05 May 2026

Above: Hemlo's Williams Mine won the John T. Safety Ryan Safety trophy, National Metal Category.

Hundreds from the mining, minerals and metals industry donned their finest and came out last night to celebrate individuals and organizations within the minerals and metals industry for their extraordinary efforts to improve safety and sustainability.

This year, the John T Ryan Safety Awards celebrate their 85th anniversary!

The John T. Ryan trophies are awarded by MSA Safety Sales LLC as a memorial to the founder of the company. They are presented to mines that have experienced the lowest reportable injury frequency per 200,000 hours worked.

Also awarded is the Hatch-CIM Mining & Minerals Project Development Safety Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions towards improving mining health and safety results within the mining industry in Canada.

Finally, the Mining Association of Canada distributes its prestigious Towards Sustainable Mining Awards. This year’s celebration included special recognition of outgoing President and CEO Pierre Gratton.

CIM Safety Awards

Hatch-CIM Mining & Minerals Project Development Safety Award – Agnico Eagle for the Upper Beaver Project

Mining Safety Leadership Medal – Kelly Strong

John T. Ryan Safety Trophies:

National Coal Category Westmoreland Mining, Poplar River Mine, Saskatchewan

National Metal Category Vale Canada Ltd. Totten Mine, Ontario

National Metal Category Hemlo Mining Corporation, Williams Mine, Ontario

National Select Category Suncor Energy – Baseplant Projects and Common Services, Contract Mining, Alberta

Regional Metal Quebec/Atlantic Orezone Gold Corporation, Mine Casa Berardi

Regional Metal Ontario Coeur Mining, Rainy River Mine 

Regional Metal Prairie Provinces, Northwest Territories and Nunavut Vale Canada Ltd., Thompson Mine

Regional Metal British Columbia and Yukon New Gold Inc., New Afton Mine

Regional Select West Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. Mary River Mine in Nunavut

Regional Select East Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. Detour Lake Mine in Ontario

Mine Safety Technology Award Rio Tinto, Diavik Diamond Mine for “Wireless Detonators for Blasting”

Sustainability Awards

Excellence in Sustainable Development Award Diavik Diamond Mine (Rio Tinto)

Mining Association of Canada Towards Sustainable Mining Awards

• TSM Environmental Excellence Award Eldorado Gold, Kışladağ Mine
• TSM Community Engagement Excellence Award Teck, Quebrada Blanca Mine in partnership with the Indigenous Quechua community of Ollagüe in Chile
• TSM Lifetime Achievement Award  Pierre Gratton
  As an architect of TSM, Pierre has shepherded MAC’s Towards Sustainable Mining Program to the highly respected position it holds today; a rigorous standard that drives the mining industry’s ESG performance internationally. Since its inception over 20 years ago, the program has continued to grow and evolve to meet societal expectations and drive continuous improvement. TSM is now in place in many countries around the world and is being applied in hundreds of facilities.

CIM congratulates all CIM award recipients.

See all other award recipients