University president Dominic Giroux said the Goodmans’ contribution, along with others, brings the university more than halfway to the endowment fund’s financial goal of $20 million.

Goodman is a geologist, securities analyst, portfolio manager and senior executive, and has invested in many mining operations.

He was the driving force of the Dundee group of financial companies, which grew under his family’s leadership from a $300 million base to a $50 billion mutual fund entity.

Aboriginal studies featured for mining institute – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – October 2012)

October 17, 2012

Established in 1980, Northern Ontario Business provides Canadians and international investors with relevant, current and insightful editorial content and business news information about Ontario’s vibrant and resource-rich North. Ian Ross is the editor of Northern Ontario Business ianross@nob.on.ca.

A proposed mining institute at Thunder Bay’s Lakehead University will place a strong emphasis on acting as an “honest broker” in dialogue between industry and First Nations.

If there’s one focus of study that will be addressed as a Centre of Excellence in Mineral Exploration and Sustainable Mining Development takes shape it’s the need to bridge the cultural gap often widened by the lack of communication and consultation.

Geology professor Peter Hollings, who’ll head up the institute, said the goal of the centre is to be a one-stop repository of experts and research for both companies and Aboriginal bands. “We want the natural answer to be Lakehead.”

For years, both industry and First Nations have chafed at the lack of definitive government rules on consultation in Ontario. Hollings knows the frustration that exists on both sides.

“We hear it a lot from industry and the First Nation communities who don’t fully understand the difference between a junior company coming in to do prospecting and drill a hole, as opposed to Cliffs Natural Resources coming to develop the Ring of Fire.

Goodman makes historic donation [to Laurentain’s School of Mines] – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Star – October 16, 2012)

October 16, 2012

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

A substantial donation to Laurentian University’s upcoming School of Mines will help propel the school to the top of the world heap in the discipline, said Laurentian President Dominic Giroux.

On Monday the university announced that an “historical gift” from Ned Goodman, the president and CEO of the Dundee Corporation, has put the school ahead of the halfway mark to create a $20 million endowment fund for the new mining school.

“To have the Goodman name associated with Laurentian University is exceptional,” Giroux said.

Through the Dundee group of financial companies Goodman helped build a $50-billion mutual fund entity. After he was laid off by Noranda in 1960 he went on to get his MBA from the University of Toronto and eventually became an important financier of Canada’s mining industry.

To honour Goodman and his donation, the exact amount of which has not been disclosed, the new school will be officially named The Goodman School of Mines. “It’s a school that needs the investment,” Goodman said about Laurentian. “It’s in the right place and it has the right background and it should be one of the best mining schools in the world, but it’s not there yet.”

[Sudbury’s] Laurentian masters, PhD programs popular among U.S. students – by Sebastien Perth (Sudbury Star – September 29, 2012)

September 30, 2012

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

There’s never been much debate over Sudbury’s status as a leader in mining technology in Canada and it seems that reputation is well established around the world, as well.

The three-day long MINExpo conference in Las Vegas wrapped up Wednesday with some 50,000 people checking out mining equipment manufacturers, job opportunities and higher education.

The Greater Sudbury Development Corporation organized a delegation from Sudbury that included city staff and Mayor Marianne Matichuk and representatives from 10 local companies that work in the mining sector. Ramesh Subramanian, the director of the Bharti School of Engineering at Laurentian University, said he was blown away by the sheer scale of the conference.

“This was my first time there and it was simply amazing. The size of the whole thing. It was insane. I’m at an Ontario Universities Fair now and this is a pillow fight compared to what they have there. Almost 50,000 people there, it was amazing,” Subramanian said.

Laurentian was one of those 10 local companies or groups to join the city delegation. Subramanian was one of the few academic types to attend. He went to recruit students to complete their masters and doctorates in Laurentian’s mining programs.

Mining drives new MBA approach – by Denise Deveau (National Post – September 25, 2012)

September 25, 2012

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

When a sector has achieved global leadership status, the demand for skills can stretch beyond the output of mainstream education channels.

This is very much the case in the mining sector, where the appetite for knowledge about how the industry and system works is driving a new approach to MBA studies.

According to Jean Vavrek, executive director for CIM (Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum) in Montreal, skill sets are changing more and more in the line of “softer issues” related to social acceptance and license.

“The industry is dealing with much more complex environmental issues, more regulations, deeper ore bodies, remote exploration … the dynamics and the management challenges are only getting bigger,” he says. “So is the potential for career development.”

Canada needs to accelerate the development of future leadership, Mr. Vavrek adds. “The potential on the management side is big, from project management and capital expenditures to exploration and development. What managers are facing today in this sector dwarfs most other industries.”

NEWS RELEASE: Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) Announces Construction of a New Mineral Processing Pilot Plant

September 19, 2012

The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) today announced construction of a new mineral processing pilot plant. The new pilot plant, coupled with SRC’s existing mineral processing expertise, laboratory and testing facilities, will allow mining companies in Western Canada and beyond to access a full range of applied research, development, process design, scale-up, and pilot-scale demonstration, plus new and improved processes for recovering valuable metals and minerals.

Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saskatoon Fairview Jennifer Campeau on behalf of Economy Minister and Minister responsible for SRC Bill Boyd was in attendance today to announce construction.

Located in Saskatoon, the pilot plant will enable SRC to provide services and expertise previously unavailable in Saskatchewan, and will allow mining companies to increase productivity and competitiveness in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The new pilot plant will support the development and demonstration of new and improved methods for processing minerals such as potash, gold, base metals, coal, oil sand, oil shale and especially rare earth minerals. It will enable the pilot-scale demonstration of new technologies that will be able to increase mining yields and decrease costs.

Mining engineers strike gold – by Josh Dehaas (Maclean’s Magazine – September 13, 2012)

September 14, 2012September 14, 2012

Maclean’s is the largest circulation weekly news magazine in Canada, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.

Graduating with a degree in mining engineering seems to be a ticket to a well-paying job

Kyle Buckoll finished his bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia in April. Unlike many 23-year-old university graduates, he didn’t settle at his parents’ house in Maple Ridge, B.C., to start hunting for internships or entry-level jobs. Instead, he went on an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey with 31 fellow class-of-2012 graduates from UBC’s mining engineering program. They marvelled at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, visited two of the seven ancient wonders of the world, and lounged on beach chairs in Bodrum to toast their graduation. They also toured six mines, because the flight, hotels and buses were all paid for by mining companies eager to show their largesse.

Buckoll wasn’t worried about student loans, either. His tuition for the last four years was covered by Anglo-Swiss mining company Xstrata. In addition to working for the firm while at school, he promised to work for Xstrata after graduation (he will owe them money if he quits in the first two years). After a summer spent touring Europe for fun, he has a well-paying job waiting for him at the company’s mine in Timmins, Ont., in September. His two vehicles will be there, shipped from Vancouver at Xstrata’s expense. His girlfriend will join him there too, her flight and moving expenses covered. They’ll settle into a home with the rent taken care of for the first two months.

Vale puts railveyor to test – by Norm Tollinsky (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal – September 2012)

September 13, 2012

Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal is a magazine that showcases the mining expertise of North Bay, Timmins and Sudbury.

The successful demonstration of Sudbury-based Rail-Veyor Technologies’ innovative material handling system at Vale’s 114 Orebody could lead to a significant change in mine design, enabling smaller openings, improved safety and faster advance rates.

A surface demonstration of the rail-veyor at Vale’s Stobie Mine proved that the technology worked, but it had to be put to the test in an actual mining operation before the company could specify it for future mine developments.

“We proved the ore-handling capability of the rail-veyor at Stobie,” said Alex Henderson, Vale’s general manager of underground technology for base metals. “This demonstration is more about how we integrate it into our development and production processes.”

Assuming the final verdict is positive – and all indications suggest it will be – the rail-veyor can be classified as proven technology and considered as an option in feasibility studies for new mine developments in Sudbury and elsewhere across Vale’s global footprint.

Making deep mining safer – by Darren MacDonald (Northern Ontario Business – September 2012)

September 13, 2012

Established in 1980, Northern Ontario Business provides Canadians and international investors with relevant, current and insightful editorial content and business news information about Ontario’s vibrant and resource-rich North.

With the future of mining in Sudbury dependent on finding ways to extract ore from deeper underground, a local invention offers hope that it can, one day, be done safer, cheaper and more quickly.

The Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization – CAMIRO – is developing a spray-on liner that would take the place of the shotcrete and screens traditionally used to hold underground tunnels in place. Four millimetres of the bright orange, polyurethane compound would be sprayed onto the walls and ceilings underground by a robot adapted for mining use from the automotive industry.

CAMIRO is a Sudbury-based not-for-profit organization run by the mining industry to manage collaborative mining research. Originally built to spray paint onto cars, the $60,000 robots would be upgraded with scanning and other software so it could coat the area with the liner without any humans being present.

MTI Inc. of Sudbury has been given the job of coming up with a carrier for the robot, which is currently transported using a scoop tram. Charles Graham, managing director of CAMIRO, said the liner has several potential advantages over current practices. Unlike shotcrete, the polyurethane liner is flexible.

Teachers learn about modern mining in Ontario – by Liz Cowan (Northern Ontario Business – September 2012)

September 12, 2012

It took five days for Niagara Region elementary school teacher Chris Hoekstra to change her preconceived ideas about mining. “I was thinking picks and shovels, that it was very intrusive, not environmentally friendly, it was eating up our land and why do we really need it,” she said.

After spending five packed days at the Canadian Ecology Centre’s Mining Teachers’ Tour in August – including an underground visit – her view has totally changed.

“I had a picture of going down into a timbered shaft,” Hoekstra said. “But the technology that is used has really impressed me and I didn’t anticipate that. I had no idea of the number of engineers and tradespeople that are required and how environmentally conscious they are to the point of having staff that are just dedicated to that.”

The third mining tour was held Aug. 6 to Aug. 10 at the Mattawa facility housed in Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.

[Sudbury’s Laurentian University mining education] LU reaches for the top – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – September 1, 2012)

September 2, 2012

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Perhaps the seed was planted one night in a five-star dream — an omen for the next five years detailing grandeur of the academic kind. Dominic Giroux, the president and vice-chancellor of Laurentian University, announced in June the board of directors had approved the budget for the school’s five-year strategic plan (2012-17). Developing the plan was a labour of love, which required 12 months and hundreds of stakeholder consultations. Giroux was wary of developing a one-size-fits-all plan, with the committee opted instead for a signature document that is undoubtedly Laurentian.

“Often universities develop very long and extensive strategic plans that convey their commitments to excellence in teaching, research and community engagement, but it’s hard to distinguish their true strategic directions from other universities,” he says. “One of the reasons we’re proud of our strategic plan is that if you remove the words ‘Laurentian University,’ anyone who reads it will recognize Laurentian.”

The plan is ambitious and broad. In just 20 pages it addresses student satisfaction, academic excellence, community engagement and national recognition, a point of which Giroux is especially proud. It plays on the school’s established strengths and takes advantage of its geographic location.

OMA Noront member helps strengthen foundation for high school video competition

November 3, 2015August 23, 2012

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Mining Association member Noront Resources is busy this summer broadening the foundation for future So You Think You Know Mining video entries. The company is spearheading The Mining Movie Making Summer Camp in several Aboriginal communities in partnership with DAREarts, Engage Learn and the OMA.

The hands-on community based program provides three days of sharing stories about rocks, minerals, the environment and traditional territories. Then students work to collaborate and create their own Aboriginal community video, which hopefully becomes a future entry to the OMA’s SYTYKM high school video competition.

The first camp, which was held earlier this month, involved more than 40 students from the Simon Jacob Memorial Education Centre in the Webequie First Nation. The second camp was held in the Marten Falls First Nation and later in August a camp is scheduled to be held in the Long Lake #58 First Nation. In the Fall, the team aims to take the program to other communities in the Ring of Fire area.

Spray-on liner could help miners go deeper – CBC News Sudbury (August 9, 2012)

August 10, 2012

http://www.cbc.ca/sudbury/

New product could become an important tool in ensuring the health and safety of underground workers

New technology that helps keep broken rock in place in underground mines is being tested in Sudbury. A thin, spray-on lining is being applied to rock deep underground to see if it will help keep rock safely in place in the event of a natural rock burst, or other rock movement.

For the product’s developers, finally getting to the testing phase is a significant step forward. The Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization — a non-profit group that is run by the mining industry — said they have been working on this product for quite some time.

“I think it’s going to support mining [and] the effort of the industry to mine deeper,” said Charles Graham, one of the product’s developers. “It’s going to manage some of the risks — the geotechnical risks — for doing that. It opens up and maintains possibilities that otherwise might be lost to us if we didn’t have that kind of product.”

NEWS RELEASE: Ontario Supports Cutting-Edge Mining Research In Sudbury

August 10, 2012August 10, 2012

(L to R) Kevin Manuel, Account Executive, 3M Canada Company; Nicholas Dickson, Team Leader, UVT Product Group, Mining Technologies International; Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and Chair of the NOHFC; Oliver Koski, Business Development Manager, Mining Technologies International and Charles Graham, CAMIRO - Mining Division.

August 9, 2012 10:20 AM

McGuinty Government Strengthening Province’s Mining Sector

Today Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines and Chair of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) announced NOHFC funding of $300,000 for CAMIRO’s work to test a flexible thin spray-on lining that helps keep broken rock safely in place in deep underground mining. The new product could become an important tool in ensuring the health and safety of underground workers.

Ontario is investing in innovative new technology that will help strengthen Sudbury’s position as a world mining leader.

Through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), the Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization (CAMIRO) will test a thin spray-on lining that helps keep broken rock safely in place in deep underground mining. The new product could become an important tool in ensuring the health and safety of underground workers.

NEWS RELEASE: New President CEO for MIRARCO [Laurentian University mining research]

July 4, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sudbury, ON, July 3, 2012 – The Board of Directors of MIRARCO Mining Innovation is pleased to announce the appointment of Vic Pakalnis, P.Eng. as President and Chief Executive Officer of the corporation effective July 1st, 2012.

Marc Boudreau, President and CEO of BESTECH and Chairman of the Board of Directors for MIRARCO welcomes Vic to MIRARCO. “Vic’s experience and relationships in both the industrial and public sectors will help to shape strong and vibrant strategic objectives for the long term success of MIRARCO. The Board of Directors looks forward to working with Vic and believe that he will bring; renewed energy, innovative ideas, growth, and diversification to the organization.”

Vic Pakalnis earned a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Mining Engineering and a Master of Engineering Degree from McGill University in 1972 and 1976 respectively. In 1994, he obtained a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University.

Vic brings expertise from a career with various mining companies including Inco Ltd, Iron Ore Company of Canada and Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. In the later company, he served as their Senior Ground Control Engineer.