Initiatives Prince George on behalf of the 2010 Minerals North Host Committee is pleased to announce the plan for legacy funds generated from the proceeds of the conference held last year.
"This plan has been developed to recognize the spirit of the Minerals North conference, and in particular the importance of education and First Nations partnerships in the legacies the Conference leaves in host communities," says Glen Wonders, co-chair of the 2010 Minerals North Committee and also chair of Initiatives Prince George.
A total of $36,000 was raised from the highly successful conference, as a result of sponsorship, delegate and exhibitor participation. The funds have been allocated by the Host Committee accordingly:
UNBC Northern BC Mining Research Award - $25,000
Association of Mineral Exploration of British Columbia First Nations Travel Bursary fund - $5,000
Prince George Exploration Group - $1,500
UNBC petroscopes for geological research - $4,500
The Northern BC Mining Research Award is a new award to benefit students conducting research related to the mining industry.
Five awards, each valued at $5,000 are available to graduate or upper level undergraduate students conducting research on issues of particular interest to mineral exploration or the mining industry.
Applicants must obtain an industry partner that will provide a minimum of $5,000 to support each award. UNBC will promote the award in the UNBC Academic Calendar; Initiatives Prince George will promote the award to industry.
"Mineral exploration and mining are knowledge-based industries," said Katherine Scouten, co-chair of the Host Committee and VP Economic Development with Initiatives Prince George. "UNBC's excellence as a research institution is a tremendous asset to the region, and this plan will support development of industry and research partnerships that will advance and enrich the sector's growth in Northern B.C."
Minerals North is held in a Northern B.C. community every year, and most frequently economic development organizations in host communities provide secretariat capacity.
Initiatives Prince George acted as the secretariat for Minerals North 2010, and will continue to report back on the success of the UNBC Research Award.
Minerals North 2011 will be held in Stewart, April 27 to 29. For more information, go to www.mineralsnorth.ca.
