Thousands of mining insiders descended on Toronto in March for the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference, the industry’s premier convention. This year, not surprisingly, the one thing on everyone’s mind was tariffs. We sent photographer Sage Szkabarnicki-Stuart to talk to delegates.
Louis Fourie, senior manager, geology, Respec (Saskatoon)
“There’s ore in old mines and in the ground that we couldn’t process historically but that we can now. Once we look past the speculation and buzzwords, there’s a lot that we can do to make it beneficial for local communities. You can’t have the energy transition without the minerals we need for it.”
Noah Singer, geology consultant (Montreal)
“If companies cut down on their orders, even if the tariffs magically go away overnight, it will take years to rebuild that volume, if ever. That means less money for investment and thus fewer workers—and often interns and juniors are first to be on the chopping block.”
Danette Schwab, VP of Exploration, Pacific Ridge (Vancouver)
“Start talking to First Nations early, before you start permitting. Many Nations are not outright opposed to resource development, but there must be benefits and environmental and cultural considerations.”
Kiera Broda, geoscience PhD candidate, McGill University (Montreal)
“Tariffs create uncertainty. However, they also offer an opportunity to reassess our economic practices. By improving permitting processes and strengthening local production, we can enhance economic resilience and foster national pride, enabling Canada’s mining and mineral exploration industry to remain a leader in innovation.”
Ige Olusegun Omoniyi, Mary A Ogbe, Obadiah Simon Nkom and Olajide Olushola B., delegates from Nigeria.
Mary A. Ogbe, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (Nigeria)
“Before Nigeria’s independence, its GDP was sustained by mining. Then they discovered oil, and the focus changed. Mining has seen a comeback in the past four or five years—nickel, lithium, gold, copper, lead, zinc and more. Nigeria is going to do many more exploration projects very quickly, applying the latest tech and focusing on the green energy .”
Eduan Pieterse, country manager, VBKOM Mining Consultants Canada (Toronto)
“Typical drill rigs require a lot of space and create a lot of environmental disturbance. With this compact rig, you don’t have to clear a lot of bush—it can be dragged around by a snowmobile. And because it’s light, it doesn’t consume a lot fuel, plus it’s air-liftable.”
Bruce Achneepineskum, Chief, Marten Falls First Nation (Ontario)
“The Marten Falls community access road, which will connect to the road that goes up to the Ring of Fire mining area, winds around important sites for the community, including sacred sites. Any development projects happening on Treaty 9 territory—like the Ring of Fire—will need to be done in consultation with, and in collaboration with, the Matawa First Nations tribal council.”
David Truchot, managing partner, Veltiosis Consulting (Minneapolis)
“Imposing tariffs on such a critical industry, where it takes years, if not decades, to start a mine, is totally counterproductive. Miners need stability, not a whirlwind of flip-flopping economic conditions.”
Mike Carter, founding partner, First Green Energy (Vancouver)
“If you don’t have social buy-in in Peru, they will shut down your project. Caring about the locals isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. You don’t get a mine built without meaningful community support.”
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