1984 Nunavut picks up Nunavut Mining Symposium award

Navalik Helen Tologanak, president of 1984 Nunavut, holds the Murray Pyke Award trophy she accepted April 11 at the Nunavut Mining Symposium’s gala award celebration. The award, named after a geologist known for his outstanding work in the North, was awarded to 1984 Nunavut for “the hands-on support that this company provides its employees.” (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

Martin van Rooy and Peter Bengts stand April 10 near the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission’s booth at Nunavut Mining Symposium in Iqaluit. Van Rooy and the WSCC received the Canadian North mining award handed out every year to a government or organization active in the territory’s mining industry. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

(Updated, 12:20 p.m.)

As the 2013 Nunavut Mining Symposium in Iqaluit wrapped up April 11, the mining industry in the territory recognized some of its best at the Canadian North mining awards ceremony, held in Iqaluit’s curling rink.

The Murray Pyke Award, named after a geologist known for his outstanding work in the North, went to 1984 Nunavut, a joint-venture that provides camp staffing and safety services to mines.

“Committed to continuously building the quality, knowledge and technical ability of their workforce, they attract motivated, enthusiastic and skilled professionals to join their company,” said Bernie MacIsaac, co-chair of the Nunavut Mining Symposium Society, who announced the winners

“It is the hands-on support that this company provides its employees that has made them a leader in the field of staffing and safety services that has captured the attention of the steering committee to nominate and award 1984 Nunavut the Murray Pyke Award.”

That award was accepted by 1984 Nunavut’s vice-president and chief operating officer, Jennifer Sugar-Thompson, and its president, Navalik Tologanak of Cambridge Bay.

“I was very surprised,” Tologanak said after receiving the award.

Tologanak told Nunatsiaq News that she tries to make sure that hiring workers from Nunavut — and particularly the Kitikmeot region — is high on the company’s list of priorities.

The Mike Hine Award, in honour of the late manager of Qikiqtaaluk Corp. rocks and minerals, went to Robert Connelly, one of the “founding fathers” of the Nunavut Mining Symposium Society.

Connelly and nine others in Rankin Inlet first had the idea of creating an annual conference that would bring regulators, industry, service industry and government together to network to advance exploration and mining in Nunavut, the backgrounder said.

“Robert’s foresight created an annual event that would provide economic development to the three regions of Nunavut by rotating the symposium from Rankin Inlet in the Kivalliq, to Cambridge Bay in the Kitikmeot to Iqaluit in the Qikiqtani. The symposium rotated to each of three regions until 2007 when it outgrew the communities of Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay,” said an award backgrounder.

“Robert works tirelessly each and every year in the capacity of a session chair for the symposium His corporate knowledge of the vast array of businesses, Inuit organizations and industry provides a balance to promote all areas of exploration and development in Nunavut. “

The annual award given to a government or organization went to Martin van Rooy and the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission.

“Some of the frequently overlooked parts of a successful exploration and mining industry are the people tasked with the responsibility of monitoring and inspecting the operations. The importance isn’t just in making sure that laws and regulations are followed, but that their efforts to ensure that operations are safe for the environment and people creates trust in the public that the industry is one which can be a good neighbor and a good employer,” said the backgrounder.

The Workers Safety and Compensation Commission of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut is charged with ensuring the safety of workers at exploration and mining camps, and the work of Martin van Rooy has been singled out for special recognition. Industry representatives have praised him for his help and availability, and Martin has been an excellent resource in working with industry to provide guidance and ensuring the safety of operations and, most importantly, the people working there. It is through the hard work of people like Martin that Nunavut’s exploration and mining industry will have a bright future.”