Mining Journal > Journal Team Diary > PDAC 2010: sending a message

Journal Team Diary

With the sun still shining, the 2010 PDAC convention finally got into its stride in its second day.
Both the investor exchange and trade show were buzzing and the opening technical session had a strong turn out (with a few late stragglers shuffling into their seats) despite a long night of networking events (and Oscars awards analysis) for many.
Sentiment is certainly on the positive side, perhaps influenced by the glorious weather, but the PDAC has also been keen to get some key messages across this year.
Following our Mining, People and the Environment conference on Monday, the convention has continued to push corporate social responsibility up the agenda both in the main technical sessions and in other events throughout the three day programme.
The key theme of Monday’s morning technical session was dealing with uncertainties, an area where social issues with their inherent unpredictability are particularly high-ranking.
The speakers talked of the inevitable difficulty of predicting uncertainties (including social, environmental and geopolitical risks) and the need for a change in mindset to identify risks and use them to the industry’s advantage rather than being blindsided by them.
The fact that CSR has taken such a prominent role in this year’s convention (I think ranking equal to considerations of exploration trends or market volatility) shows the weight that PDAC places in these issues and the concern it has about improving best practice.
The concern is perhaps justified with the continuing shadow of private members bill C-300 hanging over the Canadian mining industry like an unwelcome spectre.
PDAC has been highly vocal in its opposition to C-300 in the past six months and has given the topic centre stage at this year’s convention.
Anti-C-300 badges have been circulated amongst delegates along with fliers outlining the industry’s position on the bill.
PDAC even went as far as holding a press conference on the bill on Monday, in which its senior members lambasted C-300 for its lack of foresight, fundamental flaws and the “very real damage it could do to the industry”.
The gravity with which the industry is treating this issue indicates serious concerns it has about the implication of this bill into law, and its implicit ability to undermine existing CSR best practice.
If there is one take home message from the PDAC this year, it is, I think, “no to C-300”.