1. Canada’s Natural Resources
Mineral Wealth

2. Where in the classroom do we have Canadian Mining Products?
A: Mining products include: the Chalkboard, chairs, desks, coins, metal buttons, zippers, construction frame of the building/room etc.

3. Definition: Mineral
A naturally occurring, pure, non-living substance found in the rocks of the earth

4. Types of Minerals Metallic
When refined they form the group of minerals we know as METALS.
They are mined for their BEAUTY AND RARENESS.
Known as PRECIOUS METALS
Often mined for their strength such as IRON or for other unique properties such as copper for its electricity conduction qualities.

5. Examples: Gold, silver and platinum = VALUED FOR THEIR STRENGTH
Copper = VALUED FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL WIRING
Nickel = VALUED WHEN MIXED WITH IRON TO MAKE STEEL THAT IS RESISTANT TO RUST.

6. Fossil Fuels -Non-RENEWABLE -Burned to produce ENERGY!!
Oil/Natural Gas- formed when small organisms fall to OCEAN OR LAKE FLOORS after dying, are subsequently covered with SEDIMENT before they are completely decomposed causing the decomposing process to halt.
Additional layers of sediment settle creating HEAT AND PRESSURE which produce hydrocarbons.
The presence of oil or gas may be determined by DRILLING
-Non-RENEWABLE
-Burned to produce ENERGY!!

7. Types of Drilling 2 methods of drilling
i) flowing wells – having enough natural pressure to make oil/gas flow to the surface
Non-flowing wells- do not have enough pressure to make oil/gas flow to the surface so an electric or gas pump must be used. Ex. Sask. and Alberta

8. Coal
Formed from organic matter of dead plants that is buried before DECOMPOSITION that is covered with sediment and transformed into coal with pressure and heat.
Canada has substantial deposits of coal in WESTERN AND NORTHERN regions
It is mined by using UNDERGROUND or OPEN PIT mines.
Was the most important FF in the 1800’s but has more recently been replaced by Oil and Gas

9. Open Pit Coal Mine

10. Non-Metallic Minerals
-not metallic but possess other useful qualities
Often referred to as “INDUSTRIAL MINERALS”
Asbestos = USED TO PROTECT
AGAINST FIRE AND HEAT (QUEBEC)
Not used as much today b/c exposure
to loose asbestos is found to cause cancer(carcinogenic)
Potash = SALT-LIKE MATERIAL
USED TO MAKE FERTILIZERS (S. SASK)

11. Gypsum = USED TO MAKE DRYWALL SHEETS
Soapstone = USE TO MAKE INUIT SCULPTURES
Diamonds = USED TO MAKE CUTTING TOOLS AND JEWELRY (NWT) 6th in the world for exports (Ekati mine est. 5 million/yr)
Gravel = MAJOR INGREDIENT IN CEMENT

12. Fast Facts Canada is 3RD in production of minerals
Canada is 1st in exporting minerals (80%)
In 2001 the total Value of mineral production was $83 Billion!!!
Since WWII many of the railways and road expansions have been completed so minerals can be extracted from remote sites….

13. Finding Valuable Minerals
Minerals are only mined if they are found in concentrations that make them economically viable
Minerals that are economically viable to mine are called mineral reserves
It is a geologists job to find mineral reserves

14. Looking For Metallic Minerals
Geologists can find the mineral deposits by:
Going over an area with a machine called a magnetometer – it checks for magnetic fields produced by the minerals
They can use satellite images and arial photos
All the data they collect is analyzed using GIS
They also go directly to the area to collect samples – water and rock
If everything looks good they take core samples to find out what is in the area

15. Types – o - mines Strip Mining
Used to extract minerals, such as coal or oil sands that are located in horizontal layers near the surface
Cheap
Can be somewhat time consuming as horizontal layers make it hard to tell how much coal/oil is actually underground.

16. Types –o-mines Open Pit Mining
Is used to extract minerals that are located NEAR THE SURFACE but that may extend deep into the earth.
Holes are drilled into the ground, and filled with explosives.
Rocks are blasted apart and removed from the site
Does the most damage to the earth
Scars the land and is useless unless the industry puts the overburden back in place
Cheap
Least dangerous

17. Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories
Gold Open Pit mining 2 mins
How Gold is Mined 7 mins
Open Pit Mine filled with water

18. Underground Mining /Shaft Mining
Types –o-mines
Underground Mining /Shaft Mining
Used to extract mineral ores located DEEP in the earth
Most EXPENSIVE
Best method to recover VALUABLE minerals (only viable if the mineral is worth $$, if not it may not be worth the danger..cave ins can occur)
Does the least damage to the environment

19. Underground Mining

22. Underground Potash Mine in Rick Mercer Potash Mining
Allan, Saskatchewan
Rick Mercer Potash Mining

23. Stop- have students work on assignment
Continue after assignment is complete

24. What happens after the mineral is out of the ground?
Most ore that is mined is composed mostly of WASTE ROCK
Most ore has to go through two processes before it becomes pure:
MILLING and SMELTING

25. Milling and Smelting Milling Smelting
Separates the MINERAL from some of the WASTE ROCK
Usually done on site
Smelting
Ore concentrate and a substance called FLUX are melted together
The flux BINDS with all the waste material and the pure minerals FLOAT to the top of the mixture
The minerals are then skimmed off the top and poured into MOULDS
This process is very EXPENSIVE and may be done off site.

26. Waste Materials
The waste materials from milling and smelting are called TAILINGS
Tailings are a mixture of water, CHEMICALS and rock particles
They are extremely POISONOUS
Tailings are kept in tailing PONDS that are specially designed to contain the waste

27. Transportation
The cost of transporting ore to the mills for processing is high.
Sometimes transport costs can be overcome by building the processing plant near the mine.
causes the community to become more secure

28. Increasing Technology
Technology has changed in the mining industry
bigger equipment
able to extract deposits more efficiently
finding new ways to use different minerals
These changes in technology are helping mining companies turn a greater profit.

29. Issues facing the Mining Industry
Negative impact on the environment
50% of the minerals are exported to other countries before they are processed – leads to a loss of jobs
Because the industry relies on exports they are greatly affected by what is going on in other countries
The highest quality reserves are being exhausted
New mineral deposits are being discovered in other countries

30. MB Mines What do Manitoba mines produce?
Base and precious metals:
nickel, copper, zinc and gold.
Specialty minerals:
lithium, cesium and tantalum.
Many industrial minerals such as:
Silver, gypsum, salt, granite, limestone, peat, lime, sand and gravel

31. Now watch the Mining Career PowerPoint!
WATCH -Explore for More
AND Mining In Action