Canadian Trade-Ex will present the Central Canada Resource Expo (CEN CAN Expo). The event is finally coming to Thunder Bay after two years of being postponed due to COVID.  The event will be held September 14-15 at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition Grounds, the Valhalla Inn and Conference Centre and the Cineplex Silver City theatre. Organizers and exhibitors couldn’t be happier.

“It has been a long and winding road that we have all travelled to get here said the organizing team at Canadian Trade-Ex who pivoted during the height of the covid pandemic and enjoyed some success along the way by producing online events in 2021 but nothing compares to an in-person event.  We hosted two very well attended virtual events, and facilitated two very successful online conferences that greatly fueled the appetite for in-person trade shows for the many hundreds of companies that have historically participated in our must-attend in person events”, said Glenn Dredhart, President of Canadian Trade-Ex.

“We completed the Canadian Mining Expo in person event in Timmins this past June and saw record numbers attend the event. There were over 6800 registered guests for that two day show and the exhibitors couldn’t have been happier” said Dredhart.

The inaugural CEN CAN Expo is packed with excitement!

There’s no better time to shine a spotlight on the host city – Thunder Bay. The Province of Ontario is recognized internationally as a global leader in mining and the number one jurisdiction in Canada for both mineral production value and exploration spending. With more than $10 billion annual mining production value, the Ontario mining industry represents one of the largest market opportunities in the world for mining supply and services companies. Northwestern Ontario is poised to play a major role in adding to that production value to an already active Ontario mining industry.

Thunder Bay and the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition Grounds will be buzzing with activity with over 300 displays. The 2022 event is sure to feed your appetite for one-on-one contact that we’ve all missed these past two years. The mining, junior mining, forestry & construction operations, energy sector, northern communities, indigenous and non-indigenous organizations, academia, and the supply & service industry are all tremendously supportive of this first one-of-a-kind event, as it vividly represents what the natural resource sectors mean to northwestern Ontario communities. We have overwhelming support from over 35 sponsors which is awesome, stated Dredhart.

There are several activities that will take place during the event and just too many to mention.

Just some of the featured activities include:

• the trade show with companies offering trade show specials, onsite demos, an industry first Job Fair with over 50 companies accepting resumes,
• a Human Resource Workshop hosted by North Superior Workforce Planning Board and the Northwest Connector,
• fundraising networking activities,
• a Projects in the Pipeline Conference that will highlight major capital projects within the mining industry which will be moderated by Mine Connect as they sponsor the luncheon speakers,
• a Ring of Fire “Critical Minerals and the Central Role of Two Communities” conference which will feature guest speakers Minister of Mines George Pirie and Noront Resources CEO, Stephen Flewelling along with Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations and is moderated by Micheal Fox
• WiskAir will be hosting helicopter tours on site to view beautiful Thunder Bay from the air (weather permitting),
• Manroc Development, Impala Canada and Mining Life & Exploration News partnered up to host the first ever Northwestern Jackleg Drilling Competitions,
• a trade show kickoff event “Gala Dinner” hosted by the CIM Thunder Bay Branch and
• a VIP Social with a special appearance from the band Johnson’s Creek which will be the largest mining networking event of the year for the region.

“There will be so much to see and do that you won’t want to miss it”, said Dredhart.

The Lakehead Exhibition Grounds will host all the trade show activities and the Navigating the Hiring Challenges HR Conference, the Cineplex Silver City Theatre which is located within the trade show grounds will host the Projects in the Pipeline and Ring of Fire conference, the Valhalla Inn & Conference Centre will host the Gala Dinner and the Da Vinci Centre will host the VIP Social.

This is the inaugural event for Thunder Bay and it is expected to grow into an annual event. We have seen similar events like this grow to being recognized globally on the trade show circuit and this one will be no exception.

There is a literal gold mine of information at this event. Make sure you stop by each exhibitor, get re-acquainted, or make new contacts. Some of the events are limited seating and most events are filling quickly. So, make sure you mark your calendar and register in advance online at www.cencanexpo.ca or by calling Toll Free at 1-866-754-9334.