Jason Denis is bringing a little bit of Las Vegas to Timmins, Ontario Canada,

The northern manager for Hood Equipment visited the Las Vegas MINExpo and thought one of their activities would work well at this week’s Canadian Mining Expo.

Hood-Equipment-Canada

“We thought, this is something that we can bring to Northern Ontario. Basically, we’re bringing an excavator rodeo to the event this year. It’s something new to the area,” said Denis on Monday at a news conference outside the McIntyre Community Centre.

“Heavy equipment operators will have a task of picking up basketballs off of three stationary pylons, and then they’ll have to dump the three basketballs into a stationary container.”

If the competitor drops a basketball or knocks over a pylon, they will be disqualified. Prizes include a $3,000 travel voucher and tickets to Stars and Thunder.

The Canadian Mining Expo (CME) kicks off on Wednesday with opening ceremonies, the new excavator rodeo, and jackleg drilling competitions. The jackleg competition, said publicity director Jay Cornelsen, will feature a grudge match between Timmins mayor Steve Black and Schumacher alderman Joe Campbell.

On Thursday, Steve Kidd will moderate Thursday’s investment forum, Billions in the Ground.

“The reality right now is that the future for Timmins and Northern Ontario is very, very bright after some thin years,” said Kidd.

“We’re in a position now where gold pushing $1,260 an ounce is helping us greatly along with a very weak Canadian dollar,” he said. “The new demand for cobalt…is now underway, and we have mining exploration starting. The drills are going out again. It seems as though we’ve turned a corner as a community.”

The forum will host CEOs and presidents from major Northern Ontario mines.

Kimberly Norman, the program coordinator for mining programs at Haileybury School of Mines, said the school has been teaching mining for 105 years – and is currently expanding its programs.

Haileybury is now partnering with Queen’s University to offer an online bachelor of mining engineering technology degree.

“The program is delivered on an online venue, so that means that our students anywhere in the world can continue on and get a degree from Queen’s,” said Norman.

“The majority of our students are actually working in the mining industry to begin with. This allows them to be able to – because the mining engineering program at Northern College is also distance delivery -… continue their employment and get their education at the same time.”

Haileybury will also offer a new program, mineral exploration techniques, in September 2018.

“There’s a gap right now in the training needs in Ontario. Exploration side of the house is not being addressed. So this will prepare our students to go into the field of exploration. Of course there’s a little bit of overlap with mining, but it’s really going to speak to the field’s skills.”

This week’s expo will offer free admittance to job seekers who bring their resumes.

All in all, Glenn Dredhart, the expo show manager, said there’s a lot to be excited about.

“We’re going to have quite the show. We’re full again this year,” he said. “We’re quite pleased with the turnout. We know that the industry is starting to turn. The exhibitors are starting to feel it.

“We have a lot of investors coming down, and they’re looking at what Timmins has to offer.”

Dredhart said there is “a mini-boom going on in the Cobalt region, which is going to bring back some of those older mines that were long forgotten” as well as movement on the Ring of Fire project.

The expo will feature the best products and services, he said.

“It represents the better of all that Northern Ontario has to offer to the world of mining.”

The Expo trade show floor opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. on Thursday.


Find out what products and services CraneMarket has for your business.
e.g. Boom Lifts-Telescopic Cranes for Sale and Rent