Sudbury suppliers showcase mining acumen to South American visitors: Chilean delegates pay a visit to city's mining sector.

• Author: McKinley, Karen
• Position: SUDBURY

Sudbury got a chance to show off the latest mining innovations being incubated to new and longtime business partners from Chile.

A group of 18 delegates from several mining companies sponsored by Pro Chile, an export promotion association, were in the city the week of Nov. 19 to visit Sudbury mining supply companies, take a tour of the NORCAT test mine in Onaping, and check out the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation facilities at Laurentian University.

Scott Rennie, project manager of Northern Ontario Exports for the City of Greater Sudbury, said tours like this are not unusual, but they are becoming more frequent.

"There are a lot of well-established ties with Chile in Sudbury, and a lot of our mining supply companies already do work there and want to do a lot more work."

Calling the visit "productive," he said mining is becoming much more international, with corporations working together rather than on their own to further projects.

Sudbury's expertise in mining innovation is something global players want to tap into.

"It's the sort of activity you want to see between mining clusters," Rennie said.

In a press release, Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger, who was with the delegates, said both the city and Chile have a critical role in the global mining sector. The city is keen to keep building relationships with the...