Drillers’ association helping industry since inaugural meeting in

While the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association (CDDA) has been in existence for more than half a century, diamond drilling has been an on-going concern for more than 125 years.

The first machine was built in 1862-63, and was used for blast hole drilling. In 1864, the first practical diamond drill was used on the Mount Cenis Tunnel, driven between Italy and France.

The CDDA traces its origins back to 1938. The first meeting to organize an association of manufacturers of diamond drilling equipment took place Nov 29 of that year, in North Bay, Ont.

Attending the meeting were J. N. Rolston and W. E. Holmgren, Canadian Sullivan Machinery Co., Dundas, Ont.; P. B. Hall, Boyle Bros. Drilling Co., Port Arthur, Ont.; Chas. Trotter, Smith & Travers Co., Sudbury, Ont.; Sam Seaver, Canadian Pneumatic Tool Co., Montreal; Karl Eyre, New Ontario Machine Works, Timmins, Ont.; H. G. Evans, Canadian Ingersoll-Rand Co., North Bay; J. G. A. Stevenson, Robert Stewart and R. D. Zavitz, Canadian Longyear, North Bay.

Representing the Diamond Core Drill Manufacturers Association in the United States were L. D. Cooper, E. J. Longyear Co., Minneapolis, Minn., and H. C. Johansen and R. Shrader, Sullivan Machinery Co., Michigan City, Ill. First president

At the May 30, 1939, meeting at North Bay, Rolston was elected president and Stevenson appointed secretary-treasurer. Fees were set at $20 for active members and $10 for associate members. A constitution was approved and the organization named the Canadian Diamond Core Drill Manufacturers Association.

At the first general meeting June 10, 1944, in North Bay, Hugh Boyle was elected president and Stevenson appointed secretary-treasurer. The association was relatively inactive during the war years. In order to embrace contractors, the name was changed to the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association.

For the next 11 years, annual meetings took place at Noranda, Que., Haileybury, Ont., Kirkland Lake, Ont. (three times), Timmins, Sudbury, North Bay (two times), Rouyn, Que., and Bourlamaque, Que.

Starting in 1955, the annual meetings were staged at Toronto. For a period of time the annual meetings took place in March, just prior to the annual conventions of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. Association objective

The object of the CDDA is: –to foster the commercial interests of its members and of those related in any way to the diamond drilling industry across Canada; –to promote simplification, standardization and interchangeability of diamond drilling equipment; –to recognize the safety and health of industry employees as an important responsibility in the conduct of the industry’s business; –to foster the protection of the natural environment; –to secure the elimination of unfair or uneconomic practices within the industry and freedom from unjust or unlawful exactions; –to establish and maintain uniformity and equity in the customs and commercial usages of the diamond drilling business; –to acquire, preserve and disseminate valuable business information; –to promote a more enlarged and friendly communication among those engaged in the industry; and, –to foster recognition of major achievements and innovation in the industry.