People (October 01, 2002)

Aber Diamond Corp. of Toronto has appointed James Pounds as director of diamond sales for Aber Overseas N.V., based in Antwerp, Belgium. Pounds has had an extensive career in the diamond industry in Bombay, Tel Aviv, Antwerp and London. Aber Overseas, previously known as CanaDiam N.V., is a diamond trading company owned jointly by Aber (51%) and Overseas Diamonds N.V. of Antwerp (49%).

Barker Minerals Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C., has appointed Mark T. Brown, C.A., as a director and the CFO. Brown was president of Pacific Opportunity Co. Ltd. He previously worked for both Eldorado Gold Corp. and Miramar Mining Corp. He graduated with a B.Comm. from the University of British Columbia in 1990. Brown replaces his father, John J. Brown, who was a director and the CFO of Barker until his recent death.

Barramundi Gold Ltd. of Toronto has elected Ewan Stoddart, Paul Ning, John Bottomley and Gary Artmont as the new directors, and appointed Ewan Stoddart as chairman and CFO, Ken Barid as president and CEO, John Bottomley as executive vice-president and COO, and William R. Johnstone as corporate secretary. Barid has extensive international experience managing exploration and mining projects. Bottomley is currently president and CEO of Outlook Resources Inc. Johnstone is the proprietor of Johnstone & Co., a small securities firm in Toronto. Artmont has over 25 years experience as a geologist, including as chief geologist for Freeport McMoran Indonesia from 1989 to 1995.

Tom Ogryzlo has been appointed chairman of Birim Goldfields Inc. of Montreal. Ogryzlo has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry in financing, exploration and development, operating, engineering and construction. He is a former president of Kilborn Engineering Ltd. At Birim’s annual and special meeting of shareholders on August 21, the company re-elected the following directors: Peter Bojtos, Raymond Desormeaux, Lewis V. Lawrick, C. Thomas Ogryzlo, Jean Rainville and Denis Simoneau.

HCItasca, Inc., a mining hydrology and geomechanics consulting firm in Minneapolis, Minn., has appointed Dave Evans as senior hydrogeologist based in Latin America. Evans has 15 years of experience in the geo-environmental industry specializing in physical and contaminant hydrogeology related to the mining and waste management industries. His past experience includes positions at Rescan Consultants Ltd., Gartner Lee Ltd., the Ontario Geological Survey, and most recently with Klohn Crippen Consultants Ltd. in Lima, Peru.

Michael Amsden, P.Eng., was appointed as CEO (acting) of Toronto-based North American Palladium Ltd., following the resignation of Keith Minty as president and CEO in early September. Amsden will continue to serve as chairman of the board. The company has commenced a search for a permanent president and CEO. During Minty’s tenure the company successfully completed a $236-million mine and mill expansion at its Lac des Isles mine north of Thunder Bay, Ont., resulting in increased palladium production up to the current level of 225,000 ounces per year.

NovaWest Resources Inc., based in Vancouver, has appointed Dennis A. Bordin, P.Eng., as vice-president exploration, where he will be actively contributing to the development of the company’s Raglan and Nickel Royale Ni-Cu-PGE projects. Borden is a professional mining engineer with 25 years experience in the industry. While employed by Falconbridge Ltd. and its parent, Noranda Inc., Borden was instrumental in the international procurement and negotiation of base metals feed for smelting and refining at the Canadian processing site. He was also a key player in the contract negotiation and logistics for the movement of Chilean copper concentrate feed from Collahuasi to Canada.

Dale Hendrick, P.Eng., and Donald Lacasse have joined the board of directors of Radisson Mining Resources Inc. of Rouyn-Noranda, Que. Hendrick is president of a mining geological consulting firm, Dale M. Hendrick & Associates of Toronto. He brings to Raddison an outstanding 47-year career as a geologist. Lacasse is a civil engineer. Prior to his retirement, Lacasse had 26 years of experience at Hydro-Quebec, where he carried out several management functions.

Valerie Gold Resources Ltd. of Vancouver has chosen Stephen Wilkinson as its new president and CEO, and Frank Lang is promoted to chairman. Wilkinson is a mining executive, corporate director and business consultant. He has been a director of Valerie since 2001. Until recently, Wilkinson was president, CEO and a director of Northern Orion Exploration Ltd. From 1996 to 1999, he was the Vancouver-based mining analyst for RBC Dominion Securities Inc. responsible for small cap gold and base metal companies. Lang, P.Eng., has been involved as an officer and a director of Valerie since 1990 and will continue as a director and chairman. He has more than 30 years of experience in the operation and financing of junior resource companies.