Manitouwadge & Marathon Residents’ Integral Contribution to 2015 Pan-Am Games
This summer at the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, athletes from 41 countries across the Americas will compete for 4,259 medals in 825 medal events. Barrick supplied all of the gold, silver and copper for the medals from three of its mines across the Americas.
The 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games medals (above) are unique in many ways, designed in collaboration with Métis Artist Christi Belcourt. To watch a video which shows how the medals were made and explains the significance of their design and production click the image.
You may have already guessed, first place medals are being made with gold mined from right here in Northwestern Ontario at Barrick’s Hemlo Mine (located on Highway 17 East of Marathon). Barrick has produced videos, telling the stories of their North and South American mines from which metals for the medals are being mined and the people who work at those mines.
Barrick’s Hemlo Mine employees Diane MacLeod (left) and Jim Harasym (right) help introduce Northern Ontario to fans of the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. (click to enlarge)
The video above features Barrick Hemlo employees Diane MacLeod (Employee Relations) from Manitouwadge and Open Pit Mine Superintendent Jim Harasym from Marathon. Each of the video’s stars are well-respected, longtime residents of their respective communities who have helped, through their participation in this vignette, to introduce Northern Ontario to people, previously unfamiliar with it, across our country, the Americas and potentially the world – well done Diane and Jim!
Barrick notes, in the descriptions of these videos which are available to view on it’s YouTube Channel, that “Just like the athletes coming to the Games, our people across the Americas are committed to a culture of teamwork, perseverance and excellence.”
What do you think of gold from Hemlo being used to make the 2015 Pan-am and Parapan-am Games gold medals or of how Barrick has used this as an opportunity to feature employees or the communities where they live? Share your thoughts (or kudos to Jim & Diane) in the comments below!
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Do you have a cool story about a person or group from the Northshore or Greenstone involved in introducing or promoting our region to a wider audience? Send it to Editor@OntarioNewsNorth.com
