Northern Ontario's critical minerals all the buzz at PDAC conference

Jeff Laferriere, mayor of Temiskaming Shores, says he's been "overwhelmed" by his first Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference.

But it's not just about the number of participants, Laferriere said. There's a palpable buzz in the convention centre where industry players — PDAC estimates 30,000 people — are gathering in Toronto to discuss the mining industry, tour the latest wares and test out new tech.

"It's shocking to see the innovation that's happening right in our backyard," Laferriere said.

"A lot of the businesses that I've talked to … a lot of times they're buying products and services from outside the area, not realizing that they can even purchase it locally.

LISTEN | Morning North speaks to 4 people from northern Ontario who are at the PDAC mining conference in Toronto:

"So it really is a huge education for everyone."

Jeff Portelance, senior manager with Civiltek Limited, a mining contractor in Sudbury, said the conference is a chance for people in the industry to "catch up." 

"I was just talking to [Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre] this morning," Portelance said. 

"And every year, Laurentian University has an alumni breakfast … it brings together alumni and some folks from the city." 

Although Portelance said his company, which specializes in underground construction, doesn't sell any products at PDAC, meeting with several hundred other people in the industry forges some important professional connections. 

"You reconnect with old colleagues, you connect with customers and … it kind of starts the [selling] process here."

Conversations surrounding EV, critical minerals

The conversations at PDAC this year, according to Portelance, are revolving around critical minerals, and the expected boom in the electric vehicle market.

"Critical Minerals, battery, battery minerals, lots of buzz about northern Ontario, which is great," Portelance said. 

"There's a lot of focus on the northern Ontario pavilion that we're in, the Northern Ontario Mining showcase, and lots of people coming to talk to all the northern Ontario businesses about minerals and what we can offer the world."

"It's been good. Really good."

Steve Gravel, manager of Cambrian College's Centre for Smart Mining, said he looks at PDAC as an opportunity to showcase some of the talented students in Sudbury.

"We want to showcase how we can be of service to those organizations in a variety of ways, showing a pipeline of talent," Gravel said.

"We're essentially a mining-focused college. Our trades and technology graduates by and large end up working in  mining supply or directly for mines.

"We want to show companies what new programs we have coming out, what the skills of graduates are."

The centre also looks at PDAC to form partnerships in the research field, Gravel said.

"We're looking for companies that are looking to do something innovative but might not have all the resources internally," he said. "We can help sort of de-risk new technology development ventures in the mining sector with our R&D people at the college."

[PDAC] really builds up the confidence.​​​​​​​- Janaide Fita, Laurentian University student

A couple of years ago, Gravel said, a chance meeting with representatives from mining giant Glencore led to the company's investment in Cambrian's new electric vehicle lab.

"It's those kinds of collisions that we have with companies here that really sort of foster those big ideas and then eventually government and industry support," Gravel said.

Janaide Fita, a mining engineering student at Laurentian University, visited PDAC to learn more about the industry. 

"In our courses, we learn about getting into the mining industry, but we don't have much opportunity to network with the actual makers. So that's what I went to PDAC to pick up, mostly.

"I've already made great connections," she said. "I met people working in Vancouver, I've met some investors in Calgary, I met some engineers from Africa, companies that are doing some projects back there."

Fita, an international student from Cameroon, said the wealth of knowledge gathered in one place allows her more context to understand how the industry works back in Africa. 

"I'm trying to create a not-for-profit for mining for the future of mining for youth," she said. "Today, we have a lot of mining engineering students dropping out, having that imposter syndrome, not knowing if they're fit in or they don't.

"So coming to those kinds of conversations really builds up the confidence." 

The PDAC conference runs through Wednesday.