PDAC 2020 convention exceeds 23,000 attendees

Trade Show floor at PDAC 2020. PHOTO: PDAC

Attendance at the 88th Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention totalled 23,144.

The annual PDAC convention ran from March 1 – 4 in Toronto. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned, making him the first sitting prime minister to appear for two consecutive years.

Highlights from PDAC 2020 included:

• Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan announced the next phase of the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP)
• Prime Minister Trudeau announced the federal government will be promoting the adoption of on-road to off-road electric vehicles, including vehicles used in mining applications
• Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister Greg Rickford announced Ontario will develop road access in northern Ontario to service First Nations communities and potentially develop the Ring of Fire project
• Catherine Raw, chief operating officer at North America Barrick Gold Corp., discussed the recent spate of M&A in the gold mining sector, how it differs from that of the past, and the potential implications this has on investment and growth in the future

The PDAC has 7,500 members across the country.