If you work in Canadian mining, you already know the name. CIM Connect 2026 takes place May 3-6 in Vancouver, BC, and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the CIM Expo. Under the theme “Our Mining Moment: Strategic Growth and Sustainable Operations,” it is one of the most significant gatherings the industry has put together in years. For anyone thinking about workforce planning, talent strategy, or the people side of mining operations, this is not an event to sit out.
The TPD team will be there. Here is what you need to know.
What Is CIM Connect?
CIM Connect is the annual convention put on by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, the country’s premier professional society for the minerals industry. The convention brings together thousands of professionals from across the entire mining value chain: operators, engineers, geologists, executives, suppliers, researchers, and policy leaders, all under one roof.
The numbers from 2025 speak to the scale: over 7,600 participants, 1,569 delegates, 600+ exhibiting companies, and representation from 50 countries. This is not a regional trade show. It is where the global mining community comes to connect, share knowledge, and do business.
What’s on the Agenda
The 2026 program is built around three conversations that are reshaping the industry right now.
Opening Plenary, May 4: “Our Mining Moment”
The opening session explores where the industry stands today and what strategic growth looks like in a rapidly shifting landscape. For workforce and HR leaders, this is where you will get a read on the macro pressures, including supply chain shifts, geopolitical headwinds, and ESG commitments, that will directly shape hiring needs over the next five years.
Tuesday General Panel, May 5: “Strategic Growth”
Growth does not happen without people. This panel digs into what expansion means operationally, and raises the question every mining company is quietly wrestling with: do we have the workforce to execute?
Wednesday General Panel, May 6: “Sustainable Operations”
Sustainability in mining is no longer just about environmental impact. It is about building workforces that are resilient, diverse, and built for the long term. Indigenous engagement, community development, and workforce continuity are all on the table.
Beyond the main stage, the Technical Program offers up to 16.25 CPD hours, with short courses adding another 16.0 hours, making CIM Connect one of the highest-value professional development opportunities in the sector.
Workforce Is the Conversation at CIM This Year
The theme of Strategic Growth and Sustainable Operations is not just about equipment, ESG reporting, or capital allocation. At its core, it is a workforce story. And CIM’s own program reflects that.
This year’s technical track includes a dedicated stream on Workforce Development and Talent Retention, running across Monday and Tuesday. Sessions include:
- Workforce Governance, Mentorship and Community Impact
- Training the Next Generation: Skills, Pathways and Talent Attraction
- Future-Ready Mining: Inclusive AI Reskilling and Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
- Digital Skills, AI Upskilling and the Capability Gap
- Leadership, Performance and Organizational Capability
- Panel: Active Allyship, Reflections on Inclusive Leadership Practices
Six sessions dedicated specifically to people, skills, and organizational capability. It reflects where the pressure is actually being felt across the industry.
Here is what we are hearing from mining companies across Canada:
Talent pipelines are thinning. The competition for experienced mine managers, maintenance technicians, and operational leaders is intensifying, particularly in remote and fly-in/fly-out operations.
New technology requires new skills. Advances in automation, electrification, and digital mining are changing the job spec for nearly every operational role. Sourcing people who understand these technologies, and upskilling those who do not yet, is a growing priority.
HR capacity at the site level is often stretched. Many mining operations still rely on lean HR teams to manage complex workforce requirements, and the gap between what is needed and what is resourced is widening.
These are not hypothetical challenges. They are the conversations happening on the expo floor, in the hallways between sessions, and over coffee at CIM every year.
How to Get the Most Out of the Week
A little preparation goes a long way at an event this size.
Know your objectives before you walk in. Are you there to source vendors, build relationships with other operators, learn about a specific topic, or evaluate workforce partners? Get clear on your top one or two goals. The event is large enough that trying to do everything means doing nothing well.
Review the program in advance. Block the sessions directly relevant to your role or your company’s current priorities. The main stage events are can’t-miss, but the technical sessions are where a lot of the most practical content lives.
Map out the people you want to meet. Think about who you want in the room and reach out before the event to schedule time. The best conversations at CIM are rarely accidental.
Do not overlook the expo floor. With 600+ exhibiting companies, it is a live map of where the industry is investing.
Build in time to just talk. Some of the most valuable things that happen at CIM happen informally. The industry is smaller than it looks, and relationships built at events like this have long tails.
Come Find Us at CIM
The TPD team will be at CIM Connect 2026 throughout the week. Elena and Paul Tournier will be there for the full conference. Simone will be on the ground Monday, and Summer on Tuesday.
If you want to talk through a current hiring challenge, explore what a workforce partnership could look like for your operation, or just catch up over a coffee between sessions, we would like to connect.
TPD has been a workforce solutions partner to the mining industry for over 45 years. We work across both the corporate and operational sides of mining talent, from HR Directors and Talent Acquisition leaders to site managers, technical staff, and tradespeople. If your workforce is keeping you up at night, we probably have a conversation worth having.
Reach out before the event to schedule time with our team: info@tpd.com
Or come find us on the floor. We will be there.
The Bottom Line
CIM Connect 2026 is happening at a genuine inflection point for the industry, on sustainability, technology, growth, and talent. The companies that navigate the next decade well are the ones building their people strategy now, not reacting to gaps when they appear.
We hope to see you in Vancouver.
TPD is a Total Workforce Solutions provider with deep expertise in the mining sector. We help organizations attract the right talent, when they need it, from executive search to operational staffing to HR consulting. Learn more at tpd.com.