1 of 2Last year over 600 people attended the annual Yukon Geoscience Forum and Trade Show. — Yukon Government photo.
2 of 2The band Trio Manouche playing at last year's Geoscience Forum and Trade Show. — Yukon Government photo.
The 41st annual Yukon Geoscience Forum and Trade Show is taking place from November 16 to 20, 2013, at the Coast High Country Inn and Yukon Convention Centre in Whitehorse. It's an opportunity to network with hundreds of mining and exploration representatives and service suppliers from around the region. The Yukon Geoscience Forum and Trade Show is the largest of its kind in the north.
Michael Kokiw, executive director of the Yukon Chamber of Mines said every year the event gets plenty of feedback from participants.
"We've heard in the last two years that we're missing a bit of a financial component and the understanding of the investments going into the Yukon and Yukon companies," said Kokiw. "So I'm proud to say this year we are starting on the Saturday instead of the Monday, to allow for a focus on this. On Saturday we will focus on investment criteria for the Yukon, who's investing and why they are investing. It will be called the Yukon Minerals Investment Forum and is hosted by the Yukon Gold Alliance."
The Yukon Minerals Investment Forum will also provide an opportunity for Yukoners to explore the financial and investment aspect of mineral exploration and mining that drives the industry and is subject to commodity prices, market conditions and the global economy.
Sunday is Geoscience Family Day and the trade show is open to the public. Yukon College is bringing a mine simulator and archaeologists and geologists will be on site. There will be many displays about mining careers, hosted by the Women in Mining Yukon branch.
According to Kokiw, a very interesting part of the day is a lecture at 4 o'clock, which celebrates the history of the Yukon and takes on a different topic every year. The Yukon Airborne Geophysics Workshop and the Yukon Placer Forum also take place on Sunday.
Monday and Tuesday are both filled with technical talks on a wide array of subject matter, including discussions on the geology of certain regions and resources available in the Yukon. At the end of the day, a banquet is held from 5:30 to 10 p.m., hosted by Women in Mining. Every year, the Yukon Chamber of Mines presents awards to members of the community who have made outstanding contributions to Yukon's mining industry at this banquet.
Kokiw said the Yukon Chamber of Mines is also very excited about the breakfast on Tuesday morning, sponsored by Capstone Mining.
"The Yukon Chamber of Mines and the Yukon Chamber of Commerce host the breakfast," said Kokiw. "We're hoping to see a presentation from the energy committee from the chamber of commerce. It should be a business focus on energy and how it relates to mining."
On Wednesday, the event turns to softer talks, where participants will hear from the college, the Yukon Research Centre and others about interacting with communities. There will also be talks on early engagement with First Nations communities.
"We're very happy to announce we're going to have the Dakha Khwaan Dancers perform at 3 o'clock that afternoon," said Kokiw. "We're very excited to have them."
There is a lot to look forward to at the five-day forum. The trade show has already been sold out to participants and sponsorship opportunities have all been taken. Kokiw encourages people to sign up early next year to avoid disappointment.
"This event is very important, as it gives opportunities to organizations like the Yukon Geological Survey a chance to show what they've been working on," said Kokiw. "They get to show their accomplishments and technical findings they've had throughout the year.
"It also gives an opportunity for some of the companies and CEOs to meet with the public to show the work they've been doing in the community. All in all, it's a great snapshot of what has happened in the Yukon in the last year and what we'll see ahead."
For a full schedule and more information, visit the Yukon Chamber of Mines website.