Aber’s Thomas, Falco’s Pugsley to receive PDAC honours

The evening of Thursday, March 9, will be a special one for D. Grenville Thomas, founder of Aber Resources, and Thomas Pugsley, vice-president of projects and engineering for Falconbridge. That’s when both men will receive awards for their achievements in prospecting and developing, respectively, during the “Millennium Awards Evening,” part of Mining Millennium 2000, sponsored jointly by the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

Thomas has been named “Prospector of the Year” for his contribution to diamond exploration in the Northwest Territories. Aber holds a 40% interest in the Diavik diamond project, now under development, in the Lac de Gras region. Thomas was instrumental in Aber’s acquisition of ground in the region in the early 1990s, and in the company’s original diamond discoveries. He is no stranger to the North, having spent much of his career exploring mineral projects there.

Thomas has been a director of Aber since 1980 and is also that company’s honourary chairman.

Both Pugsley and his development team will share the “Developer of the Year” award for having established two stellar mines: Raglan, a nickel producer in Quebec, and Collahuasi, a copper operation in Chile. Raglan has received kudos for its progressive approach to mine development and social planning, whereas Collahausi has significantly boosted the company’s copper production.

Ralph Cheesman, retired general manager of the Saskatchewan Mining Association, and Peter Dimmell, longtime PDAC director and regional representative for Newfoundland, will both receive Distinguished Service Awards. The Environmental Award will be presented to Noranda for outstanding achievement during the past decade and to Richmont Mines for its Newfoundland operation.

Robert (“Dutch”) Van Tassell, currently vice-president of business development for Goldcorp, will be handed the Special Achievement Award for past work at both Goldcorp and United Keno Hill Mines. Van Tassell is chair of the PDAC’s environmental committee.

The awards ceremony will be held in the South Building of the Convention Centre.