Balon, Scholz, Goodman to be honoured by BCYCM

The British Columbia and Yukon Chamber of Mines (BCYCM) recently announced that Edward Balon, the qualified person with Vancouver-based Almaden Minerals, will receive the chamber’s H.H. “Spud” Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration at a ceremony slated for Jan. 25 at the Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina Hotel. The ceremony will be part of the BCYCM’s annual Mineral Exploration Roundup 2006 conference.

Balon is known for his systematic approach to targeting favourable geological areas, and detailed prospecting methods that have led to significant discoveries in Yukon, northern B.C., and more recently, gold occurrences in southern B.C.

“Ed Balon’s strength is his ability to venture into new areas and make discoveries. A good example is his new gold discoveries in the Merritt-Lillooet area,” says BCYCM president David Caulfield.

The E.A. Scholz Award for excellence in mine development will be presented to Jim O’Rourke, president of Huckleberry Mines, and CEO of Compliance Energy.

O’Rourke helped advance and develop mining projects throughout northern B.C., and more recently, in the Princeton area of the province. His work helped sustain the Cassiar (asbestos), Huckleberry (copper-moly), and Similco (copper) mines.

Ned Goodman, president and CEO of Dundee Bancorp, as well as the chairman and CEO of Dundee Wealth Management, will receive the Murray Pezim Award for his work in financing exploration projects in B.C. Most notably, Goodman helped finance the high-grade Eskay Creek gold-silver mine in northwestern B.C., and was a booster of flow-through financing.

“Being a geologist, he has the ability to astutely assess exploration properties and has always been a big supporter of mineral exploration,” Caulfield says.

Motapa Diamonds chairman John Gurney, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, will be the first recipient of the chamber’s Hugo Dummett Diamond Award for excellence in diamond exploration and development.

His research on indicator mineral chemistry related to diamondiferous kimberlites, and the identification of G10 garnets as a key indicator mineral for diamond exploration have transformed diamond exploration.

Tickets for the event are $85.60 each and are available by visiting www.chamberofmines.bc.ca