New Geomatics and Geosciences Initiatives

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New Geomatics and Geosciences Initiatives
Alain Leclair and Kathleen Lysyshyn - Geo-mapping
Initiatives Yvan Désy - Topographic Mapping
Initiatives Simon Riopel and Sophie Sliwa -
GeoConnections

• Natural Resources Canada
• Earth Sciences Sector

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Presentation Outline

• Introduction - Natural Resources Canada
• Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals
• Public geoscience framework and contribution
• Program description and community engagement
• Topographic Mapping Initiative
• New Canadian Topographic Maps 150 000
• Priorities for northern topographic map coverage
  
• GeoConnections and the Canadian Geospatial Data
  Infrastructure (CGDI)
• Program overview and presentation of the CGDI
• Past, current, and future initiatives with
  Aboriginal Communities

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Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

• Mandate
• NRCan works to ensure the responsible development
  of Canada's natural resources, including forests,
  energy, minerals and metals.
• NRCan develops programs that enhance the
  contribution of the natural resources sector to
  the economy and improve the quality of life for
  all Canadians.
• We use our expertise in Earth Sciences to build
  and maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of our
  landmass and resources.
• Earth Sciences Sector provides Canadians with
  timely and reliable geomatics and geoscience
  information.

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NRCan Earth Sciences Sector
Scientific knowledge and tools contribute to the
lives of Canadians

• Economic development find more mineral and
  fossil fuel resources to increase economic
  opportunities
• Environmental responsibility understand and
  protect our environment and critical resources
  (groundwater)
• Public safety and security reduce risks due to
  natural hazards (landslides, earthquakes, floods)
• Governance and understanding of Canada providing
  geodetic surveys, topographic maps, Atlas of
  Canada

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Earth Sciences Sector (ESS)

• Geological Survey of Canada
• Canadas national geoscience agency
• provides geological information technologies to
  support the sustainable development of Canadas
  natural resources
• informs people about natural hazards,
  environmental health issues
• Geomatics Canada
• provides geographic and topographic information
  (maps, satellite images) on Canadas landmass
  offshore regions
• develops the standards, technologies and
  partnerships needed to build Canadas geospatial
  foundation

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NRCan-ESS Initiatives related to Northern Canada
and land management
1. Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals
2. Topographic Mapping Initiative
3. GeoConnections and the CGDI
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Value of Public Geoscience in the Mining Cycle
Strong Economy Employment Prosperous Communities

• Education and outreach to regions and communities
• Attracts exploration investment, levels the
  playing field
• Increases exploration effectiveness
• Supports environmental assessment and monitoring

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Strength through Partnership

• A shared responsibility of federal, provincial
  and territorial governments under the
  Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord

• Defines roles
• Principles mechanisms of cooperation
• National Geological Surveys Committee

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Public Geoscience in CanadaStaying Focused

• Cooperative Geological Mapping Strategies
• Broadly supported proposal to renew the
  geoscience knowledge base for mineral and energy
  exploration
• Proposed 500 million over 10 years
• Cost-shared 5050

• Renewing the Knowledge Base
• Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI)
• 25 million federal over 5 years (2005-2010)
• Cost-shared 5050
• 3D mapping of base metal districts

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Government of Canadas Northern Strategy

• is focused on strengthening Canadas
  sovereignty, promoting economic and social
  development, protecting our environmental
  heritage, and improving and devolving governance,
  so that northerners have greater control over
  their destinies.

Natural Resources Canada Improving Geological
Mapping for the Development of Resources
Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals - GEM
(Government of Canada, August 26, 2008)
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Geo-mapping for Resource Development

• Geo-mapping stands for Geological resource
  mapping
• Energy and mineral resources is the primary
  source of economic growth in Canadas North
• Fraser Institutes annual report on global
  mining
• NU NWT lag behing all provinces for
  exploration investment
• Attracting private exploration investment
  requires public geoscience knowledge
• (i.e. studying the rocks and soils we walk
  on)
• Geo-mapping combines field research and
  scientific analysis to assess the extent of
  mineral and energy resources

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Geoscience Track Record
Federal
Provincial
Private sector

• Past experience
• 1M public geoscience
• 5M private sector exploration
• 125M new resources

6M 4M 2M 0M

• Bedrock mapping program Quebecs Far North
• 3 mineral deposits
• gt 160 mineralized zones

QUEBEC
Geoscience Canada (Leclair et al., 2006)
88
90
92
94
96
98
00
04
02
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Geoscience Track Record (contd)

• Recent examples in Canadas North
• 1- Development of diamond industry
• 3rd largest diamond producer in the world
• 4 mines in production (reserves approx. 15
  years)
• diamond mining economy (2005) 50 NT 10 NU
• 2- Gold - Committee Bay, Nunavut
• geo-mapping potential for nickel, copper, gold
• increase in claim staking gold discovery
• government investment 3.7M private investment
  46M
• 3- Gem-quality sapphire - Southern Baffin Island,
  Nunavut
• Inuit prospectors (Seemeega and Nowdluk Aqpik)
  in 2002

Expenditures by exploration and mining
sector 2004 2007 25 of total
322M 329M 493M 676M in Canada
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Exploration Potential of the North

• Resource exploration
• gas in the Beaufort Sea
• oil in the Eastern Arctic
• gold in the Yukon
• diamonds in NWT NU
• Past and present producing mines
• Gold Lupin, Con, Giant, Minto
• Lead-Zinc Nanisivik, Polaris, Pine Point,
  Faro
• Diamond Diavik, Ekati, Snap Lake, Jericho
• Tungsten CanTung
• Geoscience exploration
• Potential for mineral deposits of diamonds, base
  precious metals
• Canadian Shield underlies 2/3 of the North
• Northern Shield is covered by younger rocks -
  similar to BC

Adequate geological information for only 40 of
the North
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Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM)

• What is GEM
• A scientific and technical program designed to
  produce public geoscience information that will
  improve the effectiveness of mineral and energy
  resource exploration in Northern Canada
• Goal
• Attract private sector investment in discovering
  and developing mineral and energy resources
  (North)
• Strategy
• Guide private sector to exploration targets
  through new geoscience in areas with high
  resources potential
• Final outcome
• An increased economic prosperity of Northern
  Canada through stable, long-term investment in
  resource development

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Geo-mapping activities

• Geoscience is the study of structure, evolution
  and dynamics of the Earth, and its natural
  resources
• Public geoscience plays a key role in guiding
  private sector investment for the discovery of
  new mineral and energy reserves, by providing
  regional geological maps and data
• Regional geoscience knowledge base
• Geophysical surveys magnetic, radiometric,
  gravity
• Geological mapping surveys bedrock, surficial
  deposits
• Geochemical surveys analysis of rocks,
  minerals and soils

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Geophysical Surveys
Geologists use geophysical maps to help
understand the composition and structure of
bedrock and surface materials.
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Geological Mapping Surveys
Bedrock surficial geological mapping
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Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM)

• Budget
• 100M over a period of 5 years between 2008 and
  2013
• 12M/yr FY 2008-2009
• 22M/yr next four fiscal years

• 75 allocated for public geoscience in the
  Territories
• 25 available for cost-shared projects in the
  Provinces

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Planning and Implementation of GEM

• Technical aspects (Geoscience specialists)
• Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) is leading GEM
  initiative
• GSC develops geo-mapping projects in coordination
  with provincial and territorial governments and
  industry stakeholders
• Several technical advisory committees advise on
  technical aspects, within the framework of the
  Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord
• Non-technical aspects (Northern and other
  stakeholders)
• Advisory Group of Northerners will help ensure
  that Northerners gain long-term social and
  economic benefits from GEM

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GEM Projects

• Energy-related projects
• Purpose energy resource assessment, including
  uranium
• Focused on developing better knowledge of
  conventional hydrocarbon sources in sedimentary
  basins with
• - known potential (e.g. Beaufort/Mackenzie)
• - unknown potential (e.g. Hudson Bay)
• Region with greatest uranium potential Thelon
  Basin
• - compilation geophysical data to support
  exploration activity

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Energy-related Projects (tentative)
Assess exploration potential for petroleum (oil
gas) and uranium
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GEM Projects

• Mineral-related projects
• Purpose better understanding of the mineral
  resource potential for commodities (i.e. diamond,
  base and precious metals)
• Focused on regions with the greatest
  exploration potential
• - new geological maps and deposit models
• Projects grouped into metallotects
• - define regions within geologic domains that
  have potential for one or more commodities

Gossans indicating the presence of economic
minerals
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Mineral-related Projects (tentative)
Geological mapping (bedrock, surficial) for
effective mineral exploration
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Community Engagement in Geoscience Programs

• Geological survey partners (GSC, Territorial
  Govt, INAC) invite northern communities and
  organizations to participate in the planning and
  execution of field-based geoscience activities
• Pre-project meetings to inform
• visit communities (mayors, councils,
  associations), licences land-use permits, job /
  business opportunities, public information

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Community Engagement in Geoscience Programs
(contd)
Syn-project meetings to inspect camp sites and
field operations

• Post-project meetings to maintain a flow of
  communication
• information sessions highlighting geoscience
  results, new maps and potential impacts (i.e.
  private sector exploration)

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Education, Outreach and Training

• Geoscientists as first contact
• basic concepts in Earth Sciences, description of
  projects,
• public geoscience / resource exploration
  opportunities
• Help the communities to make informed decisions
  concerning their participation in resources
  development
• Student training and mentoring to develop highly
  qualified personnel

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Conclusions

• Public geoscience contributes to new resource
  discoveries and is a key enabler of responsible
  resource development (mining cycle)
• Public geoscience provides support for community
  engagement and awareness of issues related to the
  resource-based economy
• Geo-mapping and exploration activities create
  employment and business opportunities and help
  human resource development

An increased economic prosperity of northern
Canada through stable, long-term investment in
resource development
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Contacts

• Simon Hanmer
• GEM Program Coordinator
• Tel [phone]
• Email shanmer_at_nrcan.gc.ca

David Boerner Director General Central
Northern Canada Branch Tel [phone] Email
dboerner_at_nrcan.gc.ca
Marc D'Iorio Director General Atlantic
Western Canada Branch Tel [phone] Email
diorio_at_nrcan.gc.ca
Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street,
Ottawa ON K1A 0E8