The Great Canadian Mine Show is in need of additional funding.
Since its launch in March at the Toronto convention of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, the show has made stops in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, Manitoba, northern Ontario and Quebec. Next month, it will travel to British Columbia, and in August, it returns to Toronto.
The tour was scheduled to last only one year but has been extended to 16 months. Problem is, the show has received all the money it can from various levels of government and now must depend on donations from the private sector.
“We want to keep going as long as possible,” says Project Manager Lisa Murray, who points out that at least $200,000 is required for the revised schedule.
The show consists of an 18-wheel, 53-ft. transport trailer filled with assorted gadgetry designed to teach people about mining in the 21st century.
Through interaction, visitors learn about exploration, financing, development, extraction, processing, closure and rehabilitation. They enter the exhibit through a mine cage that simulates travelling thousands of metres below the surface. The cage eventually opens into a room containing some products made with mined materials. Visitors then explore six arcade-like modules, including: a demonstration of how zinc ingots are produced; a 3-D helicopter search for diamonds in the Northwest Territories; a drill simulator that allows the user to remove core samples; a live-action video on mine closure; and various films.
The exhibit was created with help from Mississauga, Ont.-based Silicon Graphics.
Murray has been invited to bring the show to cities and communities nationwide. The mayor of Kenora, Ont., went so far as to send her a personal letter and a petition signed by hundreds of local residents requesting a visit.
“For small communities, it’s like the circus coming to town,” says Murray, who adds that she has more requests than she can meet.
Donations can be made to the Elliot Lake Centre, a non-profit organization created by the federal government as a home for the performing arts.
For more information, call (416) 364-6244 or (705) 848-0205.
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