09 May 2018
New this year to the CIM Convention was the Young Mining Professionals’ Breakfast which brought together young industry leaders from various sectors of the industry to discuss innovation in mining Tuesday morning.
Moderator Greg Smith, president and director of Equinox Gold Corp, led a panel discussion that included Kendra Johnston, president of Independence Gold Corp; Stephen de Jong, chairman of Integra Resources and president and CEO of VRify; and Elizabeth McGregor, vice-president and CFO of Tahoe Resources.
All of the panelists agreed that innovation has so far greatly impacted the availability of information. McGregor said technological innovation had raised expectations around how quickly information should be available and Johnston pointed to the improved ability to share information.
De Jong discussed Integra Gold’s experience launching its Gold Rush Challenge, which crowd-sourced drill targets at its Sigma-Lamaque property in Val d’Or, Quebec. “[I] realized there is an appetite for innovation,” said de Jong, adding that a lot of technology already exists, but most companies do not have the proper platform to market their product.
Another challenge, said McGregor, is the resistance to change from people within the industry that have been disappointed or frustrated with previous failed attempts to deploy innovative technology. She went on to say that the industry cannot continue with business as usual. “We need to recognize that there is no such thing as best practice anymore.”