Below BC connects a range of audiences with all aspects of earth science with creative, engaging and compelling events while providing resources both online and in-person.

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Public Awareness and Education in Schools

December – February 2020

The Chamber of Mines Eastern BC is a non-profit organization that provides resources to the public and the mineral exploration and mining sectors. It advocates for the industry, offers educational courses, and has contributed to significant investments in the Kootenay-Boundary region through its successful graduates.

List of schools that CMEBC presented for on three occasions for December 2019, January and February 2020.

• Kootenay Home Educators
• Trafalgar Middle School
• Brent Kennedy Elementary School

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

The East Kootenay Chamber of Mines (EKCM) is a non-profit organization, incorporated in 1992 to actively promote mining, exploration and education in south-eastern British Columbia.

College of the Rockies Career Fair

March 2020

A one-day event that connects job-seekers with employers from the mineral exploration and mining industry. KEG had a booth with lots of materials which educated the public about minerals and mining as well as staff on-hand to answer any questions the public had.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education;

Elementary School Outreach

February 2020

On February 12th the East Kootenay Chamber of Mines President, Jason Jacob conducted a paleontology presentation to two classes from Gordon Terrace Elementary school at the Cranbrook History Center. This presentation was made as part of our outreach program in partnership with the History Center.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education;

QGIS Workshop

January 2020

The QGIS workshop was a one day course presented by the East Kootenay Chamber of Mines, held at the Columbo Lodge in Cranbrook. The participants learned how to use GIS software and the uses in an interactive computer mapping, workshop setting.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education;

Kamloops Exploration Group (KEG) is a registered, volunteer-run, not-for-profit society that promotes and supports the interests of responsible mining and exploration for minerals, metals and petroleum.

KEG Lecture Series

Twice a month from January – April 2020

• A lecture for the general public by Christoper West on Leafing Through History: Exploring the Fossil Plant Deposits of Western Canada.
• A lecture from Jasquelin Pena on Nature’s Most Potent Oxidants: Insights into Manganese Oxide Structure-Reactivity Relationships.
• A lecture for the general public by Greg Dipple – Mitigating Climate Change with Mine Waste: Carbon Capture and Storage in Mine Tailings.
• A lecture for the general public by Peter Prochotsky on Autonomous Operations at New Afton Mine.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

McGowan Elementary School Science Fair

February 2020

KEG Directors attend this annual fair to judge the student projects.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

Elementary School Visits

January – March 2020

• Christoper West presented his talk on Leafing Through History: Exploring the Fossil Plant Deposits of Western Canada at the Logan Lake Elementary School.
• KEG Volunteer Ed Frey and KEG Director Vivian Park gave an intro to geology talk to 3 classes; grades 2,3 and 4 with an ‘Ask the Geologist’ session at Logan Lake Elemenrary School.
• Greg Dipple – Mitigating Climate Change with Mine Waste: Carbon Capture and Storage in Mine Tailings – tailored to grade 7 at Albert McGowan Elementary School and Aberdeen Elementary School.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

Conference Planning Meetings

Monthly 

The team all get together for a 2020 KEG Conference Planning session and again for a Mining Day Planning session.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

Mineral Claims Information Session and Workshop

December 2019

This was a first-time information session for Knutsford residents to understand the process of mineral claims. KEG president Jane McCaw and volunteer Royanna Wild gave a presentation followed by a Q&A session with BC Gold Commissioner Mark Messmer and Deputy Assistant Gold commissioner Donna Mykete. They also hosted a hands-on workshop for KEG members, Knutsford residents and local rock club members.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

The MEG exists to promote the sociable exchange of geological and technical information at a series of luncheon meetings held during the traditional ‘off-season’ (fall through spring of each year). The meetings feature talks on new discoveries, breaking developments and deposit descriptions.

Smithers Exploration Group (SEG) has been serving and promoting the mineral industry in Northwest British Columbia since 1971. It is dedicated to the advancement of geology, exploration and mining in the northwest.

Sponsorship of geology week for Science Mom and Math Dad webinars (online)

April to June 2020

Science Mom and Math Dad are parents from the US who are also guest teachers at schools and have online webinars and videos. In mid-March when schools and businesses over the world were shutting down to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, they started up a daily science and math webinar that they called Quarantime for Kids who were no longer in the classroom. They had a week of mostly geology topics. SEG provided sponsorship to them to encourage the teaching of geoscience. We received links to the videos, printable worksheets and an introductory video thanking SEG and AME for sponsorship. These links have been distributed to the relevant teachers in the Smithers region that would normally be teaching this material to help support them with remote learning. Students, teachers and parents can participate in these webinars which are engaging with engineering challenges, quizzes and art. The links to these and other online educational resources were sent to Kispiox, Muheim, Twain Sullivan, Walnut Park, Witset and Telkwa Schools. This was in partnership with Below BC.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; Public and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

Creation of Online Resources

During social distancing measures and Covid-19 restrictions, there was work being done by SEG to develop online resources. SEG continues to develop online resources for students from elementary age to university age with Below BC using online 3D photos of rocks and by modifying physical versions of resources that we have developed over the last few years. Some examples that are ongoing include a rock cycle activity, geologic time scale activity, online and physical Smithers Geotour and online prospector course material for students and the general public.

Advertising in Local Media

Radio ads with CFNR (Canada’s First Nations Radio) were played for a week during Mining Month. These ads were referred to as Mining Nuggets and were short 15 minute ads which highlighted what mined items are used in certain everyday things, these were played on the air across Northwest BC and this station broadcasts to 82 communities in Central and Northern B.C. and is the exclusive commercial radio in 42 First Nations communities.

SEG took out 8 half-page ads in the local newspaper to help distribute outreach messages that were not able to done in person this year. This is being complemented with online and twitter support by the Interior News as well as Facebook posts on the SEG page. Two different ads have so far been printed. The first was support for Mining Month and corresponded with a Mining Supplement in the Interior News. SEG also provided an Exploration and Mining Summary which was printed along with graphs of exploration expenditures and drilling. Our second ad consisted of a Mining Feeds poster which we have previously used at Minerals Rocks displays.

A contest was launched for people to submit photos, lists, or a story relating to the non-renewable resources used in local food production. The winning entry was posted about using potash and phosphorus as well as sometimes applying micronutrients like copper, boron and zinc while growing grain and canola. The next ad will be for an updated Geocrawl which will be available in some locations as well as online.

For health and safety reasons during Covid-19, the following events were canceled:

March 21: Scavenger Hunt at the Ski Hill
March 27: Chamber on Tap open house with the Chamber of Commerce
April 3: Pacific NW Regional Science Fair
May 1 & 2 Chamber of Commerce Trade Expo Booth
May 8-14: Prospector Course
May 20: Mining Month Lunch with the Chamber of Commerce at the Prestige Lodge
April – June: School visits with hundreds of kids across the region
August 27-30: Bulkley Valley Fall Fair

Gitanyow Career Day

March 2020

This career fair in the small Indigenous community of Gitanyow had approximately 15 booths with information on training and careers in different industries. SEG had a display of interesting rocks and minerals including two pieces of obsidian, one for display and one for a draw prize, he brought 100 mini-mineral sets which highlight minerals that we use everyday and polished agates to give away, bookmarks and Minerals Ed activity books. There were also SEG directories, information on local projects and careers in the industry. More students attended this event than usual since it was not held on a non-instructional day this year.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; Public and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

Kispiox Day of Science

February 2020

Science World, local scientists and the school arranged a day of science for the Kispoix school. Other schools from Indigenous communities in the region were bused into Kispiox to experience this day. Science World did two sessions of amazing scientific experiments and presentations which had the kids enthralled. Between the sessions, students visited tables which had been set up by the other scientists with displays and activities. These ranged from the Augmented Reality Sandbox, drones, engineering with egg drop tests, forestry and geology. This year, SEG sent two geologists, Ted Vanderwart P. Geo. had a mineral identification activity at one table and Lorie Farrell P. Geo. had a display of rocks and minerals including more interactive rocks like pumice in water and magnetite at another table. There were also colouring books and bookmarks, and enough mini-mineral sets to hand out once kids completed the mineral ID activity.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; Public and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

Bulkley Valley Research Centre

February 2020

The Bulkley Valley Research Centre hosts bi-weekly presentations through the winter months for local scientists. The subject of this one was: What is responsible development? The presentation included understanding the role of planning, independent science, early engagement, and co-management to improve decision-making, reduce impacts and increase benefits to local communities. It also touched on best practices in mining and forestry, looked at how the northwest economy is changing, and provided some examples of innovation and diversification in the region.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Education, Successful Exploration.

Gitanmaax Get Connected Career Fair

February 2020

This is the largest annual career fair in the region with over 1,000 people attending. In addition to the adults that attend, students are brought by bus from different communities through the day for a brief tour through the career fair. Attendees are given a “passport” that they need to get stamped at different booths, once it is filled out, they return it to be entered in a draw to win door prizes. Free lunches and snacks are available for people at the career fair and booths include employers, funders and educational institutions. Following the career fair there is DJ music and a dance until midnight.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; Public and Stakeholder Awareness and Education

Smithers CRC Cadets Group

February 2020

The Smither CRC Cadets group is a Grade 4 to 7 boys group that meets bi-weekly to do various activities including outdoor skills, woodworking or other relevant knowledge and skills. The activity for this meeting involved was for the Grade 5 group only and was a mineral identification activity run by Ted Vanderwart P. Geo. Thirteen mineral samples were randomly placed on papers labelled 1 to 13. The boys were supplied a list of the actual specimen names with key diagnostic features, supplementary information including Moh’s hardness scale and a list of different lustres. Steel nails, pennies, a hand lens, and a couple pen magnets were provided for the exercise. After a brief explanation of hardness and Moh’s scale and lustre, the group worked in pairs using the information and tools supplied to correctly identify the mineral. A recording sheet was provided for the boys to write the correct mineral name beside the sample number. The boys were given about 40 minutes to go through all the samples after which the samples were identified and a prize given to the group with the best score.

AME Strategic Plan component(s): Public Awareness and Education,

The mission of the VIX Group is to inspire and support responsible mineral exploration and geological education on Vancouver Island, fostering a community that values environmental stewardship, sustainable practices, and shared knowledge.