The federal government is investing $500,000 in an Invest Canada North initiative at a large prospecting convention this spring.
The federal government is investing $500,000 in an Invest Canada North initiative at a large prospecting convention this spring.
Yukon MP Larry Bagnell made the announcement on behalf of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) in Vancouver over the weekend.
The two-day northern-focused event will take place within the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention in Toronto.
“This project demonstrates the clear strategic advantages of partnership and collaborations in the North among industry, governments, service sectors and Indigenous development corporations to promote investment in the territories,” Bagnell said.
“Increased investment in the North benefits all northerners.”
Invest Canada North will be hosted in partnership with the Yukon Mining Alliance, N.W.T. and Nunavut Chamber of Mines and the three territorial governments.
It will consist of “an exclusive networking reception” of food and entertainment inspired by northern culture and a forum that will inform attendees of the investment opportunities in the North.
There will also be the opportunity to interview exploration stakeholders: mineral and mining companies, government officials, Indigenous development corporations, and others.
The conference will kick off on March 1 with a premier networking reception. Attendees will be invited to try the Yukon’s Sourtoe Cocktail, and there will be an Inuit throat singing performance.
The single-day forum will take place on March 2. It will include a keynote presentation by Anmar Al-Joundi, the president of Agnico Eagle Mines.
The three territories will each host individual forums throughout the day.
Byron King, the editor of Agora Financial, and Andrijana Djokic, the CEO of the Na-Cho Nyak Dün Development Corp., will moderate the Yukon’s forum mid-morning.
There will be a fourth forum entitled “Environmental Social Governance” which will explore the future of mining in the changing environmental landscape.
In a press release issued this morning, Premier Sandy Silver expressed optimism for the conference’s potential for attracting mining investment Northward.
“Yukon is a great place to invest,” Silver said.
“This strategic initiative will raise the investment profile of Canada’s North on the global stage and advance our mineral industry.”
Anne Turner, the Yukon Mining Alliance’s executive director, said the conference will bring attention to the territory’s undiscovered resources.
“Invest Canada North will connect global investors with the significant untapped mineral potential, strong geopolitical stability and progressive Indigenous and community partnerships found in Canada’s North,” Turner said.
The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention will take place March 1-4.
Last year, the Toronto conference attracted 25,000 attendees from 132 countries.
