Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/468124
Photographs : Cour te sy of David Elliot t , Mark Kinskofer S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 13 of the New Afton mine. Gallagher and Currie spearheaded the critical early development stages of the New Afton project and, with support from their staff, workforce and contractors, construction of the 11,000-tonne-per-day mine was successfully completed and offi- cial production commenced in July 2012. In 2013, New Gold was the recipient of PDAC's Viola R. MacMillan Award for demonstrating leadership in management and excellence in best practices in bringing New Afton Mine to production. Today, this operation is the centre of economic and social prosperity for the local communities. Murray Pezim Award Perseverance and Success in Financing Mineral Exploration RECIPIENT: DAVID ELLIOTT David Elliott has made a significant con- tribution over his 40-plus-year career by financing many mineral explora- tion companies, particularly at the early stages. Over his career, he has provided seed capital and follow-on financing for hundreds of mineral exploration and development companies, both public and private. Investing in the early stages of explo- ration is often difficult, but what sets Elliott apart is his ability to identify quality management teams and projects that have a path for exploration success, and then to support and advise explora- tion teams so they can reach their goals. His long career and unwavering financial support for junior exploration companies is a testament to his ability to attract capi- tal to the exploration industry not just in bull markets but, more importantly, in difficult times. His contribution does not end with the capital-raising process; Elliott can be counted on to be an impor- tant sounding board and to provide men- torship for management teams. Elliott is a co-founder of Haywood Securities Inc. and currently serves as vice-president and director. Haywood is one of an ever-shrinking number of independent brokerage firms in the Vancouver marketplace that have been traditional supporters of exploration in British Columbia and for exploration companies based in Vancouver. With Elliott's support, Haywood has been an unwavering source of financial support for the mineral exploration and develop- ment industry for almost 30 years, and remains one of the largest such sources of financial support in Vancouver. Elliott's skill in identifying qual- ity early-stage exploration investments and his low-key approach have put the spotlight on the companies in which he has invested rather than their source of financing. This approach has allowed many exploration groups to pursue their dreams of discovering that elusive ore deposit. While other financiers are often in the spotlight for jumping on the back of discoveries and providing capital, Elliott largely stays out of the limelight. And yet, he provides some of the highest- risk capital to explorers prior to discovery globally – a trait that is often overlooked and highly underappreciated. Hugo Dummett Diamond Award Excellence in Diamond Exploration and Development RECIPIENTS: JIM EXCELL, DAN JOHNSON, JEFF STIBBARD AND MIKE RYLATT As recipients of the Hugo Dummett Diamond Award, Jim Excell, Dan Johnson, Jeff Stibbard and Mike Rylatt are acknowledged for the key roles they played in the successful develop- ment of the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories. Ekati is Canada's first diamond producer and its startup was a major achievement in Canadian mining history. From the discovery of the first kimberlite at Point Lake in September 1991 to the formal opening of Ekati in October 1998, many challenges had to be overcome and each of the award recipients was responsible for a major part of advancing the project from con- cept to reality in record time, on budget, without any major injuries and with an exemplary record of northern and com- munity involvement. Excell, a metallurgical engineer, was vice-president, operations, for BHP Diamonds Inc. (BHPD) and had overall responsibility for the construction, com- missioning and subsequent operation of the $700-million development of Ekati Mine and the diamond-sorting facility established in Yellowknife. He ultimately served as president and chief operat- ing officer of BHPD from 1999 to 2003, and then as chairman until June 2005. In addition to his outstanding industry experience, he is recognized for fostering goodwill relations with government and Aboriginal groups. Johnson, a civil engineer, was man- ager, mine development, for BHPD (1994–1997) and had overall responsibil- ity for managing all aspects of the mine development. Johnson's ability to cut through non-essential details and keep his entire team focused on meeting criti- cal goals is legendary and, without this ability, the program would have been delayed and over budget. Members of the Ekati team (left to right) Mike Rylatt, Dan Johnson, Jeff Stibbard. Not pictured: Jim Excell. David Elliott