Annual mineral convention highlights B.C.’s minerals

Geologists from across Canada gathered in Vancouver to teach kids about the importance of B.C. minerals Sunday.

The 40th annual Association for Mineral Exploration Roundup conference invited families to get up close and personal with rocks and learn what minerals are found in the backyards of B.C.

Six-year-old Eveline and her brother attended the association’s discovery day with much excitement.

“I like all minerals, minerals are cool!” Evelyn said, “We use them for cars, buildings or maybe making stuff!”

As kids learn about the different types of minerals found on earth, there’s one that geologist Sarah Jackson-Brown says is particularly valuable to B.C.’s economy.

“We mine a lot of copper — it is one of the most important minerals in B.C. We use it in our everyday lives that is because copper is the second most conductive [metal] here on earth just behind silver,” Jackson-Brown said. “Millions of tons of copper come out of B.C. every year. It is one of our most important exports.”

She says Canada’s mining system is strictly regulated with mines in B.C. needing a number of permits and requiring collaboration with different government groups and local First Nations.

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Andy Randel, a geologist with the association says it can take 10 to 20 years to turn an area into a mine.

“There are baseline studies that get done for wildlife, for water, to make sure that the effects that the mine have aren’t just going to affect the mine site but the accumulative effects that we have as well on the environment,” Randel said.

The association’s CEO Kendra Johnson says B.C.’s copper will help pave the way for cleaner energy solutions.

“If we want to switch over to wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles, we are going to need way more copper that we are currently producing- the average eclectic car requires 4 times more copper than a combustion vehicle,” Johnson explained.

Jackson-Brown says minerals are going up in value. It’s also one of the factors that led to the end of penny production in Canada.

“Copper was getting too expensive and it cost more money to make a penny than what a penny was worth.”

B.C. also has other minerals like gold, silver, and steelmaking coal.