August 30, 2011 - As a result of his extensive research and field work in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Carleton University PhD candidate Mr. Thomas Mumford has been awarded the prestigious W. Garfield Weston Award of Northern Research.

Mr. Mumford’s studies focus on the Nechalacho rare-earth element deposit at the Blachford Lake Intrusive Suite in the NWT.  The Blachford Lake area is home to significant mineral deposits of rare-earth elements, important components in the emerging green economy, as products turn towards more energy efficient sources and technologies.

“Research like Mr. Mumford’s is instrumental in the discovery of new mineral deposits that contribute to the sustainability of the NWT mining industry and provide employment and business opportunities for NWT residents,” said Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Bob McLeod.  “His high-quality work will allow us to take advantage of opportunities rare-earth elements will provide. I want to offer my congratulations to Mr. Mumford on receiving this well-deserved award.”

Mr. Mumford plans to create a model that describes the formation of the entire Blachford Lake Intrusive Suite. This model will be used to guide future exploration for rare-earth elements.

The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies honoured Mr. Mumford with this award as part of the Canadian Northern Studies Trust awards program. The program aims to develop a group of scholars and scientists with northern experience while enhancing post-secondary education opportunities for northern Canadians.

This project is funded by the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) program administered by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and supported by the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office (NTGO).  The NTGO enables Mr. Mumford to complete his research, allowing him to work through its office and with its resources.  Awards such as this demonstrate the success of the NTGO partnership between ITI and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to produce high-quality modern geoscience data.

For more information, contact:

Alayna Ward
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-8696