Pictured above: Goldex and Kittila mine rescue teams, along with Amanda Roy from the Diamonds in the Rough all-women mine rescue team.
Every two years, the world’s mining community comes together to compete against the best in mine rescue.
The International Mine Rescue Competition (IMRC) is not only an event for the industry to test the skills of its mine rescue teams, but also an opportunity for the teams to share their knowledge and learn from the best.
“Training through competition is a great way to sharpen your team’s technical and response skills. Equally important, it can also enhance your team cooperation and communication skills,” says Norman Ladouceur, Corporate Manager, Health & Safety. “We learn so much from these competitions, that is why we sent two teams and 24 team members from our global operations this year.”
Following a two-year delay due to COVID-19, this year’s IMRC competition was held September 11-16 at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver, West Virginia, U.S.A.
Twenty-two teams, representing nine countries, competed at IMRC 20201 , including Agnico Eagle Kittila from Finland and Agnico Eagle Goldex from Canada.
This is the first time a team from Finland has ever participated in the IMRC. Team Kittilä members include Joni Kangas, Toni Kallo, Mikko Mella, Tuomo Dianoff, Anssi Ylitalo, Tapani Kemppainen, Markus Ojanlatva, Matti Imponen, Mikko Lassila, Kari Roinesalo, Matias Suomela, Norman Ladouceur, and Jani Jauhojärvi.
Team Goldex members include Janie Blanchette (Captain), Pascal Noel, Richard Morel, Yves Masse, Emilie Giroux, Eric Collin, Daniel Shink, Alain Lavoie, Daniel Collin, and Danny Plante.
Agnico Eagle employee, Amanda Roy from Meliadine, also competed at IMRC 2020 for Diamonds in the Rough, originally the world’s first all-female mine rescue team, which Agnico Eagle continues to sponsor.
Competition Events & Results
All teams competed in four compulsory events: an underground mine rescue simulation, firefighting, first aid and a written theory exam. They also had to compete in one of two optional events: high-angle rope rescue and mine rescue skills.
The Goldex and Kittila teams put forth a strong effort on this world stage, with Goldex coming in 10th and Kittila 12th overall. Meanwhile, Diamonds in the Rough placed sixth overall, with an impressive second place in rope rescue and fourth place in firefighting.
Congratulations to everyone for competing with, and learning from, the best in mine rescue!
| Excellence in Mine Rescue In 2022, Agnico Eagle teams won numerous awards at mine rescue competitions: - Fosterville Emergency Response Team won six trophies at the Northern Australian Mine Rescue Competition.
- Macassa Mine Rescue Team placed first on the written exam portion of the Ontario Kirkland Lake District Mine Rescue Competition.
- Goldex Mine Rescue Team won the First Aid trophy as well as the overall Championship Trophy at the Quebec Provincial Mine Rescue Competition.
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1 The COVID-19 pandemic forced the IMRC to delay the global event in 2020, which is why the 2022 gathering is referred to as the IMRC 2020.