The year is still young, but the 2024 mining event calendar is already well under way. We’ve had AME Roundup in Vancouver and PDAC in Toronto, where the best and brightest of the exploration companies gathered and showcased their prospects. It’s not easy—and hasn’t been for quite some time—being an exploration-stage company, so let’s applaud their tenacity and remember that exploration is the lifeblood of our industry. I’m lucky enough to work at a company that has grown its way into the senior producer ranks. But B2Gold was an exploration-stage company as recently as 2007, and in our shop, we remember that. Hats off to all the companies who are doing it. Keep it coming.

Another keystone industry event was CIM’s Canadian Mineral Processors (CMP)’s 56th annual conference, held in Ottawa in mid-January. Hats off again to the dedicated CMP executive team and volunteers who make this conference such a success every year. Special mention, too, to Stuart McTavish (see p. 63 of the March/April 2024 issue). Nobody is quite sure how old Stuart is—we may have to check some geological records to establish that—but everyone believes that Stuart was there at the start of the CMP. He has been a stalwart member of that technical society, and also of CIM Council, over many years. Thank you, Stuart, for your service and dedication.

The final panel session of the CMP conference focused on renewable energy sources. Thanks to Scott Martin for moderating such a great discussion. I left feeling optimistic. Focusing our attention on making power sources more greenhouse gas (GHG)-emission friendly is something all mining companies must make a priority. All of the panelists agreed that a continued focus on innovation and collaboration between all stakeholders is needed if companies are to achieve their GHG-emissions goals. But sharing information, new technologies and best practices with each other requires an ongoing venue. What better forum than the CIM Connect conference to continue that conversation, both this year and into the future? Just sayin’.

I’m also feeling very optimistic about the direction CIM is headed. As an organization, I think CIM has come a long way in the last couple of years, putting in the IT and other infrastructure needed to support all of its constituents, increasing its number of individual and corporate members and putting together and sharing a much better picture of what we are doing at all of our branch, society and national events.

This is my last President’s note to appear in the magazine before Ian Pearce steps in as 2024-25 President in May. Thanks, everyone, for the opportunity to act as President this year. It has been wonderful meeting so many of you during my travels and learning about all of the great things you do as part of our OneCIM community. Keep up the good work.