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Mining expo to pit media against mayoral candidates

After its inaugural opening ceremony the North America Mining Expo will kick off with a jackleg drilling competition pitting members of the media against the city's mayoral candidates. A jackleg is a drill used for underground hard rock mining.
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The North America Mining Expo will host a number of jackleg competitions at the Hanmer Centennial Arena grounds on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Canadian Trade-Ex, which organizes the expo, has hosted similar competitions in Timmins. Supplied photo.
After its inaugural opening ceremony the North America Mining Expo will kick off with a jackleg drilling competition pitting members of the media against the city's mayoral candidates.

A jackleg is a drill used for underground hard rock mining. Competitors will be judged on accuracy and depth.

To date, seven of Sudbury's eight mayoral candidates have signed up for the competition. The first to agree was Dan Melanson.

“This is a great idea,” he said in a release. “It will show which candidates have the true grit and determination to take on the daily work of running the north's largest mining community.”

Mayoral candidates Jeff Huska, Richard Majkot, Ron Dupuis, Jeanne Brohart, Brian Bigger and Ed Pokonzie later jumped on board.

The competition is expected to start around 11:30 a.m. at the Hanmer Centennial Arena grounds Sept. 10.
The expo itself will feature more than 220 companies from across North America and 300 booths, making it Sudbury's largest mining exposition yet.

The jackleg competition between members of the media and mayoral candidates will be the first of three similar events.

At 1 p.m. on Sept. 10, the expo will host a ladies invitational jackleg competition for novices.

Later that afternoon, the men's professional King Jacklegger competition will take place, and is expected to include professional miners from across Northern Ontario.

Judges will award the competitors points for safety and speed while they complete two drill holes at a minimum depth of 600 mm.

Contestants can register online at northamericaminingexpo.com or anytime on-site at the Boart Longyear and Aecon Mining tents on Sept. 10.

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