March 2017 | Business View Magazine

50 51 Today, PDAC continues its role as the leading voice of the mineral exploration and devel- opment community, representing over 8,000 individual and corporate members around the globe. Its mission is to promote a responsible, vibrant, and sustainable minerals industry. And, as the trusted representative of the sector, PDAC encourages best practices in technical, opera- tional, environmental, safety, and social perfor- mance. The work of the Association is carried out by a 48-member Board of Directors, 16 committees, and a team of permanent, profes- sional staff. Since 2012, PDAC has been focusing on three major areas of concern, derived from the orga- nization’s last strategic planning activity, held five years ago. Through a well-designed process that included several workshops, interviews with stakeholders, and in-person gatherings, The Board of Directors and staff members worked in unison to prioritize issues based on the broadest impact on the sector: access The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada to land, access to capital, and Aboriginal affairs. “Access to land is obviously critical from a mineral exploration perspective,”Shafer says.“And access to capital is important because exploration just doesn’t occur without corporate finance.” And since so many of Canada’s mines are located in remote areas of the country, home to Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, PDAC also com- mitted to building stronger relationships with these communities, helping to provide them with the necessary tools and support they need to benefit from the projects that directly affect their lives and land. “Communication, training, and employment are all key components to improving the quality of life in remote areas and, in fact, the mining industry is the largest employer of Aboriginal peoples across Canada.” One of the main ways in which PDAC commu- nicates to its membership is via its yearly conven- tion, regarded as the premier international event for the mineral industry.“In recent years we’ve attracted anywhere from 20 to 30 thousand peo- ple,” says Shafer.“And we’re just moving into the heavy-duty, convention development aspect of the year, leading to our March convention. In addition to its yearly convention, and keeping its membership informed via its pub- lications, and its social media outreach, Shafer outlines some of the other ways in which PDAC serves its members: “We provide a home for them, in that they’re speaking with like-minded people that have similar business, professional,