ABOUT CIM

The CIM Centennial Corporation was founded to organize and oversee the 1998 celebrations and to solicit funds to support them. CIM thanks the members of the Board: René Dufour (Chair) Giorgio Massobrio (Vice-Chair), Yvan Jacques, Don Worth, Sandy Laird (ex-officio), Noel Cleland, John Laffin, Lindsay Milne, Engin Ozberk, Michael Sopko, Bill Stanley and Yves Harvey (ex-officio), for their outstanding contribution.

The Institute also offers its sincerest appreciation and gratitude to all those others who have invested countless hours in organizing the celebrations, to the 31 Honorary Members of the CIM Centennial Corporation, the 46 other corporations and thousands of CIM members whose generosity made possible the realization of the activities taking place all over Canada.

Warmest thanks and congratulations go to the countless CIM members at the Society, Division, Committee, District and Branch levels whose dedication brought the nation-wide events to fruition. They are responsible for the new dynamism one can feel throughout the Institute's constituencies. CIM members are proud of what they have accomplished for the mineral industry, the economy of the country and the well-being of Canadians, and they forge ahead with confidence and optimism.

National projects celebrating the Centennial

Pride and Vision: Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, 1898-1998

A book on the history of CIM, written by E. Tina Crossfield, was distributed at CIM/CMMI/MIGA Montréal '98. It tells about some of the people who helped to shape the Institute, against the background of a developing Canadian mineral industry, and highlights how the Institute has evolved in response to the changing needs of its members. The book may be purchased through the CIM Publications Department, under Special Volumes. The cost is $35 for members, $40 for non-members and $25 for students. In all, 5,000 copies were printed.

CIM Centennial Commemorative Stamp

The CIM Centennial Commemorative Stamp was unveiled at the Opening Ceremony of CIM/CMMI/MIGA Montréal '98. The honourable Alfonso Gagliano, Minister, Public Works and Government Services Canada unveiled the stamp with the assistance of CIM President Sandy Laird, CIM Centennial Corporation President René Dufour, Montréal '98 General Chairman Giorgio Massobrio and the Honorable Ralph Goodale, Minister, Natural Resources Canada.

Designed by Monique Dufour and Sofie Lafortune, the stamp used layered photographs of equipment common in the mining, metallurgy and petroleum industries. The photos depict a giant cutting wheel from Tamrock Canada; a smelter used to extract metals from mined rocks; and the Hibernia platform off the coast of Newfoundland. Superimposed across the images is a hand-held pick axe, the symbolic tool of mining.

Canada Post printed 7 million copies of the 45 cent stamp.

CIM Centennial Art Competition

Many of Canada's top artists answered the call for entries in the CIM Centennial Art Competition, hosted by Orica Canada (formerly ICI Explosives). First places went to Annette Kirby, Drawing; Esther Merikanskas, Sculpture; and Denis Gagnon, Painting. The finalists' work was displayed CIM/CMMI/MIGA Montreal '98. Prizes were awarded at the closing ceremony of the conference.

Many thought-provoking pieces were entered in the competition. One of the main criteria of the competition was that the artwork should evoke an emotional response. Canadian artists rose to the challenge.

Mining Supplement

A special mining supplement was distributed in the March 1998 Report on Business of The Globe and Mail and the February 27 issue of La Presse. Written by Allan Dickie, the supplement in The Globe aimed to educate Canadians about the importance of the industry to the country's economy, to dispel myths and allow public access to the technological and environmental advances propelling the mining and minerals industries into the next century.

Educational Programs

The Centennial Corporation was one of several financial supporters of the Education Program sponsored by the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) headed by Maureen Lipkewich, and the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Business-Education Program, Mining Matters, under the dynamic leadership of Patricia Dillon, past-chair of the CIM Toronto Branch. Both programs help students to appreciate the minerals industries and to encourage them to explore the career possibilities in the minerals industries.

The MABC Education Program is a partnership between the BC mineral industry and classroom teachers throughout the province. Teachers take "inservice workshops" to obtain the resources, and resource units are combined with field trips, courses, conferences and work experience placements to educate about the mineral resource industry and modern mining practices.

Mining Matters is a Grade 4/7 teaching unit for the schools of Ontario, developed by the PDAC in collaboration with Ontario's Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and supported by industry players including CIM. The goal is to provide children with balanced information on mining sufficient to make informed decisions in the future regarding our industry.

Recognition of Achievers

To spotlight the accomplishments of men and women whose ingeniousness and dedication have contributed to the industries' successes, CIM members were called upon to nominate individuals worthy of such recognition. Thirty-five outstanding individuals were selected. A special booklet was distributed to all CIM members introducing the Achievers and detailing their contributions to the Canadian mining, minerals and energy industries.

Owl Magazine and Les Débrouillards Inserts

Owl, The Discovery Magazine For Kids and the French magazine, Les Débrouillards, featured a special insert in May, making mining relevant to young people. The tabloid-size insert in Owl, Mining Makes It Happened : The Future Is Now! is a look at the high-tech future of the mining industry. The environment, space technology and deep-sea mining received special attention, and pictures and games enticed the young readers to learn more about mining. The CIM Centennial Corporation was part of a national cooperative effort to support this insert.

En Route Magazine Feature

A special supplement on the mining industry was featured in the May edition of En Route, Air Canada's magazine, coinciding with National Mining Week and CIM/CMMI/MIGA Montréal '98. The supplement was in-part sponsored by the CIM Centennial Corporation. Four main articles focused on four important themes in the mining industry: Environment; High-Tech - Space; Economy; and Recycling - Climate Change. The supplement aimed to raise public awareness of the importance of the mining industry to Canadian daily living.

CIM Centennial Calendar

All CIM National Members received copies of the CIM Centennial calendars for 1996, 1997 and 1998 with the January CIM Bulletin of those years. The first two calendars featured photographs of industry personnel who have contributed to make Canada a world leader in minerals, metals and energy technology. This 1998 edition depicts the cover of the Book of the History of CIM, Pride and Vision: The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, 1898-1998.

University Mining Games

The CIM Centennial Corporation was a major sponsor of the 1998 University Mining Games, hosted by McGill University and École Polytechnique, March 12 to 14. First place went to the University of British Columbia; second to Queen's University and third to Daltech. It was the largest-ever turn-out for the Games, with over 137 students participating from nine universities across Canada.

CIM President Elect Yves Harvey spoke about CIM and the Centennial at the Opening Ceremonies. "We have here at least 135 potential CIM members," he said. "I'm very happy that this year's Games are held within the framework of our centennial."

After listening to the technical presentations, the first competition of the Games, and witnessing the eagerness and camaraderie of all the students, Harvey said the CIM should consider supporting the University Mining Games in a systematic way.

CIM History Exhibit

An historical exhibit at CIM/CMMI/MIGA Montréal '98 attracted delegates to explore the photos, mineral samples, papers, maps and antique tools from all across Canada. Items were on-loan from museums, companies and private collectors, and represented a broad view of Canada's minerals history.

"We had an excellent response from some of the companies and mining museums we approached for artifacts," said Peter Tarassoff, CIM Past-President.

The museums who loaned items include: the Cape Breton Miners Museum; Rossland Historical Museum; the Musée Minéralogique et d'Histoire Minière d'Asbestos; Musée Minéralogique et Minier de Thetford Mines; Miller Museum at Queen's University, Cobalt Mining Museum, les Forges du Sainte-Maurice and the Elliott Lake Mining Museum.

"I came up with the idea of creating this exhibit so that we'd not just be talking about our history, but could have a visual record," said Tarassoff.

Launching of the Book "Les-Forges-du-St-Maurice"

On August 19, Prime Minister Jean Chretien helped launch a documentary book on "Les-Forges-du-St-Maurice" which was the first integrated industrial complex in Canada, as part of Parks Canada's celebration of the 25th anniversary of the historic site. The Centennial Corporation contributed to the publication of the book on Les Forges.

CIM's Internet website

The Royal Bank of Canada sponsored the development of CIM’ s Website during 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Distinguished Lecturers Program

Five years of the CIM Distinguished Lecturers Program was financially secured, thanks to the centennial sponsorship of Atlas Copco and Secoroc. Established in 1967 as a means to recognize and organize public presentations by individuals chosen by CIM's Societies, Divisions, Committees and Districts on the basis of their distinguished service and contribution to the minerals and energy industries, the Distinguished Lecturers Program is an important tool for bringing members together to listen to presentations from people who have achieved specific accomplishments of a scientific, technical or managerial nature.

Centennial Fund

Thousands of CIM National Members contributed to the Centennial Fund, which financed many centennial projects across the nation. Individual members who contributed $50 or more received a Centennial Certificate in recognition of their contribution.

Scholarship Fund

Two scholarships were created with the donations from two honorary members of the centennial. One, by Caterpillar Inc. and its Canadian Dealers, is for mining engineering students and the other one, by Scotiabank, is for students in exploration and geology. Their contributions were transferred to the CIM Foundation. These two scholarships, which will be advertised every year in each Canadian university offering these disciplines, will enhance CIM's reputation and promote the recruitment of new members.