March 17, 2008

POT OF GOLD FOR DYNAMIC EARTH

A key player in the global mining equipment field popped by Dynamic Earth on St. Patrick's Day carrying a huge pot of gold.

MacLean Engineering & Marketing, a Greater Sudbury-based global provider of underground mining equipment, donated $100,000 toward the construction of a new 2,000 square-foot exhibit room and a working, one-eighth scale model of its mechanized MacLean rock bolter.

"Many of them (visitors) have no idea where so much of Canada's wealth is generated," company founder Don MacLean told more than 30 people at a press conference at Dynamic Earth. "It means that people will learn about underground mining and it's not all about Johnny Cash singing don't go underground in the coal mine."

The mini-mac, as the model is nicknamed, was a gift to the company from a long-time MacLean Engineering & Marketing employee. It had been sitting in the lobby of the company's Collingwood plant. The MacLean bolter is MacLean Engineering & Marketing's signature product with close to 300 of them now in use across the globe.

Donating the model to Dynamic Earth, MacLean said in an interview, will allow the public to check out the vehicle and learn about what goes on in underground mine. "We know a lot of people do travel and pass through Sudbury and they always go to (Science North) and then Dynamic Earth," said MacLean. "(And) Most of our new equipment has been developed as a means of helping the local companies solve operational problems underground." The mini-mac has an estimated value of $20,000. It will be displayed at the entrance to the new gallery.

As a result of the large cash donation, the new exhibit room was also named the MacLean Engineering Gallery. Still under construction, the main floor gallery will host a new exhibit every season, the first being a major travelling exhibit entitled 'Diamonds", which will open in March, 2009.
 
It was also announced Monday that another new exhibit area - the Xstrata Nickel Gallery - will be opening in a new lower floor exhibit area. It will consist of multimedia shows, hands-on displays and models to show visitors the various stages of mining, including milling and smelting.

"We recognize we have to keep changing and offer new experiences to people, both educational and leisure-time experiences," said Jim Marchbank, Science North's chief executive officer. Dynamic Earth is the eighth-largest science centre in Canada.

Elyse Clements, chairwoman of the Science North Foundation board, said the two MacLean Engineering and Marketing gifts will be put to very good use. "To get such a contribution from a private organization, it's so meaningful to us," she said."
It gives us so much hope and faith in humanity and generosity. It truly is like a pot of gold to us ... This (new gallery) gives Dynamic Earth a place to showcase new and exciting exhibits to visitors on a regular basis."