Exploration Expo Hopes To Attract Northerners

Exploration Expo Hopes To Attract Northerners

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 14:26

The Saskatchewan Mining Association is hoping several northern communities and Aboriginal groups take part in its upcoming annual mineral exploration expo.

The Oct. 8 event in Prince Albert is designed to increase awareness of business and employment opportunties related to mineral exploration.

Association executive director Pam Schwann says last year’s event attracted 225 participants, including representatives from 34 northern businesses, 12 First Nations and 19 northern economic development agencies.

Schwann says even though the downturn in the economy has affected the amount of exploration being done in the north, there is still a lot going on.

“We are expecting exploration expenditures to be down from the last two years, which have been record-breaking. We are expecting exploration expenditures in the north to be closer to the $150-million mark, but that’s still significantly above the 10-year average of around $30-million. So there still are lots of opportunities — they just might not be as robust as they have been in the last two years,” she says.

Schwann says anyone with questions about this event can contact her office at 757-9505.