At a Gander mining conference, the industry's future was right next door

While mining executives and geologists gathered for the annual Central MinEX conference at the Gander Community Centre this week, the future of the industry showed off at the curling club next door.

At least six schools from all over central Newfoundland took part in a science fair for junior high students. Calibre Mining, which owns the Valentine gold deposit near Millertown, sponsored the contest.

"We believe youth are our future," said Calibre social compliance lead Courtney Rowsell. "So having them involved, having them learning about mining, finding out about careers in mining, bringing them into a space where they can learn from each other and learn about different aspects of the industry is very important to us."

The students' projects covered issues such as erosion on mine sites, safer ways to handle asbestos and the mineral content of volcanoes. One group even coded their own version of the video game Minecraft, highlighting the minerals found in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Wesley Turner is from Holy Cross School in Eastport.

"Our project here, hydrospan, we were thinking what's an easy way for people from Newfoundland to [get to] the mainland," he explained. "Since there's an underwater highway in Europe, we thought to use that idea and make something. So it's a tunnel that goes from Newfoundland, under the ocean floor to Labrador."

His group's display included a model tunnel drill Turner fashioned from an old blender motor.

The team from Leo Burke Academy in Bishop's Falls created a large cardboard doll, called Molly the Miner, as part of their entry.

"Our project is on the everyday minerals that you could be wearing right now," group member Olivia Simmonds said. "For example, on Molly, her shirt is polyester, she has jewelry on, she has a pencil, and she has steel-toed boots on."

In the end, another group from Eastport won the day.

"Our project is talking about e-waste recycling," said student Lily Heffern. "Basically, we're taking valuable minerals from used electronics, and we're repurposing them into the mining industry."

But the students who worked on the projects didn't have to do it at all. They put in the time and effort because they're interested in working in the mining industry some day.

For many of them, like Carly Thomas of Bishop's Falls, mining is the family business.

"We did an interview on her dad, my pop and my brother, who all work in mines," she said. "Our families are really into mining, so we know a little bit about it."

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