SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
With attendance numbers rising, organizers and delegates at the 44th Annual Geoscience Forum say there was a feeling of renewed optimism that the dark days might be over for the mining industry.

Organizers say along with modest increases in numbers attending the 44th Annual Geoscience Forum, the atmosphere is one of hope for the future of mining and exploration in the NWT. - Jessica Davey-Quantick/NNSL photo

"I'm hopeful that it means our industry is turning around. I've nothing to base that on but just gut feeling, more it seems like there's change," said conference co-ordinator Cheryl Wourms.

She noticed a similar feeling of optimism at a previous industry conference last spring in Toronto.

"So maybe it's just things are coming back, I don't know," she said.

The conference, a joint initiative of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, features presentations as well as a trade show at the Multiplex until Thursday. Participation has been on an upswing since 2014, when 721 people attended. At press time, Wourms wasn't able to confirm the final number of participants, but she estimated that there were approximately 130 presenters at the conference, with around 96 exhibitors at the Multiplex. There were at least 750 registered delegates attending the events.

"But I'm so far behind in the data entry that I don't have an exact number right now, but it's very close to 750," said Wourms.

Last year, 750 was the registered number of delegates, but by conference end that had risen to 769. She's hopeful this year will exceed that.

Despite that, attendees like Buffalo Air vice-president Greg Perdue said the atmosphere last year didn't reflect that positive growth in numbers.

"It was doom and gloom last year. Last year was probably the saddest state it was in," he said, adding he was hopeful this year would be better, but it was still too early to tell.

Northwest Territories Mining Heritage Society vice-president Mike Vaydik isn't surprised, however. He is at the conference to beat the drum in support of the proposed mining museum on the Giant Mine site. But in his previous incarnation as the general manager of the Chamber of Mines, he ran the Geoscience Forum for 15 years.

"Oh man, it's changed a lot," he said.

He can't remember how many delegates attended when the conference was starting out, but says it used to be held in much smaller venues, like the recreation hall at the Con Mine or a small room at the Yellowknife Inn.

"In the old days, I grew up in a mining household and it was a good chance at freeze-up to have a good ol' party. It's a good chance for a get together, a good chance to do business, and I think a good chance to promote the Northwest Territories mining industry," he said.

He's happy the forum has gotten so much bigger over the years.

"It's a sign that Yellowknife is still the centre for the Northern mining industry. Even though we don't mine in town anymore, this is where the exploration teams are located, this is where the aircraft and helicopters are located."

That's something Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart is aware of.

"There's a lot of anxiety in our community right now," he said, pointing to the recent announcement that Dominion Diamond Corporation is relocating its corporate office to Calgary.

"Lots of Northerners are concerned," he said.

"We're not moving this economy forward until we have a plan for growth and the mining industry is a good place to start."

But, he says, the positive atmosphere at the conference isn't a reason to rest on economic laurels.

"Any commodity-based industry is going to be subject to bust and boom, and we need a resilient economy. So when mining and exploration is going, we've got this extra gravy on top ... when we are going into recession, we have something we can fall back on," he said.

The Geoscience Forum continues until Thursday.

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