Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/963504
A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 8 www.resourceworld.com 7 Editor's Comments Ellsworth Dickson Ellsworth Dickson, Editor-in-Chief Email: editor@resourceworld.com T: 604 484 3800 | 1 877 484 3800 OTCQB:GFGSF TSX-V:GFG gfgresources.com info@gfgresources.com A North American Gold Explora on Company Highly Prospec ve District Scale Gold Projects in Tier I Jurisdic ons T here was a slightly different atmo- sphere at the recent Prospectors and Developers Conference in Toronto this year. Attendance was good with 25,505 attendees, about 500 com- panies and many booths from various countries, provinces and states. In my view, those in the mining indus- try who survived the four-year downturn have been made aware of just how cycli- cal the mining sector can be. Perhaps Elon Musk is correct when he gave his reasons for not taking SpaceX public; that is, the stock market is manic depressive and tends to make investors giddy at the highs and morose at the lows. With the last low seemingly endless, explorers and miners are now pleased that a recovery is underway – although in stages – but are now more careful about burn rates, high-cost exploration projects and expensive acquisitions. Nevertheless, most people I spoke with were optimistic that we will have a good run during this up-cycle, although a few thought that perhaps some speculative investors were being distracted by mari- juana stocks and bitcoins – money they would like to see going into the resource sector. There was a great deal of interest in lithium, cobalt, copper and, more recently, nickel. Many companies, but not all, have been able to raise exploration funds that are now going into the ground. During the PDAC Conference, the Honourable Jim Carr, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources, unveiled the govern- ment's new Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan that encompasses many important aspects of mineral development, including First Nations participation. "It's not only to acknowledge the terri- tory of those who came thousands of years before, but it's also to honour the value of the relationship that we share with the air, the land and the water that is a generational responsibility. Looking back to those who came before is our great inheritance and responsibility of leaving this place a much better place then we found it," he said. "That is the indigenous teaching and one we take very seriously and honour." He added that, "We have proposed a predictable way to review major projects which is why we're creating a new legal framework to renew Canada's relationship with indigenous peoples, one based on rec- ognizing and implementing inherent rights. Budget 2018 reflects these efforts to create a competitive, sustainable and a fair Canada by extending the tax credit for mineral exploration for another year, encouraging more women in the natural resources sector and promoting pay equity." He wants to create new skills, better services and more opportunities in indig- enous communities and deliver the single largest investment in science and research in Canadian history so innovation can spur economic growth. Carr said he wants Canada to be a global leader in the transition to a low carbon economy and the mineral exploration sec- tor is critical to our effort producing the raw materials that are building blocks to the innovative clean technology that is driving the low carbon economy. He noted the importance of the Canadian mining industry that directly and indirectly contributed $87 billion to the Canadian economy. Today, almost 400,000 Canadians earn their livelihoods directly from jobs that are from the mines, mills and the market. It is encouraging to see Canada's Minister of Natural Resources launch a plan that intends to benefit explorers, miners, First Nations and workers. After all, we couldn't get past breakfast without mining. n PDAC explorers and miners positive but wary