Mining Matters

Mining Matters The organization provides current information about rocks, minerals, metals, mining and the diverse career opportunities available in the minerals industry.

Mining Matters is a charitable organization dedicated to educating young people to develop knowledge and awareness of Earth sciences, the minerals industry, and their roles in society. Mining Matters is a charitable organization dedicated to bringing knowledge and awareness about Canada’s geology and mineral resources to students, educators and the general public. Mining Matters offers exceptional

educational resources that meet provincial curriculum expectations, created by educators and Earth science experts. Mining Matters has reached more than 800,000 teachers, students and members of the public since inception in 1994. Our mandate at Mining Matters is to broaden students’ understanding of Earth science and the vital role rocks, minerals, metals and mining play in everyday life and increase awareness of the many career opportunities in the minerals industry.

Looking for a fun and educational challenge for a young explorer this month? The June Junior Explorers Challenge gives y...
06/05/2026

Looking for a fun and educational challenge for a young explorer this month?

The June Junior Explorers Challenge gives youth ages 9 to 17 the chance to:

✔ Learn about mining and exploration
✔ Build creative problem solving skills
✔ Explore real world STEM concepts
✔ Enter to win amazing tech prizes worth over $1,000

This month’s challenge takes participants to Toronto, the heart of the mining world, where they’ll invent their own fictional junior exploration company after reading a short story.

Best of all, it’s completely free to enter.

📅 Challenge closes June 30, 2026

Start here: https://miningmatters.northernminer.com/

Congratulations to Logan and Mason, winners of our Junior Explorers Challenge in March and April.Mason explored British ...
05/29/2026

Congratulations to Logan and Mason, winners of our Junior Explorers Challenge in March and April.

Mason explored British Columbia’s famous Golden Triangle. Here’s what he had to say about the challenge:

“The coolest thing about the Golden Triangle is that there is gold and other minerals hidden under the mountains! This was a fun challenge because I’m from a mining city and it was cool to learn about mining in other parts of Canada.” Mason scored a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Logan cracked the clues and explored the story of Cobalt’s famous silver rush. He is now powered up with a MacBook Air.

Think YOU could be our next winner?
~Explore Canada’s rich mining history
~Discover famous mining regions
~Compete for amazing tech prizes!

The Junior Explorers Challenge is free to enter and open to youth across Canada ages 9–17, with new challenges released monthly.

Start the challenge here:
https://miningmatters.northernminer.com/

May Junior Explorer Challenge: NewfoundlandDid you know that a small town on “the Rock” once sparked a silver rush? In A...
05/08/2026

May Junior Explorer Challenge: Newfoundland

Did you know that a small town on “the Rock” once sparked a silver rush? In Argentia, Newfoundland, prospectors discovered galena, a lead ore that can host silver, and believed they had found something big. But mining isn’t always easy. The silver was trapped in hard rock, and the shining dream of striking it rich didn’t last long.
Even so, Argentia didn’t fade away. Today, it’s a busy industrial port connecting Newfoundland to the global trade network, proof that one place can reinvent itself again and again.

Your challenge:
Read the story Argentia: The Land of Silver and Second Chances. Use the story and the given clues to complete a crossword puzzle.

Deadline: May 31, 2026

One lucky explorer will win an amazing tech prize!

Start the challenge here:
https://miningmatters.northernminer.com/

Good luck, Junior Explorers!

April Junior Explorers Challenge: The Golden TriangleDid you know that one of Canada’s richest mineral regions lies deep...
04/14/2026

April Junior Explorers Challenge: The Golden Triangle

Did you know that one of Canada’s richest mineral regions lies deep in the mountains of northwestern British Columbia? More than 150 years ago, prospectors travelled into this rugged landscape searching for gold. Today, the Golden Triangle is famous for its rich deposits of gold, silver, and copper.

Your challenge:
Read the story The Golden Triangle: A Land of Hidden Treasure and use clues to place key events in the correct order on a timeline. Then reflect on how early discoveries helped reveal one of Canada’s most important mineral regions.

Deadline: April 30, 2026

One lucky explorer will win an amazing tech prize!

Start the challenge here:
https://miningmatters.northernminer.com/

Good luck, Junior Explorers!

Engineering Month may be over, but we’ve got one more challenge for you! Dig into our Hydraulic Excavator Engineering Ch...
04/06/2026

Engineering Month may be over, but we’ve got one more challenge for you!

Dig into our Hydraulic Excavator Engineering Challenge! Hydraulic excavators are essential machines in modern mining, used to move earth and rock with incredible precision and power. By using hydraulic systems, where pressurized fluid transfers force, these machines can lift heavy loads and operate massive buckets with ease.

Your challenge? Build a working model of a hydraulic excavator arm using simple materials and syringes to simulate hydraulic power. Can you create a system that lifts, scoops, and moves materials just like the real machines used at mine sites?

Put your engineering skills to the test and request your FREE kit today!

English: https://miningmatters.ca/resource/hydraulic-excavator-engineering-challenge
French: https://miningmatters.ca/fr/resource/defi-dingenierie-sur-les-pelles-hydrauliques

Special thanks to G Mining Services for making this initiative possible.

Make a splash with our Water Filtration Challenge! Mining relies on water, but responsible mining means treating and rec...
03/31/2026

Make a splash with our Water Filtration Challenge! Mining relies on water, but responsible mining means treating and recycling it to keep the environment clean. Mines use active (energy + chemicals) and passive (natural) treatment methods to purify wastewater.

Your challenge? Design and build a water filtration system using everyday materials to clean simulated wastewater. Can you create the most effective filter? Let’s put your engineering skills to the test! Request your free kit today.

English: https://miningmatters.ca/resource/water-filtration-engineering-challenge
French: https://miningmatters.ca/fr/resource/defi-de-la-filtration-de-leau

Special thanks to G Mining Services for making this initiative possible.

Meet Our First Junior Explorers Challenge Winner! Congratulations to Brynn, the very first winner of the Junior Explorer...
03/27/2026

Meet Our First Junior Explorers Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to Brynn, the very first winner of the Junior Explorers Challenge!

For our first challenge, young explorers learned about Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush and created posters imagining what the town was like during its boom days. Brynn’s creative poster captured the excitement of the gold rush and brought the historic town to life.

Brynn shared that her favourite part of the challenge was learning how a small discovery of gold quickly turned Dawson City into a busy town. With a geologist for a dad, she especially enjoyed learning more about the work he does! She also loved designing her poster to make the buildings look 3-D and even added dancers because she’s a dancer herself.

Check out some of the other amazing entries!

Want to be our next winner?
This month’s Junior Explorers Challenge explores the Cobalt Silver Rush in Ontario.

Deadline: March 31
Who can enter: Canadian youth ages 9–17
Prizes: Tech prizes like laptops, drones, and gaming gear

Start your exploration and submit your entry here:
https://miningmatters.northernminer.com

Engineering Challenge Alert!Put your problem-solving skills to the test with our Conveyor Belt Engineering Challenge! Mi...
03/26/2026

Engineering Challenge Alert!
Put your problem-solving skills to the test with our Conveyor Belt Engineering Challenge! Mining relies on smart engineering—not just for extraction, but for efficiently moving materials. Today, massive conveyor belts transport ore across vast distances, saving time and energy. Now it’s your turn to engineer a solution!

Your challenge: Design and build a conveyor system that moves “ore” 30 cm!

Ready to take on the challenge? Mining Matters has a limited number of FREE kits available. Visit our website to request a kit:

English: https://miningmatters.ca/resource/conveyor-belt-engineering-challenge
French: https://miningmatters.ca/fr/resource/le-defi-du-convoyeur-bande

Special thanks G Mining Services making this initiative possible.

Junior Explorers Challenge: The Cobalt Silver Rush Over 100 years ago, a single discovery transformed a quiet forest int...
03/23/2026

Junior Explorers Challenge: The Cobalt Silver Rush

Over 100 years ago, a single discovery transformed a quiet forest into one of Canada’s busiest mining boomtowns. Welcome to Cobalt, Ontario!

This month’s challenge takes you back in time to explore one of North America’s biggest silver rushes and discover how it connects to today’s clean energy future.

Your mission:
Read "Cobalt: The Silver Rush That Changed a Forest Town" and use evidence from the story to complete the fill-in-the-blank activity sheet for a chance to WIN tech prizes like laptops, drones, gaming gear and more!

Deadline: March 31, 2026
Who can enter: Canadian youth ages 9–17

Find the story and activity sheet Junior Explorer Challenge, submit your entry, and start your exploration today!

https://miningmatters.northernminer.com/

Are you up for an electrifying challenge? Mining Matters has a limited number of FREE wind turbine kits available for yo...
03/09/2026

Are you up for an electrifying challenge? Mining Matters has a limited number of FREE wind turbine kits available for young innovators across Canada! Wind is a renewable energy source because it naturally replenishes itself over time. Humans have been harnessing wind power for over 1,000 years, from sailing ships to windmills and modern turbines!

The Challenge:
Design and build a wind turbine using the materials provided
Experiment with different blade shapes and sizes to optimize performance
Watch as your wind turbine generates power using a high-torque motor

Did you know? Wind turbines are built using critical minerals like copper, lithium, nickel, rare earth elements, and zinc —all sourced from the Earth!

Visit our website to request your kit and explore video instructions to spark your creativity!
English: http://miningmatters.ca/.../wind-turbine-engineering...
French: miningmatters.ca/fr/resource/defi-dingenierie-eolienne

Special thanks to G Mining Services for making this initiative possible.

Address

1102-150 Ferrand Drive
Toronto, ON
M3C3E5

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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