SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE NORTHERN MINER/JANUARY 2026
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PROSPECTORS & DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
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MARCH 1- 4 Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada
Where discovery meets opportunity Welcome to the 2026 World’s Premier Mineral Exploration and Mining Convention By Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
PDAC is excited to introduce you to our annual convention, which attracts tens of thousands of industry members, specialists, executives, government officials, early-career individuals and more. Our dedicated team of mineral exploration and mining community veterans work hard to provide elevated programming, best-in-class sessions and expert panels to attendees who come from over 125 countries. This industry-leading experience is made possible by PDAC’s 30-member Convention Planning Committee (CPC). The committee members are all volunteers who hold decades of experience in our sector as geologists, finance experts, mining executives, senior advisors and more. They are responsible for bringing thought-provoking programming and diverse, engaging ideas to the Convention year after year.
PDAC 2026: THE WORLD’S PREMIER MINERAL EXPLORATION & MINING CONVENTION MARCH 1-4, 2026
Register by Feb. 6, 2026 to qualify for early registration rates. Review the full program and registration details at www.pdac.ca/convention For more information on registration, contact: PDAC Registration Department E pdac@pdacevents.ca | T 1 866 939 6468 | 647 362 8442 For more information about Convention, contact: Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada E convention@pdac.ca | T 416 362 1969
Valerie Wilson
Charles Beaudry
The CPC seeks to bring topics of international interest to the convention, ensuring every level of programming aligns with current industry trends, questions, and conversations around what the mineral exploration and mining community needs for continued success and growth. With this, the CPC has invited a dynamic and diverse group of presenters from both outside and within our exploration community to speak on a number of key topics that are of great importance to the sector. And along with the various tools and educational workshops scheduled for PDAC 2026, the programming for this year’s show will prove why this has been the event-of-choice for the industry for almost a century. Behind it all are the co-chairs of the CPC: Valerie Wilson, geology technical director at SLR Consulting, and Charles Beaudry, vice-president exploration and director at QC Copper and Gold. Valerie’s professional work is focused on building bridges between technical teams and her expertise helps guide the CPC as a whole. She is a strong leader who elevates the work of the committee and serves as a driving force to achieving the CPC’s goals. Charles is a professional geologist with over 45 years in the industry, and this expertise allows him to co-chair the CPC with wisdom and provide strong connections across the industry that are leveraged in the content the CPC produces.
Together, their goal is to produce content for the Convention that informs, engages, sparks meaningful discussions and inspires active participation from every attendee. The tagline for 2026’s convention is “Where discovery meets opportunity,” and it is by creating these opportunities for attendees to help achieve positive growth in the industry that has allowed PDAC to see the convention grow into an award-winning international event.
“Our dedicated team of mineral exploration and mining community veterans work hard to provide elevated programming, best-in-class sessions and expert panels to attendees who come from over 125 countries.” This success is a testament to the commitment and work of the CPC and its expert co-chairs. “The Convention presents so much value from within and outside the formal programming that I’m hoping to do my part to continue the legacy of the ‘mustattend’ mining convention,” said Wilson when talking about the industry-leading programming for PDAC 2026. Beaudry added, “I think the most important thing we can do to ensure the 2026 Convention is a big and popular event is to focus on presenting the best sessions that we can. PDAC is known for the quality of the sessions, and I hope that 2026 will live up to our reputation.” PDAC is thankful for its presenters, committees, sponsors and volunteers for their support. The association is excited for you to experience the convention, and make sure to read the following pages of this feature and visit us online at pdac.ca/convention for more information on all the incredible programming, sessions and events that have been put together for PDAC 2026!