The Northern Miner Podcast

This episode features the induction of the Eberhard (“Ebe”) Scherkus to the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto on Jan. 9, 2020. The success and longevity of Agnico Eagle Mines owes much to Eberhard (“Ebe”) Scherkus, who joined the company as a project manager in 1985, became chief operating officer (COO) in 1998, and was president and COO from 2005 until he retired in 2012. During this period, he transformed Agnico Eagle from a regional single-mine company into a top-performing global gold producer, expanding the company’s La Ronde project into a productive mine that has produced 5 million oz. gold. Scherkus has received many awards and honours for his achievements, including the Viola McMillan Award from PDAC in 2000, and the Selwyn G. Blaylock Medal from CIM in 2005. All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode features the induction of the late Hans Lundberg to the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto on Jan. 9. Hans Lundberg was a visionary pioneer in the development and application of geophysical and geochemical methods for mineral exploration. Lundberg was the first to conduct ground geophysical surveys in Canada in the 1920s, and one of his greatest accomplishments was the first application of airborne geophysical methods in the 1940s, and his adaptations of geophysical instruments for use from aircraft. In the 1950s, Lundberg pioneered airborne radiometric surveying, which would prove invaluable to uranium exploration in subsequent decades. He left a legacy of discovery and innovation that was unparalleled in his lifetime, and earned him the reputation as Canada’s first ambassador of exploration. All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode features the induction of Alex G. Balogh to the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto on Jan. 9. During a career spanning 50 years, Balogh earned his place in a select group of industry leaders who shaped and built Noranda and Falconbridge into the most successful mining and metallurgical giants in Canadian history. He has the rare distinction of contributing to the growth of both companies, starting with Noranda, which he joined at Gaspé Copper in 1954 after earning a degree in metallurgical engineering from McGill University in his home city of Montreal, Quebec. Balogh’s greatest contribution to the mining industry and to society was in the 1970s, with the introduction of Noranda’s continuous smelting and converting process at the Horne smelter in Quebec. This pioneering process improved energy and environmental efficiency, eliminated the emission of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere — mitigating the “acid rain” issue — and ensured the longevity of the Horne smelter, which could treat a variety of feed materials as other smelters closed. All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode features the induction of P. Jerry Asp to the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto on Jan. 9. P. Jerry Asp is one of Western Canada’s most prominent Indigenous leaders and a tireless advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the mining industry. His leadership skills came to the fore in the 1980s, during a mineral exploration and mining boom in the “Golden Triangle” of northwestern British Columbia. Asp has focused on building bridges of understanding between the mining sector and Indigenous peoples and challenging misconceptions that hinder the reconciliation process. He has received many awards for his trailblazing role. In 2011, he was the recipient of PDAC’s prestigious “Skookum Jim Award” for his exceptional achievements and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode features an interview with Paulo Castellari, CEO of Atlantic Nickel and Appian Brazil, who discusses the company’s Santa Rita nickel project in Brazil with acting editor-in-chief Trish Saywell. Atlantic Nickel recently sold its first nickel concentrate from Santa Rita and signed a three-year offtake contract with Trafigura. The project was previously owned by Mirabela Nickel, who operated the mine for six years before it shut down in 2015 due to low nickel prices and high costs. Topics include: the volatility of the nickel market; what it’s like to mine in Brazil; Atlantic Nickel’s offtake agreement with Trifigura; and Atlantic’s private ownership by Appian Capital. All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode features Shelby Yee, co-founder and CEO of RockMass Technologies, who spoke on how startups and mining companies can work together. The presentation took place at the 2019 Progressive Mine Forum at the MaRS Discovery District in downtown Toronto. Shelby discussed ways in which mining companies can find startup partners and also how to create a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties. Topics include: the simulated environment vs. the operating environment; why new technologies don't need to be risky; and the tension over intellectual property and how win-win deals can be made. All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo credit: George Matthew Photography.

This episode features a critical look at innovation and the mining industry from Nathan Stubina, Sherritt International vice-president of technologies and operations. Nathan delivered a presentation titled, “Some Inconvenient Facts, Some Inconvenient Perceptions. Staying Still Is Moving Backwards” at the 2019 Progressive Mine Forum in Toronto, where he argued that technology alone is not enough to change the mindsets of the mining industry. Nathan asks, "Are we working on the right things and are we asking the right questions?"  All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo credit: George Matthew Photography.

This holiday episode features a special Innovation Presentation by Peak Power COO Matt Sachs at the 2019 Progressive Mine Forum in Toronto. Matt discusses how advanced software can help industrial users, including mining companies, save on costs relating to energy usage. Topics include: making energy production a two-way street by adding electric vehicle batteries to the power grid; how 75% of annual energy costs can come from a very small proportion of usage at peak times; and creating a virtual stock market of energy pricing. This episode is sponsored by Nevada Copper. Check them out online: www.nevadacopper.com All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Credit: George Matthew Photography.

This week’s episode features the return of Scotiabank’s Rory Johnston, who speaks with The Northern Miner’s Trish Saywell about his outlook for 2020. Topics include commodity prices, the Canada-U.S. Dollar relationship, electric vehicles (EVs) and battery metals, and the Canadian economy. Johnston is a commodity economist covering energy and metal markets for Scotiabank’s Economics department. His research includes the Scotiabank Commodity Price Index (a monthly assessment of developments affecting the prices of major Canadian export commodities), contributions to Scotiabank’s Global Outlook (the department’s flagship quarterly forecast), as well as notes on various topics of interest to the Canadian commodity sector. This episode is sponsored by Nevada Copper. Check them out online: nevadacopper.com/ All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode features the Big Data and Automation panel at The Northern Miner’s 2019 Progressive Mine Forum in Toronto. The event took place on Oct. 16 at the MaRS Discovery District and featured industry experts that discussed trends in technology and mining. The panel featured Louis-Pierre Campeau, team lead for artificial intelligence, Newtrax Technologies; Steve de Jong, CEO, Vrify; Nadine Miller, independent director, Wedsome; Pavel Abdur-Rahman, partner and data scientist, IBM; Eddie Bilborough, business manager for automation and digitalisation, Sandvik; and Walter Siggelkow, president, Hard-Line. Moderation was provided by Alisha Hiyate, editor of the Canadian Mining Journal. This episode is sponsored by Nevada Copper. Check them out online: https://nevadacopper.com/ All this and more with online editor and host Adrian Pocobelli. Music Credits: “Rattlesnake Railroad”, “Big Western Sky”, “Western Adventure” and “Battle on the Western Frontier” by Brett Van Donsel (www.incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo credit: George Matthew Photography.