The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) thinks it’s found a gem as the organization’s next president.
Jim Gowans, president and CEO of De Beers Canada, was selected as the CIM’s president-elect at its annual general meeting, held on Sunday, April 29, in Montreal.
“De Beers Canada has been exploring Canada for over forty years, and as of this year, we will also be a fully fledged mining company,” Gowans explained. “Now is the perfect time to take on a leadership role within the Canadian mining sector.”
The president-elect is a 1-year term, followed by a year as president, then a year as past-president.
“With over 30 years of global mining leadership experience, Jim Gowans was a natural choice to direct the institute in 2008,” said Jim Popowich, incoming CIM president.
De Beers is investing almost $2 billion to build two separate diamond mines in northern Canada. Snap Lake in the Northwest Territories will be commissioned for full production later this fall. It will be De Beers’ first diamond mine outside of Africa, and Canada’s first completely underground diamond mine. The company’s other development project — the Victor mine in northern Ontario — will be Ontario’s first diamond mine and is thought to contain some of the most valuable diamonds in the world.
CIM held its 2007 Conference and Exhibition in Montreal from April 29 to May 2, 2007 at the Palais des congrs de Montral.
Founded in 1898, the 12,000-member CIM is a society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries.
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