Mining, mineral exploration projects ramp up, First Nations training lags

Mark Fedikow hunts for gold. Skilled labour can become a secondary search.

“You can find lots of folks on the reserves that are willing to work and learn, no question about it,” Fedikow, president of Mount Morgan Resources Ltd., said Thursday in Winnipeg.

“They need to get some training, they need to get some education in exploration.”

Fedikow and his team have been surveying roughly 7,400 acres in the Snow Lake area in northern Manitoba. They’re in “early days” of gold exploration. Results over the past two years of work have been promising, Fedikow said.

He’s open to hiring locals for labour-intensive jobs and training them on the details of exploration. However, many lack the basic education needed, such as some chemistry and math, he said.

“I don’t think anyone that I know has a problem with hiring from First Nations,” Fedikow said.

“(But) there’s lots of Canadian companies that work overseas — they really can’t find expertise when they need it.”

A gap in skills training was echoed by some attending a Manitoba Prospectors and Developers Association networking event Thursday at the Manitoba Legislative Building.

The association, which has a majority Indigenous board, hosted the gathering as interest in critical minerals exploration mounts.

The association is forming an education committee to address the gaps, chief executive Renée Greyeyes told roughly 100 attendees. It’s aiming to create critical minerals exploration, supply chain and finance micro-credentials for on-reserve classes.

The committee is being formed. Ideally, five to seven people with subject matter expertise will be appointed, said Terry Brown, the association’s board president.

“When you leave to post-secondary school, it’s a culture shock for people who are in remote communities,” Brown said.

There are barriers to current programs, he added: some relevant training requires a Grade 12 education. Potential workers don’t always reach that education level and it may not be required for the roles exploration firms require, such as on-land guides, Brown said.

The association is raising money for its programming. It’s looking to federal coffers. It contacted sector councils who provide programming for First Nations to get support in its application, according to Greyeyes.

Grand Chief Jerry Daniels, who represents 33 nations through the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, called for mining deals between companies and First Nations to include employment strategies and impact benefit agreements.

“Early engagement is crucial, because you need to do the skills training,” Daniels said.

“It’s all pre-planning and training and having the partnerships to get the workforce ready.”

University College of the North has a branch — the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy — dedicated to mining industry training. Courses include mining readiness, project management and surveyor assist training.

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization is facilitating security and catering working at a gold mine near Bissett in eastern Manitoba, Daniels said.

He’s part of the Manitoba delegation attending the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto next week. The goal is to promote mining industry investment, he said.

Manitoba’s mining, oil and gas sector employed 3,895 people in 2023. The province counts roughly 130 registered mineral tenure holders.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com