One of the articles in the October isssue considers the great amount of research into deep mining underway in Canada. The latest news is that the McGuinty Government is providing C$823,000 to the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) toward a Research Chair for Holistic Mining Practices. Funded through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s (NOHFC) Emerging Technology program, Douglas Morrison, former Global Mining Director at Golder Associates will work to achieve the following:

•  Create a five-year Research and Development plan to help attract and retain jobs and sustain mines in the region
•  Provide local innovators with easier access to large-scale research initiatives
•  Mentor and recruit innovators, researchers and students in regional-to-global collaborative solution teams
•  Build on established expertise in areas of interest to the global mining community through the development of new or enhanced innovation focus areas.

Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci said: “We need to find innovative ways to capitalise on our mining knowledge in order to compete in the global economy. This investment in mining research and development will strengthen our position as a centre of mining excellence world wide.”This funding is in addition to the C$10 million allocated to CEMI in 2006, and C$8 million in funding to CEMI President, CEO and Laurentian University Professor Dr Peter Kaiser to support mine productivity and safety research in 2007 – the single largest research grant ever received by Laurentian University.

“CEMI is in the business of mining innovation,” said Kaiser. “NOHFC’s investment in a research Chair with extensive industrial experience is an important step towards branding the North as one of the best places in the world to go for new knowledge.”

“Research and innovation is what makes us competitive in the global economy,” concluded Bartolucci. “Today’s investment will strengthen Sudbury’s position as a global centre for mining research.”

CEMI’s mandate is to deliver innovation to the mineral industry, from idea to implementation, with one of the most experienced R&D leadership teams in the country, and core competencies in deep mining, mineral exploration, integrated mine engineering, rapid development, and sustainability. www.miningexcellence.ca