Editorial Inspiration from the past

It is highly appropriate that Norman Keevil Jr. took the opportunity of addressing the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame’s annual induction banquet to announce Teck Corp.’s intention to stimulate research into mineral exploration with an endowment in his father’s memory.

First, Keevil Jr. was the keynote speaker at the banquet honoring his father with induction into the Hall of Fame. An endowment toward geophysical and other remote-sensing research in Keevil Sr.’s name is also fitting because the late Keevil pioneered the use of geophysics in mineral exploration.

Perhaps most important, however, is that such an endowment is truly in the spirit of the Hall of Fame. Its primary function is to recognize accomplishments of outstanding individuals whose lifelong contributions have made the mining industry the pillar of the Canadian economy it is today. But, as Keevil noted in his speech, the members of the Hall of Fame also serve as inspiration to us and those who will come after us.

The Hall of Fame is not meant to honor the past only. It is meant to infuse the future with the same spirit of adventure and accomplishment that characterized the industry’s giants in earlier days, the individuals who have been inducted.

“If their physical accomplishments helped to shape Canadian mining as it is today, equally important is the inspiration they gave to others,” said Keevil. “Success can be contagious.”

In that same spirit of honoring the past while serving the future, the Teck endowment will recognize the need “to generate new pioneers today.”

Keevil attributed the base metal reserves that have kept Canada among the world leaders in mineral production to a “wave of discoveries” some 25 years ago based on two technological advances: the introduction of airborne electromagnetic surveys and the volcanogenic theory of ore deposition. But since those discoveries our ore reserves have been dwindling.

That type of technological breakthrough is our best hope to reverse the trend of declining reserves.

“One of the challenges for our industry is to develop new exploration technology and concepts that will help us * * * see further into the ground and come up with a new generation of discoveries before those from the last wave are eventually depleted.”

What Keevil envisions is a network, similar to that formed by the Mining Industry Technology Council of Canada (MITEC) but aimed at fostering research and development in mineral exploration techniques and theories. MITEC, while doing an excellent job, focuses on the needs of mineral processing and productivity in mining.

“What we need is a similar, industry-sponsored network in the geosciences, whether this also is under the umbrella of MITEC or in some other form.

“This kind of research should be an industry priority, and we would welcome co-sponsorship by other companies that might help to expand the scope of the research efforts.”

That is a call to arms The Northern Miner heartily endorses. The mining industry has only recently come to recognize the importance of research and development to its future, but exploration has lagged behind the production side of the business in competing for research dollars.

Exploration may not be the primary goal of the mining industry, but it is essential to its continuing well-being. It is what keeps the mining industry going. Any initiative that is likely to improve exploration will improve the industry’s future. Doing so in honor of those pioneers of the past is only fitting.