Ontario Prospectors Association
Garry Clark
The Ontario Prospectors Association has been going through its most intense review and evaluation since it was conceived in 1989. The original association was established as a single voice to represent the different local committees established to modernize the Mining Act. For most involved in the changes, we felt we helped create a more workable Mining Act.
As the years past, the exploration community and the OPA has evolved from a Senior Mining company-supported group to an independent consultant/prospector and Junior company dominated association. This evolution resulted in a less reactive volunteer organization as those involved were busy putting bread on the table instead of trying to represent the exploration community. However it, must be said, the volunteers who have worked as directors over the last 10 plus years have done an admirable job with limited resources.
This was where we were last year at this time. At that point the MNDM and Minister again recognized that explorationists in the province lacked a unified voice and also lacked the necessary funds to develop an effective provincial organization. So the opportunity was given for us to develop and present a proposal to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for funds for us to establish a representative and effective Ontario Prospectors Association.
So a series of meetings were held amongst the local northern associations and then an application was made to the NOHFC for funding. On March 7th, 2000, the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, the Honourable Tim Hudak announced, as the chair of NOHFC, that $4.0 million would be set aside to assist in strengthening the voice of the OPA and to develop a grassroots exploration incentive fund. To get the funding released a formal business plan was required from the OPA.
To develop this Business Plan we convened a committee of representatives: Jerry Ouellette (Co-Chair) MPP, Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Northern Development and Mines; Garry Clark (Co-Chair) Chair of OPA; Mike Leahy Vice Chair OPA, Northern Prospectors Association; Bob Komarechka Sudbury Prospectors and Developers Association; Bob MacGregor Sault Ste. Marie Prospectors and Developers Association; Stew Fumerton, Bill Wachyison, Bob Calhoun, Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association; Dave Christianson, Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association; Lorne Burden an explorationist; Alan Spacek, Dave Murphy NOHFC; Neal Roberts / Carrie Kormos / Bill McGuinty MNDM.
This committee met from May to September with the mandate of:
- developing a new, strong and effective association to represent all peoples involved in exploration in the province.
- develop a viable business plan and organizational charter
To get expertise the committee decided to bring in a business consultant to assist in developing a the mandate and complete the application for funding to the NOHFC. The consultant met with the committee in a series of meetings through the summer.
A broad range of input outside the committee was sought:
- Several hundred questionnaires were sent out across the province with a return rate of almost 10%
- Detailed questionnaires were targeted to 30 active volunteers in industry. The return rate of these was 43%.
- Telephone interviews with people in the industry.
- Two focus groups were convened in Toronto with people from Major and Juniors Mining Companies, exploration service companies, the legal and investment community, and the PDAC and OMA.
- additional input came from the regional groups, Ministry personnel, the private sectors and other professional groups.
The process stripped down the OPA and bared all its problems and faults. It was also recognized that the OPA needed to represent all explorationists in the province and to come up with a mandate to:
- lobby for the exploration community to influence: government policy and legislation; access to land; and capital.
- support the membership through effective communications, information exchange (newsletter and website) and networking (symposia and professional development), finding a vehicle to provide financial assistance to prospectors.
- improve the credibility of OPA and exploration community.
The model which has been developed identified the need of a full time staff consisting of:
- an Executive/Managing Director,
- an Administrative Assistant,
- plus some part time communications and networking staff.,
- a contractual web master.
At present the OPA is operating with a restructuring board and has started implementation of the completed Business Plan. We have also applied to the NOHFC for interim funding to restructure the OPA and placed an advertisement in the Northern Miner for the Executive Director’s position. On approval of the NOHFC application we could conceivably have an Executive Director for the December 11th + 12th Toronto symposium. It is hoped that the completed transition to a new OPA will be completed by the first Annual Meeting to be held at the April Symposium in Sudbury.
|
