Our History

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During the summer of 2014, geology students Felicia Da Silva and Rachel Jongsma co-founded the University of Toronto's first Women in Mining Student Chapter, creating a platform for women in the school's Rotman Commerce, Mineral Engineering and Geoscience programs to learn about the various facets of mining and provide the resources required to excel in the industry. 

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With tremendous support, enthusiasm and encouragement from Rick Hutson of Women in Mining Canada, we were able to establish ourselves under the WIM Canada umbrella, and recruited a team of students who were open-minded thinkers, passionate, ambitious, innovative and with a desire to expand contemporary thinking. 

 

Our Mission

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We strive to provide the resources and tools students require to excel in industry, whether starting as an apprentice or assistant, and  to eventually move into a senior position. Our plan is to strengthen student-industry interface through networking events (i.e. CIM, PDAC, TGDG, WIM Toronto), competitions (i.e. Geogames and the National Mining Competition), student driven panels, and outreach (i.e. mine tours, Backpack-to-Briefcase events). We aim to help build confidence in students and their ability to connect with professionals in industry so that future graduates will better understand the mining process and what it has to offer upon graduating.

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We see the future of this student chapter growing strong and showcasing the achievements and potential of women in mining, starting from the core of our institution.  As an organization we are driven by four fundamental values: leading by example, communication, integrity and respect. We strongly believe these values drive positive team dynamics, efficiency, mutual understanding, coherency and functionality, and will serve students well in their careers.