A pair of Northern Ontario mining gurus will be sharing their expertise as Distinguished Lecturers through 2023 and 2024.
Roy Slack and Gary Poxleitner have been selected for the honour by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).
Launched in 1968, the CIM's Distinguished Lecturers program enables individuals from the industry to share their knowledge with the mining industry, giving presentations to local CIM branches, technical societies, student chapters, and universities.
“CIM Distinguished Lecturers are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in scientific, technical, management or educational activities related to the minerals industry, and speak at CIM Branch and Student Chapter meetings across the country,” the CIM noted.
Distinguished Lecturers are selected for the role by their peers.
Slack is a North Bay-based mining engineer and a board member of Cementation Americas.
He started Cementation's North American operations in 1998, providing design-build mine construction services to the mining sector. He retired from the company in 2019.
Slack was appointed to Ontario's first Prevention Council to advise the government on workplace safety in 2013, and has contributed his expertise to a number of board positions.
In 2008, he was awarded the Engineer's Medal for Entrepreneurship by the Professional Engineers of Ontario, and in 2017, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Nipissing University.
Slack's multiple lecture topics will focus on lessons learned about safety over 40 years in the industry; practical tips for newcomers and students in the industry; and an overview of traditional, current and future shaft sinking methods in North America.
Poxleitner is a mining engineer with more than 30 years of experience and a principal consultant at SRK Consulting in Sudbury.
Previous to his current role, Poxleitner spent 10 years at Vale, including as project leader for the Voisey's Bay property in Newfoundland and for the Garson Deep project in Sudbury.
Poxleitner has been an active volunteer in the industry over the years, currently holding the role of chair of the CIM's Standards and Leading Practice Guidelines Committee.
He additionally served as a board member of SRK, membership chair on the CIM Sudbury Branch Executive, chair of the CIM Underground Mining Society, vice-chair of Camiro, and on CIM National Council.
During his lecture, Poxleitner will speak about the importance of selecting the appropriate cutoff grade (COG) for a mine and common modifying factors used in the industry.
