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Feds give $500,000 to promote Northern mining at minerals confab

The federal government is contributing $500,000 over three years to a campaign to promote Northern Canadian mining at a major minerals conference held annually in Toronto, as announced in a Jan. 19 press release.

The funding, provided by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency will support the Invest Canada North forum that will be part of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention, one of the largest mining meets in the world.

The governments of the NWT, Yukon and Nunavut are supporting the project, along with the Yukon Mining Alliance and NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

The federal government is providing $500,000 over three years to promote northern mining at a major minerals conference in Toronto. photo courtesy of Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

This year's convention takes place March 1 to 4.

The forum will focus on promoting the mineral potential of the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut for global investors.

“It's an overall campaign to raise awareness of the north,” as Anne Turner, Executive Director of the Yukon Mining Alliance told NNSL Media.

“There are four components: the all-day forum that is recorded; the media centre where we'll be interviewed for an Invest Canada North episode for Business Television (BTV); the production of an Invest Yukon video and an Invest NWT video; and a reception with [representatives from] all three territories in which we seek to partner with larger global investment companies like Precious Metals Summit, 121 Mining Investment and Cambridge House International.”

Most of the $500,000 will go towards the media centre and specifically will finance working with BTV for the production and distribution of the video and renting production space on the PDAC floor.

The rest will pay for the forum, the reception and the cultural activities like music and northern food.

“Partnerships and initiatives aimed at increasing investor understanding and confidence in the North is essential to new exploration and growth. Accentuated by our rich resource potential, Invest Canada North will help us build a strong case in the global marketplace and set the stage for responsible summits in our future,” said Caroline Cochrane, Premier of the NWT.

“Nunavut is home to some of the most under-explored terrain in Canada, and our territory holds great mineral potential. The Government of Nunavut encourages investment in sustainable, responsible resource development and partnerships with Inuit-owned businesses to benefit industry and our communities,” said Joe Savikataaq, Premier of Nunavut.

The first PDAC was held in 1932 and it has since grown to drawing more than 1,000 exhibitors, 2,500 investors and over 25,800 attendees from 132 countries, according go the convention website.