With the holiday season underway, it’s important to remember that many of the gifts British Columbians will purchase this year have a homegrown connection to B.C. resources such as minerals and steelmaking coal.

Resources mined right here in B.C. – like gold, copper, silver, lead, zinc and molybdenum – are not only used to make many of the Christmas gifts that British Columbians purchase each year, these resources are also used in building the trucks, ships and planes we rely on to transport these products to stores in communities throughout the province.

When you’re entering your holiday shopping list into your smartphone, mining is probably the furthest thing from your mind. But, on average, these devices contain 16 grams of copper and .03 grams of gold, as well as an industrial mineral called silica for the screens. While that may not seem like much material for an individual smartphone, consider this: in B.C. alone, more than three million adults own smartphones.

No matter your mode of transport this holiday season – bicycle, bus or car – you’re relying on British Columbia’s mining sector to keep you moving:

• Every material used in bicycles, from the steel processed by burning metallurgical coal to the aluminum, titanium or carbon fibre in the frame, is derived from mining.
• The average car requires about of 630 kilograms of steelmaking coal to produce.
• Nearly 2,500 buses, requiring steel and aluminum, operate in over 130 B.C. communities.

No matter what British Columbians are eating, giving or receiving this holiday season, B.C.’s resources play a large role in making our holidays possible. To get the full picture on how mining builds British Columbia visit: http://www.mining.bc.ca/sites/default/files/resources/miningbuildsbc-all_infographics_0.pdf

Quote:

Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett –

“One way or another, every British Columbian relies on mining. From the cars we drive to our smartphones and tablets, our medicines, our cosmetics, our clothing, everything we use in our everyday lives either is made with materials from the earth or made with metal tools. We may not think about it, but we sure depend on mining!”