The APSM was founded in 1985 based on the recommendation of the Commission d’enquête sur la tragédie de la mine Belmoral et les conditions de sécurité dans les mines souterraines (click here). The Commission’s mandate was to determine what caused the Ferderber-Belmoral mine to cave in on May 20, 1980, and recommend specific prevention measures. This tragic accident caused 24 miners to be trapped underground, a number of whom succumbed to their injuries. Testimony revealed that few of the people involved were aware of the appropriate measures to be taken in the event of an emergency.

The Commission emphasized that better communication between parties would have helped with regard to the implementation of safety and prevention measures. It would also have allowed for more appropriate intervention and minimized the consequences of this accident, hence the relevance of a joint-based sector association dedicated to the mining industry. The APSM team and its partners have since joined efforts to convey a core value in the area of prevention: joint management..

A deep mining history

Quebec’s history is deeply tied to mining. Less than 100 years after the discovery of Quebec, the first mineral deposits were found in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. The industry really took off in Quebec in the 1920s. This growth of the mining industry, coupled with major industrial and territorial expansion, allowed Quebec to meet the mineral demands of the most industrialized regions of North America. Within a few years, a number of mining towns emerged, greatly contributing to the economic development of remote regions such as Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Côte-Nord. This was an era marked by the gold rush that galvanized the early settlers and First Nations, inhabitants of major centres and European immigrants to come work in Quebec’s mines.

At the heart of the mining industry’s success is its workers, and especially its qualified workers.

These workers were real agents of change for Quebec’s mining industry. With a key message at the time, they fought vigorously to improve their working conditions and the health and safety of miners.

Today, this constantly evolving industry in search of sustainable and safe solutions employs nearly 16,000 workers. An invaluable industry resource, these men and women explore, mine and extract a number of minerals every day that no one could do without.

“We are proud to support some 170 member organizations every day, helping them manage occupational health and safety prevention. We are committed to playing a key role in the area of prevention and helping ensure that all industry workers return home safely at the end of the day.” 

– Sandra Damien, General Manager