Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you for giving me the floor for five minutes. It's not much time to talk about the international mining industry, but at least it's enough to introduce the topic.
I am privileged to be here today because I am sure all of my colleagues in the mining industry are very busy working. As you know, the mining industry is very complicated.
The mining industry is a very complex industry, which includes many activities, such as exploration, development, feasibility studies, construction, metallurgical operation planning, the environment, human resources, logistics, supply, ore transportation, as well as social, legal, financial and political considerations. Working in the mining industry means dealing with all of these issues.
When we work internationally in the mining industry, there are usually a number of parameters that must be determined: discovery statistics; exploration, discovery and operation costs; the number of years required to discover deposits and to develop and build mines; and the tax benefits available for exploring, developing and building.
Finally, this is an industry where the risks are immense, especially on the technical side. I won't list them, but we're talking about some twenty technical risks. There are also financial, environmental, social, political, logistical and human resources risks, among others.
I am providing a lot of information, but, to give credibility to my words, I will add that I have over 47 years of experience in the mining industry, particularly in exploration, but also in the development of mining projects. Before working internationally, I had 15 years of experience in Canada. I then worked in over 35 countries. I was first an exploration manager for a company you may know, Cambior. Then I was president of various companies. In that capacity, I did not work from Canada, but from the countries where our activities took place, which set me apart from many of my peers and friends. I would come back to Canada to talk to people in the stock market and financiers.
I was involved in gold and copper discoveries in Canada and in a few other countries. I also participated, as a leader and promoter, in the creation of Lima's venture capital exchange, in Peru. That is a stock exchange for mining prospectors, just like the Vancouver Stock Exchange. Many Canadian companies are listed there. In the countries I was in, I was usually part of local organizations and I always worked with our Canadian authorities—in other words, embassies—which were always very helpful in my case.
For those with a little more grey hair, I am part of the first wave of Canadians who worked abroad. We're talking about 1989, after the big flow-through share boom that had started in 1984. At that time, the environmental, financial and operational rules were not necessarily the same as today. Everything had to be developed. For those who remember, this was before the Bre‑X and Southwestern scandals, which forced the creation of professional associations of geologists in Canada and led to the famous National Instrument 43‑101 on information about mining projects. We Canadians taught all the countries of the world how to do this. Other countries were not used to working with public funding.
With respect to the environment and human rights, it was the same thing. We have been decidedly forward-thinking, from prospecting to operations.
Finally, in terms of education, an unimaginable number of people and an immeasurable number of countries have been trained by Canadian companies. These companies, unlike some of the American, English and South African companies, were generally listed on the stock exchange and had the privilege and the obligation to consider human rights and to train local people. That's the way it is with all Canadian mining operations around the world. The truth is, everyone wants to work for Canadian companies when they are there.
I could go on, but I will stop here. Thank you.