Chile's Mining Minister Honored for 2010 Rescue
Laurence Golborne is receiving a Special Achievement Award during the March 7 awards program in Toronto during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s annual convention, billed as the world’s largest annual mining convention.
Soaring prices and demand for gold, uranium, copper, and other commodities, driven largely by developing countries around the world, has kept the world's mining companies humming, hiring, and making acquisitions. Many of the mining community's leaders are gathered in Toronto to network, tour an expo where industry suppliers and dozens of governmental mining agencies from around the world have booths, and discuss their industry's future at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s annual convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
PDAC says the event, which ends March 9, is the world's largest annual mining convention. The 2008 event brought more than 20,000 attendees from more than 100 countries.
One of the highlights is an awards ceremony March 7. A special achievement award is being given to Laurence Golborne, Chile's mining minister, in recognition of his management of the rescue operation that saved 33 goal miners last year. They had been trapped deep underground for 69 days at a remote mine and were successfully rescued in October as millions of people watched on television around the world. The rescue effort lasted 51 days and is believed to be the deepest ever, according to PDAC.
The awards ceremony takes place at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. An Environmental & Social Responsibility Award is being given to IAMGOLD Corp. for its commitment to excellence in environmental stewardship, community engagement, and health and safety, particularly during exploration. The company operates mines and exploration projects in West Africa, South America, and Quebec.
PDAC was created in 1932. It has about 6,000 individual members (prospectors, developers, geoscientists, consultants, mining executives, and individuals involved in the drilling, financial, investment, legal, and other support fields) and 950 corporate members.