World class status of Sudbury draws exciting Mining Expo

By Gregory Reynolds

 

When Glenn Dredhart is asked why his company Canadian Trade-Ex is holding its second mining Expo in the City of Greater Sudbury, his reply is short and simple: “Because Sudbury is the world’s biggest, most advanced mining community.”

 

He continues: “it has phenomenal research and innovation capacity, a world-renowned mining and mining service and supply industry, exceptional educational facilities and incomparable expertise in land reclamation, re-greening and lake water quality.”

 

He added that it has a strong economy based with the mining and mining service and supply sector one of the keys to its future success, as it contributes almost $4 billion of Sudbury’s $5.5 billion GDP.

 

Dredhart said Sudbury has made the transition from ‘just’ a mining community to a centre of technological excellence where world-class research is conducted in several fields.

 

He praised its elected leaders, saying Sudbury has an amazing city council; one with a diverse skill set and a passion to make its community a greater place.

 

With its collaborative working relationships, it will be able to achieve the many possibilities ahead of the city’s residents.

 

Council has committed to investing $1 million over five years in the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) to study ultra-deep mining technology.

 

This is something that it sees as extremely important in helping the mining industry in Sudbury move forward.

 

An interesting stat: if all of the mining projects planned over the next 10 years are successful, Sudbury will need to attract 20,000 skilled employees.

 

“I see Sudbury as a strong, proud, northern community with skills, knowledge and expertise that benefits the city, province, country and the globe.

 

“My company holds trade shows all over the province to bring decision makers in the mining industry together with the providers of equipment and services to that industry.

 

“We have to be here to provide our services to those who need them the most,” said Dredhart.

 

There are people from around the world studying some of the most complex research projects right here underground in Sudbury

 

SNOLAB is an underground science laboratory located two km below the surface in Vale’s Creighton Mine located in Sudbury. The site is off the north shore of Lake Huron, approximately 400 km northwest of Toronto.

 

SNOLAB is an expansion of the existing facilities constructed for the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) solar neutrino experiment.

 

At the SNO Lab, particle physicists are studying dark matter.

 

Faith in the future of the city is shown in many ways.

 

Collège Boréal will launch its new prospecting and mineral exploration program this fall, preparing students to work in the earliest stages of mineral search and discovery.

 

Vale invested $760 million to reopen Totten Mine, the first mine the company has opened in nearly 40 years.  It employs 200 people and has an expected lifespan of about 20-years.