EDITORIAL — Pathways ’98 celebrates Klondike gold rush — Vancouver goes global

The gold rush to the Yukon, the famous “Trail of ’98,” was instrumental in opening up the North to modern development. One hundred years later, the British Columbia and Yukon Chamber of Mines and the Denver-based Society of Economic Geologists are celebrating this great event by jointly sponsoring “Exploration Methods ’98 — Pathways to Discovery,” to be held at the Hotel Vancouver from Jan. 27 to 30.

This landmark event, which includes technical sessions and a trade show, will focus on the modern-day gold rush taking place in the four corners of the globe. It will be an add-on to the Chamber’s annual Cordilleran Roundup, now in its 15th consecutive year. Over the past five years, the Roundup has undergone a gradual transition, from focusing on British Columbia and the Yukon to acquiring a truly international scope.

The Cordilleran portion of the event will include annual updates from the B.C. Geological Survey, the Vancouver office of the Geological Survey of Canada, and the Yukon Geology Program, as well as the traditional overviews of exploration activity in B.C. and the Yukon. The “Pathways ’98” event, scheduled to last from Jan. 28-30, will focus on integrated exploration strategies and techniques that have led to recent, world-class exploration success. Three major sessions will be held, including one on frontier regions (areas with no known mineral deposits and little past exploration). The second will focus on mature districts, with emphasis placed on strategies used by major, junior and individual explorers. The third session, entitled “Future Directions,” will examine new technology and ideas that will be important for the discovery of orebodies in the 21st century.

Two forums will be conducted to provoke discussion — one on “Risks in Exploration,” to be moderated by Jerry Blackwell of Gitennes Exploration; and the other on “Science or Serendipity,” to be hosted by Rob Britten of First Point Mineral Corp.

Six short courses will be held, two of which bear special mention. In the aftermath of the Bre-X fiasco, junior companies face increased scrutiny about the quality of their exploration methodology. Consultant Barry Smee will lead a 2-day workshop that will feature quality-control and analysis procedures in mineral exploration, as well as talks by representatives of assay laboratories and exploration companies. The second day will highlight a series of quality-control case histories. Another important workshop will be provided by Ian Thompson of Orvana Minerals, who will examine the socio-political, cultural and economic issues that are part and parcel of working in Latin America and elsewhere. These are important issues that mining companies can not afford to ignore. Details of all these events, and an outline of a series of mine-site visits, can be found on the Pathways ’98 web site at http://www.eos.ubc.ca/pathways98.

B.C. and the Yukon were the site of two great gold rushes that opened up the West and the North a century ago. Today, much of the initiative and funding for the current gold rush taking place around the globe has come from Vancouver’s pioneering mining companies and the fund-raising facilities of the Vancouver Stock Exchange. This is no small tribute to the exploration skills of this vibrant mining community.

All that is needed now is for local politicians to support this vital industry. And they must do so now, before more exploration dollars head offshore. If British Columbia is to continue to have a sustainable mining industry, it needs to do more to keep its brightest and best working at home, as well as abroad.