The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) has unveiled the names of five award winners at its upcoming convention in Toronto on March 2-5.
The Bill Dennis Award goes to the exploration team who discovered the East Gouldie gold deposit at Agnico Eagle Mines’ (TSX: AEM; NYSE: AEM) Canadian Malartic mine in Quebec’s Abitibi region, just west of Val-d’Or. The Canadian Malartic General Partnership, a 50-50 joint venture between Agnico Eagle and Yamana Gold made the discovery in 2018, before Agnico and Pan American Silver (TSX: PAAS; NASDAQ: PAAS) acquired Yamana last year.
The Skookum Jim Award, recognizing Indigenous achievement in the industry, will go to David Kritterdlik for his efforts to integrate traditional Inuit knowledge with western science while working with Agnico Eagle in Nunavut. Among his key achievements is the creation of the Kivalliq Elders Advisory Committee, which gives guidance to the Meliadine and Meadowbank mines on environmental and community issues.
Teck Resources (TSX: TECK.A, TECK.B; NYSE: TECK) and UN Women’s Originarias Program are the recipients of the Sustainability Award, which honours leadership in environmental protection and strong community relations. Originarias, a partnership between Teck and UN Women has since 2016 worked to empower Indigenous women in Chile’s northern Tarapacá region by training them in leadership and advocacy skills.
The Onto Discovery Team has been named the winner of the Thayer Lindsley Award, recognizing international mineral discoveries, for its Onto copper-gold deposit find in Sumbawa, Indonesia. In 2020, members of a joint venture between Vale (NYSE: VALE) subsidiary Eastern Star Resources (80%), and Indonesian miner ANTAM (20%) made the discovery at Onto, a tier-1 deposit containing about 2.1 billion tonnes with grading 0.86% copper and 0.48 grams per tonne of gold.
John Robins is the winner of the Viola R. MacMillan Award for his work in mineral discoveries and starting such successful companies as Kaminak Gold, Northern Empire, and Stornoway Diamond over a 35-year career. Robins is the founder and leader of the Discovery Group alliance of companies, which has generated more than C$1 billion in equity raisings. He has helped lead mergers and acquisitions worth more than C$3 billion, including the sales of Great Bear Resources to Kinross Gold (TSX: K, NYSE: KGC) for C$1.8 billion, and Kaminak Gold to Goldcorp for over C$500 million.
“The 2025 award recipients embody the expertise, passion and drive that define excellence in mineral exploration and development,” Raymond Goldie, PDAC president said in a release. “Their remarkable accomplishments demonstrate the crucial role of innovation, resourcefulness, and leadership in uncovering the minerals that power our modern world.”
Since their establishment in 1977, the award series has recognized exemplary individuals and companies who have made outstanding contributions to the global mining industry.
Winners will be celebrated during the PDAC 2025 Convention at the Awards Gala & Nite Cap on March 4, 2025, at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
