CIM

Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award

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Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award

For the most significant contribution to the mineral economics field

Origins & Conditions

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Born in Toronto in 1934, Robert Elver is celebrated as one of Canada’s foremost mineral economists. After graduating from the University of Toronto, Elver joined the Mineral Resources Division of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, where he would spend his entire career.

Elver was instrumental in bringing Canadian involvement to international metals committees, such as OECD and Economic Commission for Europe, especially in steel. He enhanced mineral development domestically as well, and was instrumental in reviewing mining public policy in the 1970s.

His death on July 16, 1979, following a brief illness, led to the creation of the Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award, which honours a CIM member who has made significant contributions to the field of mineral economics in Canada.

The Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award criteria and other information:

  1. The Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award is awarded for significant contribution in the mineral economics field in Canada.
  2. The award is to be presented from time to time as circumstances warrant.
  3. All nominations must be accompanied by a brief description of the meritorious contribution and its value to the mineral economics field in Canada.
  4. The CIM Chief Executive Officer shall refer all such nominations to the Awards Committee of the Mineral Economics Society, which includes the three immediate Past Chairmen of the Society.
  5. The Committee shall present its report and recommendations to CIM Council not later than the last Council meeting held prior to the next annual CIM Convention.
  6. No member of the Awards Committee shall be party to the nomination of any candidate.
  7. When reasonably possible, the recipient shall be expected to receive the Award in person at the annual CIM Convention following the announcement of the Award, or at such other place and time agreeable to CIM Council.

Recipients

There is only one recipient of this award every year. This award is solely for individual nominations (no teams).

Winners

2022

Michael J. Bourassa

Michael J. Bourassa is a member of the global mining group at Fasken LLP. He was co-chair of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Mining Law Committee and is now a council member of the IBA’s Section on Energy, Environment, Resources and Infrastructure Law. He also served as a director and officer of the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law and a director of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada.  

In the early 2000’s on a pro bono basis, Bourassa helped establish the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario which allowed geoscientists to become Qualified Persons for technical reports required by NI 43-101. As a result, he was named an Honorary Geoscientist by the APGO and a Fellow of Geoscientists Canada. He also served as a member of CIM’s mineral valuation committee (CIMVAL) which established a mineral valuation standard for Canada.

2021

Patricia Mohr

Patricia Mohr is the former vice-president, economics and commodity market specialist at Scotiabank’s executive offices in Toronto. She worked closely with corporate & investment banking and with global risk management, preparing the metal and oil & gas price forecasts for credit evaluations at The Scotiabank Group, one of the world’s great mining banks. 

Mohr developed the ‘Scotiabank Commodity Price Index’ – the first index designed to measure price trends for Canadian commodities in export markets, and for many years, wrote a widely-read commodity market report. She presented to mining clients at home and abroad and is a frequent speaker at conferences across Canada and in Chile, Peru, Mexico and China.  

Prior to joining Scotiabank, Mohr spent a number of years with Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. in Calgary (later EnCana Corp.) and with CP Ships and Canadian Pacific Bermuda in London as Corporate Economist. She began her career as a mineral economist with the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources in Ottawa and was privileged to work with Dr. Robert Elver.  She holds an Honours B.A. degree and an M.A. degree in economics from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is on the board of directors of ERA, CRIBE and Alumni UBC.