A former employee of the mines in the Estevan area is the new chairperson of the Mining Association of Canada (MAC).
The MAC announced on June 21 that Anne Marie Toutant has been elected as the chair for a two-year term. Toutant worked at the Boundary Dam and Bienfait mines in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and is currently the vice-president of the Fort Hills Operation for Suncor Energy Inc.
Toutant has been an active member of the MAC for many years, having served as a board member since 2007.
“We're incredibly lucky to have Anne Marie at the helm of our association. For the past decade, she has made a tremendous contribution to MAC as a board (of) director and has been a staunch supporter of our Towards Sustainable Mining initiative, helping it to become an award-winning and globally-recognized sustainability standard,” said Pierre Gratton, the MAC’s president and CEO.
“I have no doubt that MAC and its members will benefit greatly from her expertise in her new role as chair.”
Toutant replaces Robert Steane, the senior vice-president and chief operating officer of Cameco Corporation, who served as chair for the MAC from June 2015 to June 2017.
"It's a privilege to be elected by my peers as chair of the Mining Association of Canada,” said Toutant. “MAC and its members have important work to do to improve Canada's competitiveness as a mining jurisdiction, especially amidst the backdrop of important federal policy decisions that will shape our industry for years to come.
“I look forward to helping MAC and its members advocate for the elements the industry needs to facilitate sustainable growth in our sector, and to expand our contributions to communities in Canada and beyond.”
Toutant held management positions at the Boundary Dam and Bienfait mines for Cardinal River Coals Ltd. and Luscar Ltd.
She joined Suncor in 2004 as vice-president of mining operations, a position she held for seven years. In this role, she oversaw the consolidation of mining activities in the Millennium Mine, and the approval, development and opening of the North Steepbank Mine.
She also oversaw the reclamation of the oil sands industry's first tailings pond to a solid surface (now known as Wapisiw Lookout).
She has been the vice-president of Suncor's Fort Hills Operations since 2013.
