LETTER TO THE EDITOR — Is this supposed to depict mining?

In the October 16th issue of The Northern Miner, a cartoon appeared on the editorial page, which prompts the question: Is this supposed to depict mining?

The Northern Miner, of all publishing houses, should be well aware of: the high-tech nature of mining; the social and economic benefits that flow to the community from mining; and the number of people who depend upon mining and who are actively working to keep a progressive and responsible mining industry alive and growing in Canada (likely most of your subscribers).

I hope I’ve misinterpreted the cartoon, but if so, I’m not alone. I know that The Northern Miner meant no malice, but the bottom line is that it has done a disservice to the mining industry and to the mining community. An explanation and an apology is owed.

William Giachino, Mining Consultant

South Surrey, B.C.

* Editor’s Note: We agree that mining is indeed a high-tech industry, but we are also well aware that the careers of most mining professionals have, at some point, involved an element of hard work and physical labor, although perhaps not to the degree portrayed by the aforementioned cartoon. We believe the strength of the Canadian mining industry owes much to the stamina and hard work of those who “paid their dues” at remote and rugged project sites, and who were not afraid to get their hands dirty doing tasks that might appear to be menial. We felt that mining professionals with these experiences could relate to the cartoon on a humorous level, and we regret that some people were offended.

We would like to point out that at some of the foreign exploration and development sites we have visited, local laborers have been surprised (and pleased) to see Canadian mining executives, senior geologists and mining engineers “breaking rock,” collecting samples and doing other tasks that would be considered beneath the dignity of professionals in their countries. And that, in part, is why Canadians are the “partner of choice” at many foreign projects.