Winnipeg – The Mining Association of Manitoba Inc. (MAMI) is pleased to announce that the 60th Annual Manitoba Provincial Mine Rescue Competition will be held May 26 & 27th 2023, at Chisel North Mine in Snow Lake, MB, and hosted by Hudbay Minerals.
More than just good sport, team-building exercises, and community-building events, successful mine operations rely upon competitions like this to sharpen the skills and responsiveness of their mine rescue teams. Participants gain life-saving experience, while their performance is rated and evaluated against standard rescue procedures and environments. Manitoba’s annual competition is comprised of a variety of rescue scenarios that take place both under and above ground, with teams competing over challenging courses and elaborate structures that will be set-up throughout the buildings and grounds of the Hudbay Snow Lake mine site.
“This year is special because we’re also celebrating Manitoba’s 60th annual Mine Rescue Competition.” said MAMI Mine Rescue Co-chair Richard Trudeau. “Our participants are equally as excited to contribute to our province’s deep mine rescue legacy as they are to compete!”
The robust competition includes testing in rescue missions, first aid challenges, and firefighting, followed by written exams conducted by presiding judges Neil Spencer of Sling-Choker Mfg. (Thompson) Ltd. and Jamie Mortson of Alex MacIntyre & Associates Ltd. Each are highly-experienced, certified independent Manitoba mine rescue instructors.
“More than an important industry competition, this annual event is an opportunity to inform our communities, and Manitobans about our mining operations’ reliance upon effective mine rescue teams, ” explained Stacy Kennedy Co-Chair of MAMI’s Mine Rescue Committee. “Mining operations cannot and do not operate without the presence of experienced and well-trained mine rescue workers on site at all times.”
While MAMI is celebrating 60 years of mine rescue competition in the province, 2023 also marks the first time the event will field a ‘Mutual Aid Team’, lead by a host-mine Captain, and made-up of four team members from the remaining mine stations. “Mutual Aid’ is fundamental to a safety-focused mine rescue culture”, said Kennedy. “We’re excited to see how this new element contributes to the spirit of competition and lessons-learned by all our participants.”