CIM honours Cooke, others (June 11, 2007)

Some outstanding members of Canada’s minerals industry were honoured recently by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) during the annual CIM conference in Montreal.

“Thanks to visionary people like these award winners, the Canadian minerals industry maintains a competitive edge in the global marketplace,” said Francois Pelletier, outgoing president of the CIM.

Among the CIM’s most prestigious awards, the CIM Distinguished Service Medal was presented to John Cooke, who retired as executive publisher of The Northern Miner in April 1999. Cooke has been a tireless promoter of Canadian mining for half a century and helped establish the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.

“After fifty years of service in the publishing business, it is indeed an honour to be recognized by the CIM with this prestigious award,” Cooke said.

The CIM’s Inco Medal recognizes people who have made a meritorious and practical contribution of outstanding importance to Canada’s mining and metallurgical industry. Terry Lyons, chairman of Vancouver-based Northgate Minerals (NGX-T, NXG-X), received the award for helping to bring Northgate to mid-tier producer status, among many other contributions to mining.

The Selwyn G. Blaylock Medal — for distinguished service to Canada through exceptional achievement in mining, metallurgy or geology — was presented to Russell Hallbauer, president and CEO of Taseko Mines (TKO-T, TGB-X), a prominent member of B.C.’s mining community.

The Syncrude Award for Excellence in Sustainable Development, the first of its kind, was created to promote Canadian miners as seekers of answers to sustainability problems.

This award was given to the Foothills Model Forest for its Grizzly Bear Project, a multi-stakeholder, multi-jurisdictional, research project in Alberta’s Banff National Park.

Other CIM award winners were as follows:

* Members Award — Robert Gannicott, chairman and CEO of Aber Diamond (ABZ-T, ABER-Q);

* Order of Sancta Barbara — Rena Watson of Montreal (the award honours women who have played a role in the development of Canadian mining communities);

* Past Presidents’ Memorial Medal — Carol Plummer, mine manager at Agnico-Eagle Mines’ (AEM-T, AEM-N) Lapa gold mine in Cadillac, Que.;

* A.O. Dufresne Award — David Sinclair, a retired research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada;

* J.C. Sproule Memorial Plaque — Roger Wallis, a principal in Toronto-based Roger Wallis and Associates;

* Coal Award — Michael Lipkewich, a retired senior vice-president of mining with Teck Cominco (TCK.B-T, TCK-N);

* Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award — David Davidson, partner and senior mining analyst with Toronto-based Paradigm Capital;

* McParland Memorial Medal — Klaus Kacy, a senior technical consultant with Kelowna, B.C.-based ABB Canada;

* Julian Boldy Memorial Award — Reg Olson, a senior advisor of mineral resources with the Alberta Geological Survey;

* Barlow Memorial Medal — Peter Dimmell, director and vice-president of exploration with St. John’s, Nfld.-based Silver Spruce Resources (SSE-V, SSEBF-O), and Jeff Morgan, senior geologist and lands manager with Crosshair Exploration & Mining (CXX-V, CXZ-X), also based in St. John’s.

* Metal Mining Division Award — Graham Clow, managing director of Scott Wilson Group of Toronto;

* Mel W. Bartley Award — CIM Crowsnest Branch, B.C.; and

* Medal for Bravery — Joseph Louis Sikora of Coleman, Alta., who was honoured posthumously.

Founded in 1898, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum is a technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries. It has more than 12,000 members in Canada.