< Previous10For daily news follow CMM on Facebook and X Email sales@matrixgroupinc.net to receive the latest Media Kit. Canadian Magazine Where in the World is CMM? Look for upcoming issues of Canadian Mining Magazine at these events: To partner with Canadian Mining Magazine , email editor@matrixgroupinc.net. Connect with CMM Spring 2025 Published By Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 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CIM CONNECT CONVENTION + EXPO May 4-7, 2025 Montreal, Quebec WWW.CONVENTION.CIM.ORG THE MINING INVESTMENT EVENT OF THE NORTH June 3-5, 2025 Quebec City, Quebec WWW.THEMININGINVESTMENTEVENT.COM CANADIAN MINING EXPO June 4-5, 2025 Timmins, Ontario WWW.VIRTEX.CANADIANMININGEXPO.COM THE GLOBAL ENERGY SHOW CANADA June 10-12, 2025 Calgary, Alberta WWW.GLOBALENERGYSHOW.COM COM 2025 MEETS LIGHTMAT 2025 July 7-10, 2025 Montreal, Quebec WWW.COM.METSOC.ORG COAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ANNUAL CONFERENCE September 24-26, 2025 Vancouver, British Columbia WWW.COAL.CA XPLOR October 27-30, 2025 Montréal, Québec HTTPS://XPLOR.AEMQ.ORG/EN MINING & CRITICAL MINERALS CANADA November 12-13, 2025 Toronto, Ontario WWW.MININGCRITICALMINERALSCANADA.COM QUÉBEC MINES + ÉNERGIE November 17-20, 2025 Québec City, Québec HTTPS://MRNF.GOUV.QC.CA/QUEBEC-MINES MININGTECH NORTH AMERICA CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION November 20-21, 2025 Vancouver, British Columbia WWW.MININGTECHNORTHAMERICA.COMVisit us online at www.CanadianMiningMagazine.com11 Heather Cheeseman is a partner and Canada’s National Mining Leader for KPMG in Canada. Heather has specialized in the industry for 20 years. She is lead audit partner for several public mining companies and has significant experience providing internal audit, risk, and control services, board advice, and accounting and transaction assistance to companies at all stages in the mining life cycle. Megan Adams , Senior Advisor, Communications at Nutrien, brings innovation to the forefront by crafting compelling narratives that highlight transformative agricultural technologies and team collaboration. Through her work in the Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash operating segments, Megan champions Nutrien’s strategic objectives, contributing to a culture of sustainable agricultural advancement. As Senior Vice President of Risk Management, Katherine Dawal brings her risk management expertise to the Canadian Complex Risk Solutions Group of NFP, an Aon company, with a specialization in mining. Katherine has more than 15 years of experience in the international mining industry, focusing on large and complex insurance placements, multimillion-dollar insurance claims, and enterprise risk management. Jeff Fuller is Seeding, Tillage, and Crop Care Product Manager for Kubota Canada. Jeff specializes in agricultural equipment. With a focus on tillage, seeding, and crop care implements, he contributes to overseeing the lifecycle of Kubota’s products. He works to ensure these products meet market needs and he supports dealerships across Canada, driving innovation in equipment solutions. Jonathan Gardner is the Construction Equipment Product Manager for Kubota Canada. With 9+ years in the construction equipment industry, Jonathan specializes in product development and support for the Canadian market. Debra Johnson engages collaboratively with mining companies to exceed their carbon neutrality and net zero goals. She proactively leverages her experience and Stantec’s solutions to advance triple bottom line mining initiatives and drive scaled innovation. Her goal is to address mining’s sustainability issues using novel approaches to power, water, energy transition, and mine design. Björn Jonsson is the Global Business Line Manager for ABB’s hoisting business. He has extensive industrial knowledge of and experience in industrial automation, electrification, and digitalization in many industrial segments, including mining, metals, pulp and paper, and battery manufacturing. Francis Lacasse is the Local Business Line Manager for ABB’s hoisting business in North America. He manages the Canadian hoisting business line and is responsible for the North American market. Aaron Lambert is the Founder and CEO of RIINO Inc., leading its development, growth, and adoption across the mining industry. Before launching the company, he spent over a decade working in underground operations, mine construction, and project management. From frontline supervision to overseeing large-scale installations and technology integration, his experience continues to shape RIINO’s role in delivering practical, solution-based advancements for mining operations worldwide. Susanne Ouellet is the CEO and founder of Lumidas, a cleantech startup specializing in advanced geotechnical monitoring of critical infrastructure using distributed fibre optic sensing technologies. Dr. Ouellet’s research at the University of Calgary focused on advancing tailings dam performance monitoring using an emerging fibre optic sensing technology known as distributed acoustic sensing (DAS). Her research is bolstered by the support and collaboration of multidisciplinary industry leaders spanning the fields of seismology, fibre optic sensing, and geotechnical engineering. Ericka Wicks is an experienced leader with business development, funding, program development and management, and environmental sustainability and energy expertise. In her role as a regional sector leader focusing on the energy transition and renewable energy for eastern Canada, she supports energy transition strategy evolution, drives regional business development pursuits, and contributes technically to and manages projects. Shelby Yee is the CEO and Co-Founder of RockMass, a leader in AI-driven data solutions for underground mining and tunneling. With a background in geological engineering, Shelby has transformed RockMass from a university research project into a global technology provider. As the recipient of the Eira Thomas Young Mining Professional and CIM Bedford Young Mining Leader awards, Shelby is a recognized expert in mining innovation and commercialization. For Industry, By Industry CMM’s Contributors No photo available. Become a CMM Contributor! If you have expertise to share with Canadian mining leaders, email a short abstract to editor@matrixgroupinc.net. Note, CMM's articles are typically vendor neutral, unless the article illustrates how a new product or technology is being used with success at a Canadian mine.Visit us online at www.CanadianMiningMagazine.com15 INDUSTRY GREETINGS Heather Cheeseman Partner and Canada’s National Mining Leader KPMG in Canada t’s hard to imagine a more exciting or extraordinary time in the mining industry. Canada has abundant – although largely untapped – critical minerals that are vital for national security and essential for powering modern and clean technologies that will underpin the world’s future economic growth and prosperity. The mining industry produces more than 60 minerals and metals, provides 694,000 jobs directly and indirectly nationwide, contributes C$161 billion to Canada’s GDP, and accounts for 21% of the country’s total domestic exports. The U.S. is Canada’s biggest buyer, with mineral exports valued at about $84 billion in 2023, including $30 billion worth of critical minerals, according to Natural Resources Canada. Nearly 60% of Canada’s critical minerals are exported to the U.S. As much as 27% of the U.S. uranium needs come from mines in Saskatchewan, 80% of U.S. potash comes from Canada, and 70% of U.S. aluminum comes from plants in Quebec and British Columbia. The U.S. also depends on nickel from northern Ontario and zinc and germanium from B.C. for its military needs. The U.S. needs to source much more – and from secure, dependable sources like Canada – to ramp up its economic engine and meet the growing power demands for data centres and artificial intelligence. As just one example, the U.S. is trying to reduce its dependence on Russia for uranium, although it still imports about 12% of natural uranium and 27% of enriched uranium, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. (The U.S. banned Russian imports, albeit with waivers, through 2027.) It is no surprise that U.S. President Donald Trump is fixated on its northern neighbour. He may well be the catalyst Canada needs to finally tackle the industry’s long-standing concerns. This is the time to seize the moment, think big, and act with urgency. The biggest barriers to growth for mining companies are well-known: expensive and lengthy permitting and regulatory processes and access to capital. According to our Digging Deep annual survey of global mining executives, the consensus among mining leaders is that their ability to develop new mines is becoming almost too steep of an uphill climb. The reasons for this include too extensive and complex regulatory and compliance requirements, heightened expectations on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, rapid technological advances, and the competition to attract and retain talent. And that’s on top of the inherent challenge and time required to explore for and define the mineral resource! Permitting remains as live an issue as ever, with the length of time and effort required to secure permits showing little sign of improving. It can take an average of 27 years in Canada to develop a mine, as noted in an S&P Global Market Intelligence June 2024 report. To speed mine development and help reduce costs, the industry and all branches of government must work more closely together to align and streamline permitting and related processes. While governments have been working with the industry to eliminate hurdles, certainly in light of recent geopolitical events, this is one area where mining companies would welcome more expeditious action. The social licence to operate is both a challenge and opportunity, mining executives told KPMG. First Nations must be at the table at the outset of any projects. Their participation is vital to a project’s success. Increasingly, miners are focused on sustainability, protecting the environment and implementing state-of-the-art health and safety controls and digital mining technologies, including AI models to find deposits, and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Mining is a complex industry. A breakthrough find is nothing if the minerals can’t be economically and efficiently extracted or brought to market. A successful mining project requires robust infrastructure around it from transportation networks (roads, rail access, and port facilities) and adequate power supply to water management systems. Access to capital remains a perennial issue for junior mining companies and is prompting one senior stalwart (at least) to consider redomiciling in the U.S., home to the world’s deepest capital markets and under the Trump administration, potentially ultra-low corporate tax rates. While Canada has a long history of using unique tax mechanisms to encourage mineral exploration and development, innovative federal and provincial tax policies will be needed to spur investment and attract new investors. A tariff war creates uncertainty, increases volatility in commodity prices and stock valuations, and raises overall costs. The impact for each company will vary depending on the commodity and supply chain, and be potentially positive, as higher commodity prices and favourable foreign exchange rates help offset tariffs. For some, it could force them to sell, form strategic alliances, or find joint venture partners. At worst, it could shutter their operations. But unquestionably, it will create uncertainty and a need to continuously anticipate potential impacts on your business. I anticipate an increase in mergers and acquisitions and strategic partnerships as companies look to secure the necessary funds to expand and navigate geopolitical turbulence. Like other exporters, mining companies are currently evaluating their operational strategies to mitigate their exposure to U.S. Visit us online at www.CanadianMiningMagazine.com17 trade policies and a possible recession. Some companies are also exploring alternative markets to the U.S. to avoid the proposed tariffs, confident in the immense demand from Europe and Asia for critical minerals. However, there are risks in reconfiguring supply chains and ensuring contractual obligations are thoroughly evaluated. Companies should conduct a dynamic enterprise risk assessment, including auditing the effectiveness of enterprise risk controls on supply chains, cash flow and profitability, and perform ‘what-if’ scenarios with different variables to assess trigger points and dependencies. The threat of tariffs has also shone a spotlight on the need to bolster capacity for processing metals. One mining company owned by Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest unveiled plans last year to build Canada’s first processing facility for low-carbon nickel in Sudbury, Ontario. The facility will process ore mined from northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire mineral belt, which will fill a critical gap in Canada’s electric vehicle battery supply chain. I am confident Canadian mining companies will weather the economic uncertainty caused by tariffs. A weakened Canadian dollar against its U.S. counterpart could act as a buffer against tariffs, potentially also increasing profits for some companies. Gold prices are reaching fresh highs. Goldman Sachs Group recently raised its year-end target for the precious metal to US$3,100, saying that central-banking buying would be a key driver, as well as expanding exchange-traded funds. Despite the apparent challenges, hope springs eternal. The mining industry is resilient. But they will need help: the overwhelming majority (98%) of Canadian mining leaders told KPMG in a survey last spring that more investment, government commitment, and favourable tax policies are needed to support the industry’s growth. While companies will brace for the coming storm, the question is, what place will the industry have in building a stronger, more resilient Canada? Will mining companies redirect critical minerals to markets outside of the U.S.? Will investments be made in major mining and refining companies? How feasible is it to rapidly build a strategic reserve of critical minerals in Canada? Can Canada contemplate developing strategic reserves without domestic refining and processing capacity? Will Canada and the U.S. jointly invest in North American critical mineral megaprojects? Time will reveal all. But the future is ours to command. MFEATURE The Details are in the Data: Making the Numbers Work for Us By Shelby Yee, CEO, RockMass Technologies here’s no question that mining is in the midst of a data boom. In fact, so much data is being captured and generated underground that the industry now faces a new challenge – what do we do with it all? Traditionally, the mining industry has relied on a single powerful data source: drill core data. Miners have drilled thousands of metres into the earth, generating detailed logs and defining valuable resources, but at significant expense. This data has formed the foundation for all components that go into planning and developing a mine, including mine schedules, ground-control management plans and most critically, a validated resource estimate that is defined by the geological block model. Yet, as real-world conditions begin to challenge the models that guide plans and production, the need for a broader data arsenal becomes clear. Today, mines have a rich and varied toolkit at their disposal for collecting data, including digital technologies that are accepted standards and some that are emerging as powerful new methods. Geochemical data tracks variations in rock composition, delineating ore bodies and guiding extraction strategies, while geophysical sensors monitor dynamic underground events – like blasts and rock bursts – to maintain operational safety. Automated drill core analysis delivers high-fidelity geological logs that streamline resource evaluation and planning, giving hope for a more accurate and consistent representation of the orebody. High-resolution point clouds provide realistic 3D representations of active workings, offering essential spatial context. Visit us online at www.CanadianMiningMagazine.com19 The use of underground mapping solutions frees up geologists and engineers to focus on interpretation and decision-making rather than data wrangling. Photo courtesy of RockMass Technologies.Next >