The Canadian Mining Expo is celebrating two decades as an annual event and more than 30 years of bringing the mining industry to Timmins, Ont. Organizers say the expo continues to grow each year, attracting international visitors, major industry players and the latest mining technology from around the world. The family-run Canadian Mining Expo officially kicks off June 9 at the McIntyre Community Centre during Mining Week. “We’ve been at it for 34 years now,” said Glenn Dredhart, president of Canadian Trade-Ex. This year’s event features an expansion to its outdoor exhibits, including 100 tent displays showcasing heavy equipment, suppliers and emerging mining technologies. “We have a total of 100 tent displays this year, which is the largest gathering outside of heavy equipment anywhere in Canada,” said Dredhart. The expo is also drawing international interest, including a delegation of 80 visitors from Tanzania. “It’s a very unique opportunity for them to be able to see that much product and service under one roof,” said Dredhart. Industry leaders told CTV News that the expo provides an important opportunity for networking, collaboration and showcasing Timmins as a global mining hub. “Well, it brings awareness to the mining industry, but it allows us to bring all these suppliers and contractors and consultants together into one city at one point in time where we can network,” said Gerry Stinson, vice president of environment at Discovery Silver. Stinson said mining companies are also paying close attention to technological advances that are reshaping the sector, including robotics, drones and remote emergency response systems. “There’s new technology from the drone space, from emergency response space,” he said. “You can send robots into areas that are maybe unsafe instead of sending humans. So, that’s really grown in the industry.” The expo runs June 9 – 11.
