PDAC mining convention coming to Toronto, June 13-15

The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention will be happening in Toronto this coming June 13-15.

Their searchable exhibitor directory notes that the following companies will be participating in this convention:

MCC Mining Corporation (Booth 2750)

The PBI-Colombia accompanied Justice and Peace Commission has helped to amplify solidarity actions in support of Embera opposition to mining on their lands.

They have shared an open letter that states: “We know that the Minera Cobre SAS and by extension the Canadian MCC [Minera Cobre de Colombia] Mining Corporation, are heirs of the militarization and terror unleashed for the benefit of the Muriel Mining Corporation.”

Further reading: Embera reject mining on their lands, say that any investment would be “stained with our blood”

GCM Mining Corp. (Booth 2310)

PBI-Colombia has noted: “The abundance of natural resources in [Antioquia] and the arrival of multinational companies, such as the Canadian Gran Colombia Gold [that operates the El Silencio, Sandra K, Providencia and Carla mines in the Segovia-Remedios area along with interests in three other mines in Colombia], has provided the illegal armed groups who are present in the region with an extremely lucrative funding source in mining.”

On September 2, 2011, Father José Reinel Restrepo was murdered reportedly because of his opposition to the Gran Colombia Gold proposal for a vast open pit mine that would destroy the town of Marmato, Caldas.

Further reading: PBI-Colombia accompanies CAHUCOPANA on second day of gathering of peasant mining communities

Alamos Gold Inc. (Booth 2722)

The PBI-Mexico accompanied People’s Front in Defence of Water and Land – Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala has stated: “[Mexican President] Lopez Obrador betrays the peasant and the promise of change of his government, to favour transnational corporations [including] Canadian miners like Alamos Gold, among others.”

Alamos Gold reactivated work on their Esperanza open-pit gold mine in 2020. That mine is located near the communities of Tetlama and Cuentepec in the state of Morelos. That is about 70 kilometres west of Huexca and the site of the controversial thermoelectric plant that is part of the Morelos Integral Project (PIM) opposed by the Peoples Front.

Further reading: PBI-Mexico accompanied People’s Front in Defence of Water and Land notes concern about Toronto-based Alamos Gold

Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (Booth 1131)

On March 2, 2012, residents from San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc – an area known as La Puya, just north of Guatemala City – set up a 24-hour a day blockade at the entrance of the Vancouver-based Radius Gold Inc. El Tambor mine.

By August 2012, the Canadian company sold El Tambor to US-based Kappes, Cassiday & Associates, but retained an economic interest in the mine (including quarterly royalty payments on the gold production from the mine).

Further reading: PBI-Guatemala accompanies Peaceful Resistance of La Puya at 10th anniversary of blockade against gold mine

Orogen Royalties Inc. (Booth 3040)

The PBI-Mexico accompanied ASMAC accompanies the Indigenous community of Coloradas de la Virgen in the Sierra Tarahumara region of Chihuahua.

Indigenous Rarámuri defender Julián Carrillo spoke against the environmental impacts of a concession near his community granted to a Canadian mining company without free, prior and informed consent just a week before he was murdered in October 2018.

This civil society statement highlights that the concession was given to Vancouver-based Evrim Resources Corp (now named Orogen Royalties).

Further reading: PBI accompanied defenders speak about the impacts of Canadian mining in Mexico.

Beyond these mining companies, the Government of Colombia National Mining Agency (Agencia Nacional de Minería) will also have an online exhibit at PDAC.

We will be looking to the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network for updates on Toronto-based organizing in response to this convention.

Photo: MISN posted this photo of a “Blood On Your Hands” banner unfurled at the PDAC convention in 2020.