Mine Reclamation Award

The Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA), the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (MNDMNRF) and Vale established the Tom Peters Memorial Mine Reclamation Award in 2007. The purpose of the award is to encourage the pursuit of excellence in mine reclamation and to recognize and promote, to the mining industry and environmental community at large, outstanding achievement in the practice of mine reclamation in Ontario.

About Tom Peters

Tom Peters graduated from the University of Guelph in 1948 and moved to Copper Cliff, Ontario where he  worked in the agricultural department of Inco Limited (now Vale), becoming their Agriculturist in 1973.  Tom utilized his agricultural background to assist Inco with their tailings revegetation and overall land reclamation programs.  He pioneered the use of agricultural practices in re-greening mine tailings, including the basic recipes for the addition of limestone, fertilizer, seed and the planting of fall rye as a cover crop.  His work yielded excellent results on Inco's Copper Cliff tailings and his methods became the standard practice for mines all over the world.

Tom was a well-respected and gifted leader for environmental causes and was internationally recognized in the field of land reclamation.  He made major contributions to the City of Greater Sudbury Land Reclamation Program.  He taught agricultural courses at the University of Guelph and Cambrian College, and contributed to reclamation courses at Laurentian University.  He received an honorary doctorate from Laurentian for his outstanding leadership in re-greening Sudbury. 

Tom was a founding member of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association and served as its president in 1981 - 82. Tom retired in 1985, and in 1987, became the first non-American to be named "Reclamationist of the Year" by the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation.