Ladislaus “Largo” Albert, 94 years old, passed away peacefully with family by his side, on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at the FJ Davey Home in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.

Largo proudly worked in the mining industry for over 6 decades. An industry leader in hoisting and mine safety, he was a CIM Life Member of CIM, CIM Fellow, executive member of the Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability Society of CIM and 1989 recipient of the McParland Memorial Award. He loved the great outdoors and fishing in particular.

Funeral Service in the R.J. Barnard Chapel on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 1pm followed by a reception. Interment in the St. Stanislaus Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer Society would be appreciated. For those who wish to view the service online, please click here.

CIM Member William John Beck passed away in Vancouver, B.C. A professional engineer, he worked in many roles at operations across the country and the United States during his 40-year career in mining. He formed his own consulting company, Beck & Associates GeoConsultants Inc., in 1999.

Avalon Advanced Materials founder and president Donald Bubar died on July 30, 2023, at the age of 68. He was considered a visionary for recognizing early on the importance of critical minerals for the energy transition. Along with championing the acceleration of critical minerals for zero-emission technologies, he was also an early advocate for mining companies to engage with Indigenous communities earlier, and more often, to gain social licence to operate. Bubar was involved with the Prospectors and Development Association of Canada for decades and was awarded its Distinguished Service Award in 2019 for his work as a leader in Indigenous relations.

Mauro Chiesa passed away on February 8, 2023 at the age of 70. He was a proud CIM member and had been named a Distinguished Lecturer for the 2015-2016 season.

Mauro spent 36 years in financing and advisory services as they applied to the fields of extractive and infrastructure projects. He also spent four years working in Ottawa with Export Development Canada, 13 years in New York working with two international banks specializing in industrial finance, ten years with the World Bank Group, primarily with IFC, and ten years as an independent advisor and consultant in Vancouver. 

Mauro frequently contributed his expertise within the pages of CIM Magazine. He held an MBA and a BA from the University of British Columbia. 

Obituary and funeral details

George H. Espley died peacefully on Aug. 16, 2023, at the age of 87. He led the Bank of Montreal’s Mining Services group for many years. A CIM Life Member, he held the positions of chair of the CIM Finance Committee and chair of the CIM Toronto Branch. He was named a CIM Distinguished Lecturer in 1995 and awarded the CIM Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award in 1998, among many other awards and accolades. He is survived by his wife and children, including CIM past president Samantha Espley.

Fathi Habashi, a dedicated figure in the mining, metallurgy and materials engineering field, and professor at Laval University, passed away on Sept. 26, 2023, just shy of his 95th birthday. Born in Cairo, Egypt, he was a renowned metallurgist who dedicated his life to teaching. He also held several patents, including a process capable of reducing the toxicity of asbestos. His legacy as a long-time member of MetSoc of CIM is commemorated through the Fathi Habashi Lecture and Scholarship. Habashi was awarded a CIM Fellowship in 1998.

Gerald Heffernan, known for pioneering less-polluting minimills for steel production, died on July 28, 2023, at the age of 104. Made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1987, the citation read: “He is renowned worldwide as a founder and developer of major steelmaking organizations and as a highly skilled engineer and scientist.”

Kenneth J. Hill P. Eng. Was a 50 Year Club member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He had three passions in life—family, mine building and the outdoors. Ken was born on February 6, 1939 in Sioux Lookout and lived in Ghost River, Ontario where he was originally educated in a one room schoolhouse. He started his post-secondary education in the Haileybury School of Mines, later obtaining a BS in Geological Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1962.

Between 1962 and 1980, Ken worked primarily as a Geologist in underground mines, the first being the Wilroy Copper-Zinc Mine at Manitouwadge, 200 km northwest of Wawa, Ontario. He then moved to Chibougamau, Québec where he worked for Campbell Resources. It is here that Ken made his transition from Geologist to Planning Engineer. Ken then moved his family to Stewart, BC where he worked as a Mining Engineer at Granduc Operating Company, an 8,000 mtpd underground copper mine.

In the early 1970s, Ken joined J.S. Redpath as Chief Engineer where he contributed on several challenging deep shaft projects.

Between 1980 and 1988, Ken worked as Project Manager and eventually as Vice President of Mine Development for the Dome Mines Group. He was initially hired to build the $138 million 2,200 mtpd Detour Lake Gold Mine in Northeastern Ontario, which he did, on budget and two months ahead of schedule. Then he built the 500 mtpd Dona Lake Mine near Pickle Lake, Ontario. While building this mine, he was also responsible for advancing the Musselwhite Project from a raw prospect to an economic mining project as well as managing operations at the Detour Lake Mine.

Ken Hill was a tough but fair negotiator. He was a calm mine builder who rarely became flustered when facing challenges. He understood the importance of budget and schedule. Ken’s greatest strength was his vision and ability to work with First Nations. He was years ahead of his time when it came to Environmental, Social and Governance. Ken initiated employment targets, and later benefit agreements with Ojibway and Dene First Nations peoples at Detour Lake, Dona Lake, Musselwhite and the Colomac Mines.

From 1988 to 1992, he was Executive Vice President of Operations for Northgate Exploration Ltd. Initially, he was responsible for the 2,000 mtpd Jamestown Open Pit Gold Mine located in a populated area of California, which imposed stringent permitting and operating conditions. Later, he also managed the construction and start-up of the low-grade Colomac Mine, located 200 km northwest of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The project was developed on schedule and on budget for $167 million under severe climatic and onerous financial conditions.

From 1992 to 1999, Ken worked as Vice President of Mining for Inmet Mining Corporation. In 1996, he managed a comprehensive feasibility study and environmental review on the Izok Lake Zinc-Copper Project in Nunavut. He also negotiated the first Inuit Impact Benefits Agreement (IIBA) with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association based in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Ken also managed operations at the rich Cayeli Bakir Isletmeleri Copper Mine in Turkey and the 15,000 mtpd Troilus Open Pit Gold Mine in Québec.

Between 2000 and 2010, Ken formed his own consulting company Minpro, where he worked with his old Dome Mines Group friends, Joe Spiteri, Wayne Valliant, Gord F. Lundy (Deceased February 20, 2023), Gary Cohoon, David Henderson, Ron Stewart and Charles Presswood. In addition to many valuations and evaluations, he contributed to the construction of the Duck Pond Copper-Zinc Mine in central Newfoundland and helped his client re-open the Keno Hill Silver Mine in Yukon.

Ken and his wife Mary loved their family and spent many days with Mary’s family in Gaspé, Québec and at his parents' isolated Off-The-Grid Camp near Sioux Lookout. In his retirement, Ken was Administrative Assistant and Chief Driver for his wife Mary in their support of the Catholic Women’s League of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Mississauga, Ontario.

Ken was a quiet leader who led by example. He was a mentor to many Engineers and Mine Geologists. One of Ken’s greatest joys in his later years was to get together with his old friends and talk about mine building and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ken passed away on September 5, 2023 after a 14-year struggle with Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease. He was cared for and supported at home by Mary, their daughter Sally, their son Martin and his wife Lucy and daughter Island until his last week of life. Ken was predeceased by his parents Uno and Alice (Countryman) Hill and his sister Linda (Hill) Landry. He will be sadly missed by his family and all those who knew him.

Geologist John Hodgkinson passed away on Aug. 29, 2023. He came to Canada in 1957 to work at Madsen Red Lake Gold Mines in Ontario, before working some years in Western Australia. He eventually returned to Ontario to work with the federal Department of Northern Affairs.

Laurentian University’s Goodman School of Mines founding executive director Bruce Jago passed away on Aug. 5, 2023, at the age of 66. A seasoned industry veteran, prior to his mining school appointment, his career included serving in senior senior roles at Miocene Metals, Wallbridge Mining and Inco Ltd.

We sadly mark the passing of one of CIM's most beloved life members, Hubert Wylam King, on Sunday evening, February 12th in Victoria, B.C. Hubert was an internationally renowned research scientist. He taught Metal Physics and Material Engineering at Imperial College, London, Dalhousie University, the Technical University of Nova Scotia, University of Western Ontario and University of Victoria, B.C., finally retiring at the age of 85, an active member of the Salt Spring Island community. 

A Memorial service will be held Friday February 17th at All Saints Anglican Church in Ganges, at 2pm. The service will also be live-streamed and available on the church’s YouTube channel.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Anglican Parish of Salt Spring Island.

William Irving (Bill) Mundle passed away on March 2, 2023 with his wife by his side, at Cumberland Regional Health Care Center, Amherst. He was born February 5, 1939 in Pugwash, to Irving and Edna (Snowdon) Mundle.

Following high school, Bill graduated from Mount Allison University with a degree in geology. Eventually he worked as Managing Director of Boart Longyear Company and in 1978 purchased Logan Brothers Diamond Drilling, which became Logan Drilling Group. He developed this into an international company with subsidiary companies in Georgia, USA and Medellin, Colombia. At the time of his passing he was CEO and Chairman of the Board, and very proud to still be involved with the company. Throughout his career Bill developed many life long friendships and had great appreciation for all of his employees.

For many years Bill was very much involved with the Mining Society of Nova Scotia, The Canadian Institute of Mining, from which he received a Fellowship Award, and The Mining Association of Nova Scotia.

Co-founder and chair of the board of Vancouver-based First Quantum Minerals Philip Pascall passed away peacefully on Sept. 19, 2023. A great source of pride for him was bringing improved standards of health and education to the local communities in which First Quantum Minerals operates.

The geophysical community lost a giant on Dec. 22, 2022, when Norman R. Paterson passed away, a month short of his 97th birthday. His legacy includes contributions to the full exploration cycle, from instrument development to interpretation. He was a mentor to, and collaborator with, multiple generations of geophysicists. His published technical contributions approached 80, including seminal papers in CIM Bulletin, and CIM published his book Mining Geophysics: A Canadian Story.

Peter C. Salmon died unexpectedly at home on July 29, 2023, at the age of 76. After becoming a pilot at a young age, he worked flying into mine camps all over the country. Salmon was active in the CIM GTA West Branch and was a past chair.

Tyler Thompson passed away on Feb. 28, 2023, at the young age of 46. He began his mining career at Teck’s Highland Valley Copper operations in 1997, where he spent 15 years, before moving to New Gold. Thompson was very active in the CIM South Central B.C. Branch and held the position of chairman for eight years.