New Association to Promote Northern Prosperity through Mineral Development
The new Boreal Prospectors Association was announced today to promote prosperity through mineral development in Northern Ontario
Thursday 16th February 2006; Thunder Bay, ON: The Boreal Prospectors Association (BPA) announced today that it has been established to provide a forum in which its members can identify and address the many unique geographical, governmental and cultural challenges facing the mineral industry in Ontario’s far north.
The founding of The Boreal Prospectors Association (BPA) comes at a time of increasing mineral exploration activity and significant discoveries being made in Northern Ontario. It is being pioneered as a member of the Ontario Prospectors Association (OPA) by an executive of independent prospectors, regional First Nation representatives and industry representatives active in Northern Ontario.
Says Doug Parker, a director of The Boreal Prospectors Association: “The role of the mineral industry is becoming increasingly important to economic development of Northern Ontario’s communities. It is the intent of our Association to engage and support individual northern prospectors and to facilitate community-industry interaction by encouraging capacity building and mutual understanding. Through this approach the Association will seek to ensure that mineral industry activities occur to the benefit of local communities, lead to sustainable development within the region and result in a more robust mineral industry.”
Director David Duchesne adds, “The Boreal Prospectors Association can help to enhance northern prosperity by listening to northern voices and echoing the needs of our members. By providing a mechanism that encourages northerners to become part of the mineral industry, the Association can help to create a link to people, land and resources, build lasting partnerships and foster a strong business environment.”
Interested members of the public are invited to attend the association’s annual general meeting and symposium, THE NORTHERN ONTARIO MINES AND MINERALS SYMPOSIUM “Building a Sustainable Future on Bedrock” on February 21st and 22nd, 2006 in Sioux Lookout. For more information visit or email: borealprospectors@hotmail.com.
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Media Contact:
Stephanie Ash, Firedog Communications Inc.
Tel: 1 (807) 767-4443; Cell: 1 (807) 472-5276; Email: stephanie@firedogpr.com
Notes to the Editor:
About The Boreal Prospectors Association
The executive of the Boreal Prospectors Association includes: Thomas Tookate (Attawapiskat), Doug Parker (Independent Prospector), Luc McKay (Shibogama), Mike Fox (NADF), David Duchesne (IFNA), Michael Cunningham (De Beers Canada) and Mitch Diabo (Kasabonika). Currently there are 36 members of the association approximately half of whom reside in northern communities and the remainders are involved with industry and government.
The region North of 51 includes approximately 35 communities all of which are First Nation with the exception of Pickle Lake and Moosonee.
The concept of the association was first proposed by the leadership of Kasabonika Lake First Nation in an effort to encourage capacity building and understanding of the mineral industry in northern communities, improve engagement of the mineral industry with residents of the north and increase local participation in the industry.