After approximately ten years of dormancy, the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) Crowsnest Chapter is excited to announce its relaunch, led by a dedicated slate of volunteer board members committed to serving the Elk Valley and Crowsnest Pass mining community.
The chapter will kick off its return with a free guest speaker event on February 4th, featuring Dr. Jonathan Dennis, Co-founder and Principal Consultant at Selenide Consulting, who will present “Rethinking Selenium Management with the BRIMM Selenium Research Initiative.” The presentation will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Kakin Group building, 749 Douglas Fir Rd, Sparwood, with light refreshments served. The event is free and open to all.
Dr. Dennis will highlight how biotechnology and genomics are being used to identify, understand, and optimize microbial selenium transformations, enabling more effective source control, water treatment, and waste management strategies. A key focus will be on atmospheric selenium pathways, including volatiles, dusts, aerosols, and biologically mediated emissions, and how these processes can be leveraged to support next-generation selenium management.
Dr. Dennis completed a PhD and Postdoc in Chemical Biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh. Since moving to Vancouver in 2024, he has been co-leading the development of the BRIMM Selenium Research Initiative, building research partnerships with Alberta’s oil sands sector, and working for Genome Atlantic on a biotech report to inform mining policy in Canada.
“While attending several conferences over the past two years, meeting people in my network from the Valley and across the world, the desire for networking and professional development opportunities that are accessible to those of us that live here kept coming up as a topic,” said Anne Keery, Chair of CIM Crowsnest Chapter and Principal at Maple Change Consulting. “I reached out to CIM National and they were extremely enthusiastic and keen to support revitalizing this branch. I put a call out for other board members and several people offered very quickly. It has taken some time to get the pieces in place, but now we are keen to be a part of building connections and knowledge in the area.”
In addition to the February 4th speaker event, the chapter will host a curling funspiel on February 20th in Sparwood. Details will be announced soon.
Looking ahead, CIM Crowsnest plans to offer additional networking and professional development opportunities throughout the year, as well as funding scholarships for high school students pursuing mining-related trades and post-secondary education.
The relaunched chapter is led by a board of mining industry professionals from across the region:
• Anne Keery, Chair – Maple Change Consulting
• Chris Wright, Vice-Chair – Kal Tire
• Paul Dore, Treasurer – PDC Environmental Ltd.
• Karen Craig, Secretary – EVR
• Courtney Seeger, Membership – EVR
• Dani Montelpare, Communications – EVR
• Directors at Large: Adrian Daley (Kal Tire), Antony McElwee (Hays Recruiting), Mike Casault (HSS Consulting)
All community members are welcome to participate in CIM Crowsnest events. Sponsorship packages are available for organizations interested in supporting the chapter’s activities.
To register for the February 4th event, click here.
To sign up for the CIM Crowsnest newsletter and receive updates on future events and curling registration, visit: https:/crowsnest.paperform.co/
For sponsorship inquiries, contact Anne Keery at crowsnest@cim.org
About CIM
The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) is the leading technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries. With members across Canada and around the world, CIM provides a platform for industry professionals to connect, learn, and advance their careers.
Photo: CIM
