The Mining Association of Manitoba Inc. (MAMI) Announces 2022 Manitoba Provincial Mine Rescue Competition

Mar 24, 2022 - 3 years ago

The 2022 annual provincial competition, scheduled to take place May 27 & 28th, will be the first mine rescue competition in the province since provincial health restrictions were imposed in spring of 2020.

The Mining Association of Manitoba Inc. (MAMI) Announces 2022 Manitoba Provincial Mine Rescue Competition — *Photo Credit: Brandy Bloxom Photography*

Mines rely upon competition like this to hone their mine rescue teams’ skills and experience and evaluate their performance against standard operating procedures and environments. The competition in May will be run across a range of settings, including scenarios underground and aboveground, using courses and structures set-up over a range of buildings and grounds throughout the Vale mine site.

“The format and timing for this year’s competition addresses the need for our provincial mine rescue teams to strengthen their mine rescue skills in ways that practice alone cannot.” said MAMI President Richard Trudeau. “So, the teams are ready and excited to be resuming competition.”

Team’s participating in Manitoba’s 59th Provincial Mine Rescue Competition are:

Hudbay Minerals Inc., Flin Flon
Hudbay Minerals Inc., Snow Lake
Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada, Bernic Lake
Vale-Manitoba Operations, Thompson

The comprehensive competition will incorporate testing in rescue missions, first aid challenges, firefighting, and written exams conducted by presiding judges Neil Spencer of Sling-Choker Mfg. (Thompson) Ltd. and Jamie Mortson of Alex MacIntyre & Associates Ltd. who are each certified independent Manitoba mine rescue instructors.

“Effective mine rescue teams are critical to a mine’s operation, plus serve as role models to their peers in an industry that relies upon a safety-centric culture,” explains Stacy Kennedy Co-Chair of MAMI’s Mine Rescue Committee. “We’re eager to return to competition to ensure that the skills of our mine rescue personnel remain sharp, and the industry in Manitoba continues to build on its record of strong safety performance.”

This year’s competition is also bittersweet as it will be the last year that the 777 Mine in Hudbay Flin Flon will be sending a team due to their anticipated closure in late 2022, after more than 90 years in operation. However, many of the 777’s labour force and mine rescue team members are expected to transition to working at Hudbay’s Lalor mine in Snow Lake next year.

For more information, visit https://www.mines.ca.

Source: MAMI