By Katie Woychyshyn Managing Editor, Craig Kelman & Associates

The energy is palpable in in Manitoba’s mining and mineral sector, and it shows every November when industry experts, supporters, and enthusiasts travel from across the province to attend the Central Canada Mineral Exploration Convention (CCMEC). This year, CCMEC 2023 was on November 5-7 at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Winnipeg, MB. 

On November 5, the conference took the form of optional courses that ran from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Indigenous Engagement and on Lithium and Critical Minerals. The day ended with a CCMEC Networking event in the Wellington Room, where attendees could socialize before the conference officially began. 

Monday, November 6, started with an indigenous prayer and opening remarks from the Honorable Jamie Moses, Minister of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources. The Minister spoke on the release of The Manitoba Critical Mineral Strategy, which outlined what the Province of Manitoba is already doing and what it plans to do in the future to capitalize on Manitoba’s momentum in the mining and mineral sector. 

“We know that Manitoba is and can be well-suited partner to make sure that we take advantage of those resources,” stated Moses. “We need to do this by forming strategic partnerships, connecting infrastructure, and making sure that we have a robust manufacturing sector as well so that we can really support this mission and advance the overall North American supply chain.”

The conference saw a lot of discussion around Manitoba’s advancements in its efforts to secure itself as a critical minerals provider, but also around the challenges it faces in doing so. The Monday Keynote, David Adams, President and CEO of Global Automakers, presented on “Canada’s Place in the Zero Emission Vehicle Supply Chain,” which detailed where Canada sits within the demand for critical minerals – particularly Lithium – in the coming years. 

Another prevalent topic at the conference was sustainability, and meeting ESG goals. Tuesday’s keynote speaker, Colin Webster, Vice President of Sustainability and External Affairs at Alamos Gold, presented on “Demystifying Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) as it Relates to the Mineral Resource Sector.” The session addressed what ESG reporting is, how reporting has changed throughout the years, and why it continues to be a difficult landscape to navigate for all those involved. 

CCMEC 2023 also hosted a variety of fascinated technical sessions that were divided into several session tracks. Monday’s session tracks included: Government, Base Metals, Exploration and Exploration Finance, Critical Minerals, as well as Environment/Policy and Hot Topics. Tuesday’s sessions tracks included: Precious Metals, Exploration Techniques and Technology, an Indigenous Forum, Metals, Critical Minerals, and a second Indigenous Forum. Attendees were able to choose
which sessions to attend and had the opportunity to ask follow-up questions after the presentation had concluded. 

The exhibitor showcase is always a highlight of CCMEC, of course. With a designated exhibitor space showcasing exploration companies, products, and services, in addition to facilitating networking opportunities. This year, exhibitors included Adventure Air, Platinum Diamond Drilling Inc., Aecom, SAFE Work Manitoba, Provincial Helicopters, Alamos Gold, Custom Helicopters Ltd., and the Mining Association of Canada (MAMI). Attendees were able to see the latest technology and services available to them in Manitoba, and to connect with businesses and organizations within the industry. 

The Central Canada Mineral Exploration Convention was founded in 2019 to provide much-requested and very needed opportunities for networking, professional development, and industry engagement in Manitoba. 

“[CCMEC is a] really important event because it is a really tremendous opportunity for us to strengthen the connexions that make Manitoba a global hub for mineral exploration and development,” said Moss. “It’s an important part of building that relationship, building on that connexion between industry partners, Indigenous communities from across sectors and across this region and Canada.”

With continuous successful events, CCMEC shows no sign of slowing down, especially as the Manitoba mining and mineral industries continue to grow, shift, and prosper in the coming years. But even-more-so, as the Mining Association of Manitoba (MAMI) is stepping up to take on leadership of the event moving forward. 

“CCMEC is a not-for-profit organisation that have done an amazing job of pulling this convention together,” said Stacy Kennedy, President of MAMI and Head of Manitoba Operations at Vale, when announcing the transition. “Over the past several years, Jeff Young, Laura Winter, and the steering committee have worked tirelessly to rebuild CCMEC. This year’s success and attendance are the culmination of all of their hard work and the entire industry owes them a debt of gratitude.” 

Kennedy added, “MAMI  too has been in a rebuilding stage, and now, we are committed to doing more: we’re ready to take on the responsibility of leading the promotion of our critical mineral and metals sector.” 

“With that, I’m very excited to announce that MAMI will be taking the reigns and running the Central Canada Mineral Exploration Convention going forward,” Kennedy finished. “We’re committed to a strong future for this convention and its unique role in growing our mining sector.”