(Image caption: Karen Rees, PDAC president)
The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada’s convention this year (PDAC 2026) united 32,155 participants in the global mineral exploration and mining community and more than 1,300 exhibitors, the highest participant and exhibitor attendance in the event’s history.
Participants at the event, which ran from March 1–4, encompassed industry players, governments, investors, Indigenous communities, and students from around the world.
“In a more complex global environment, a strong mineral sector is fundamental to Canada’s economic prosperity, supply-chain security and sovereignty,” said Karen Rees, PDAC president, in a press release.
This year’s convention maintained the organization’s 94-year tradition and delivered the biggest trade show footprint in the event’s history. PDAC 2026’s activities spanned both the North and South buildings of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
The convention’s programming included networking, investment discussions, and dealmaking. Over four days, hundreds of experts gave presentations on opportunities and obstacles influencing mineral exploration, project development, and financing.
“Strong commodity markets are contributing to optimism across the sector,” Rees said in the press release. “At the same time, governments and the public are recognizing more clearly how essential minerals are to economic growth, electrification, defence and modern technologies.”
Government participation
At PDAC 2026, attending representatives from governments worldwide met with policymakers and leaders from Canada’s federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
According to the organization, attendance at PDAC 2026 reflected the world’s increasing emphasis on mineral supply, investment, and policies for responsible development.
“Government policy choices play a critical role in supporting the mineral sector and ensuring Canada remains a global leader in mineral exploration and development,” Rees said in PDAC’s press release. “Proven, made-in-Canada exploration tax credits and greater regulatory predictability are essential to maintaining Canada’s competitiveness and investor confidence.”
PDAC expressed gratitude to this year’s volunteers, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and participants. The organization, which aims to serve as the voice of the Canadian mineral exploration and development community, plans to hold PDAC 2027 in Toronto from Mar. 7–10, 2027.
With a 37-year career in the mineral exploration industry, Rees was once a field and project geologist in northwestern Ontario, northern Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. She belongs to the boards of three junior exploration companies with mineral exploration projects in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba.