The federal government is set to spend $500,000 over three years promoting the North at a major mining convention held each year.
Yukon MP Larry Bagnell announced the funding Jan. 19 during the Mineral Exploration Roundup underway in Vancouver.
The cash will go to hosting Invest Canada North at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention in Toronto beginning in March 2020.
PDAC is one of the top-level mining conference in the world with more than 25,000 people attending from 135 countries from around the world, Bagnell and the Yukon’s Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Ranj Pillai said in an interview from Vancouver.
It will provide “a real key position for us to tell our story”, Pillai said.
There are a number of claims staked in the Yukon, Bagnell said, but to get those claims to production will take significant investment and that’s where Invest Canada North comes in, promoting and informing investors of opportunities available in the Yukon as well as Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
“Invest Canada North will connect global investors with the significant untapped mineral potential, strong geopolitical stability and progressive Indigenous and community partnerships found in Canada’s North,” Anne Turner, executive director of the Yukon Mining Alliance said in a statement.
“Our unique initiatives showcase each region, through keynote presentations, panels and special sessions, highlighting the leaders in exploration, development and production both during PDAC and in the months that follow.”
Over the four days of the PDAC convention in March, Invest Canada North will include a reception featuring northern food, music and culture; a session on mineral investment opportunities in Canada’s North hosted by sector experts and mining experts; and a media centre where there will be interview opportunities for mineral exploration and mining companies, government officials, Indigenous development corporations, industry partners and financial and investors.
“This strategic initiative will raise the investment profile of Canada’s North on the global stage and advance our mineral industry,” Yukon Premier Sandy Silver said in a statement.
Pillai said investors are moving towards more of a focus on ensuring environmental and social standards are in place when making mining investments and the Yukon is well positioned for that.
He pointed to strong environmental regulations in place as well as agreements in place with Yukon First Nations as examples of that. He and Bagnell noted investors may not be aware of the First Nation development corporations involved in the Yukon’s industry and this will be an opportunity to share that.
“Invest Canada North is the perfect platform,” Pillai said of sharing mining and exploration opportunities in the Yukon, describing it as a way to amplify the Yukon’s voice to bring in mining investment.
Officials will be working over the next month to prepare for the 2020 PDAC event in Toronto.
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com