Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 07/01) - A down time for miners has turned around thanks to a special forum sponsored by the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines spokesperson Joanna Tiemessen shows off some interesting specimens. The chamber's Geosciences Forum will bring more than 500 delegates to Yellowknife Nov. 21 to 23. - Thorunn Howatt/NNSL photo

"It started as a fall break-up. There were a lot of geologists and prospectors sitting around town with nothing to do," said chamber of mines general manager Mike Vaydik.

A special forum geared toward scientists working in the mining and resource industry came about nearly 30 years ago during autumn when the lakes were too icy for float planes but the ice wasn't thick enough for skis.

"It is scientific but also a social time for miners to get together," said Vaydik.

Vaydik said the symposium has grown steadily for the past six years. "It has grown to a point where we are using the theatre for our talks."

The event, now in its 29th year, brings together geologists, geophysicists, mining engineers, prospectors and others working in exploration and resource development. It is billed as the largest annual convention North of 60. The trade fair portion of the forum will be at the Explorer Hotel. The technical talks will be at the Capitol Theatre.

"It's a very concentrated group of people who attend the forum," said chamber spokesperson Joanna Tiemessen. The conference gives Northern companies a chance to make new contacts, said Tiemessen.

"Last year we had 40 booths and this year we have 67," said Tiemessen of the trade fair. More than half of the booths will be sponsored by Yellowknife businesses.

"We have a lot of new airline companies this year -- NWI Jet, Summit Air Charters, Northwestern Air Lease," she listed. There will also be new communications companies joining in.

Northern Food Services, a company involved in camp catering, will have a booth featuring samples.

"We also have the Alberta Geological Survey coming out this year. They are new," said Tiemessen.

The trade show and technical sessions won't be open to the public.

"The one thing that we do have open to the public is a talk on Wednesday night, the 21st," she said.

A member from an expedition that climbed Mount Logan to retrieve ice core samples will be featured, she said. The Geological Survey of Canada is using the cores to study climate change.