By Rosemary Mantini - 17 March 2026

A conversation with MAC’s Pierre Gratton  

After more than two decades with the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), including over a decade as president and CEO, Pierre Gratton is stepping down at a moment when the mining sector is experiencing unprecedented global attention. Gratton gave his perspectives on the evolution of the Canadian mining industry, the development of the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative, and the challenges and opportunities ahead.

CIM: Looking back over your career, what changes in the Canadian mining industry stand out most to you?

Gratton: The change has been enormous, especially in the last five or six years since the world increased its focus on critical minerals. But when I joined MAC in 1999 as a vice-president, the industry was seen very differently. We were considered a sunset industry. One of the ways we responded was through the development of the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative, which helped address the perception that the industry was dirty or irresponsible. Over time, TSM showed that companies were serious about environmental performance, Indigenous relationships and community engagement.

By the 2010s that work was starting to change how governments and others saw the sector. Now, interest in TSM is global. In terms of how the industry is perceived in Canada, I don’t think it has ever been better in my lifetime.

CIM: Let’s talk about the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative. Was there anything about the process or adoption that surprised you?

Gratton: There were a few surprises. One happened in 2004 when TSM was officially launched. We had spent five years developing the framework, and we were presenting it to the board as something that would initially be voluntary. We had always said that eventually it should become mandatory for members, but we thought that decision would come later. At the board meeting, John Carrington, former COO of Barrick Mining Corporation, stood up and said, “Come on, everyone. We know what this has to be. Why are we kicking it down the road? Let’s make it mandatory now.” And he carried the room.

“Towards Sustainable Mining helped show that the industry was serious about environmental performance, Indigenous relationships and community engagement.” 

Another surprise came later. In the early days there was concern that TSM might scare some companies away because it would be seen as too burdensome or expensive. But the opposite happened. By the time I became CEO, we had about 30 members. Today, we’re approaching 50, and many companies joined specifically because they wanted to be part of TSM.

The third big surprise was the internationalization of the program. In the early years we focused entirely on Canada. But then Finland approached us about adopting it. Today, more than a dozen countries have embraced the program.

CIM: What value does the partnership between MAC and CIM bring to the industry?

Gratton: MAC is the industry’s advocacy organization. Our primary function is advocacy to the federal government, and today more than ever MAC is seen as a trusted advisor on mining issues. We represent companies in discussions with government and public policy.

TSM helps strengthen that advocacy because we can demonstrate that the industry is responsible and committed to improving performance. But behind that is all the technical expertise that comes from the mining community itself, and that’s where CIM plays an enormous role.

CIM brings together professionals from across the industry to share knowledge and advance best practices at the technical level. In that sense, it plays a foundational role.

CIM: What technical or operational issues do you think mining professionals should be paying closer attention to in the coming years?

Gratton: Tailings is one area that has received a tremendous amount of attention. There’s also a lot of work being done through CIM — short courses, technical sessions and research — often delivered by the same experts who contribute to MAC’s work on protocols.

Another emerging area is the re-mining of tailings. With rising demand for critical minerals, there is growing interest in extracting minerals from older tailings sites where previous technologies left valuable materials behind.

Beyond that, there’s ongoing work to improve energy efficiency, electrify mining operations and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

CIM: You sound optimistic about the future of mining. Why?

Gratton: Because the world is reconnecting with what mining actually does. For a long time, people bought products — like phones or electronics — without thinking about the minerals that made them possible. The critical minerals conversation is changing that. It’s reconnecting people with mining in ways they haven’t thought about for decades.

At the same time, global demand for minerals and metals is expected to grow significantly over the next 30 to 50 years. Population growth, industrialization in countries like India and Brazil, and new technologies will all drive demand. That creates challenges, but it also underscores how essential mining is.

CIM: What would you say to someone considering a career in mining today?

Gratton: It’s not your great-grandfather’s industry anymore. Maybe not even your grandfather's. Technology has transformed the sector. It’s much more accessible and less dependent on an individual’s physical strength than it once was.

When I first joined MAC, the board was entirely male. Today, it’s close to gender parity, and our last two chairs have been women. There’s still work to do, particularly at the operational level. That’s one reason TSM now includes an equity, diversity and inclusion protocol, so that mine sites become more welcoming and inclusive workplaces.

At the same time, the industry needs people. We’re facing labour shortages, and we need talent from everywhere. The value proposition of a career in mining has also changed. Increasingly, we’re attracting people who care deeply about the environment and climate change and want to be able to make a difference. Mining is actually one of the few industries where you can have an impact on the transition to a more sustainable future.

CIM: Looking back over your time with MAC, what developments do you think have had the most lasting impact on the industry?

Gratton: One of the most significant would be Towards Sustainable Mining. I was assigned the project very early in my career. My boss at the time essentially said, “The board has decided we need a sustainability initiative. Here’s $200,000; figure it out.”

What emerged became the first site-level sustainability standard in the mining industry, and it has influenced many of the frameworks that followed.

Another important shift has been how the industry is perceived. Mining used to be seen as closed and defensive. Today, it is much more open, collaborative and engaged. Our multi-stakeholder panel is a good example of that. Non-governmental organizations and other groups now see MAC as a trusted place to have conversations about solving problems.

None of that is something one person accomplishes alone. It reflects the work of the entire MAC team and, importantly, the commitment of our member companies.

If there’s one broader shift, it’s that mining is no longer seen as a sunset sector. It’s increasingly recognized as an industry of the future.

MAC is now recruiting Pierre Gratton’s successor. Send resumes or inquiries to HR_CEO@mining.ca before April 6. See the job posting for full details.