It’s a now-viral question that stops people in their tracks: “What have you done today that didn’t involve a mineral?”
For Donna Beneteau, a geological engineer, educator, and champion of open-access mining data, the question captures a truth often hidden in plain sight. Minerals and mining are woven so deeply into daily life that most Canadians scarcely notice them. But through curiosity and conversation, Beneteau invites people to see mining not as a distant industry, but as a story of shared prosperity, responsible resource use, and human innovation.
“If it isn’t grown, it is mined,” is a phrase Beneteau has used for years. But it was fellow geologist Bruce Downing’s rephrasing of the idea — turning it into a question — that transformed a statement into a conversation starter. From clothing dyes rich in iron oxides to fertilizers made with potash, mining touches every corner of daily life. Beneteau, an enthusiastic quilter, even breaks down the mineral origins of textiles in one of her YouTube videos, showing how industry and the natural world intersect in unexpected ways.
Downing has always believed that simple, memorable messages are the key to public understanding. He recalls carrying a button (from Resource Works) that read “Without natural resources, we’d be naked”, a reminder that everyday life rests on geology whether we notice it or not. He also points out that people naturally connect with rocks and minerals; even young children light up when they can hold a stone in their hands. For him, the power of the now-familiar question lies in the involvement it creates — an invitation to pause, think, and see minerals as part of ordinary experience.
Closing the knowledge gap
Beneteau says she was genuinely surprised by the gap between mining experts and the general public. It wasn’t until she began designing a drilling and blasting course that she realized how little accessible mining information existed — even for professionals.
Searching for clear and credible mining data led to a frustrating discovery: much of Canada’s technical mining information is inaccessible or siloed. This realization inspired her to create the Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub and Visualization Centre, an evolving open-data project aimed at transparency, education, and curiosity.
“I wanted it to be something that makes understanding how we source our mined resources accessible,” she says.
As she travels across Canada, visiting mining museums and local bookstores to enrich the database, Beneteau’s project has become a personal journey — revealing how mining has shaped people, communities, and landscapes.
Mining is safer than people think
One of the most persistent myths Beneteau encounters is that mining is inherently unsafe. She counters this idea with data from Saskatchewan’s Occupational Health and Safety, which consistently ranks mining among the safest major industries — safer, in fact, than agriculture, construction or transportation.
Her teaching highlights the human side of mining: a sector grounded in safety, innovation, and progress, far removed from the stereotypes still common in public discourse.
Why mining data matters
Beneteau argues that sustainability conversations are incomplete without an understanding of the resources behind everyday objects.
“Responsible resource use means considering all waste streams …..we need to know those full origins,” she explains. We cannot talk about sustainability without acknowledging the minerals that make modern life possible.
From smartphones to electric vehicles, from soil nutrients to steel bridges — everything begins with minerals. Understanding those origins strengthens public trust and helps Canadians make informed decisions about the environment and the economy.
Collaboration and curiosity
Beneteau credits Downing as a collaborator who shares her enthusiasm for mining education. Together, they build bridges between academic rigor and public understanding — crafting stories that are accessible, engaging and grounded in human experience.
Downing sees Beneteau’s teaching role as one of her greatest strengths. Beginning lectures with a simple question sparks curiosity and opens conversations about geology, sustainability and resource use. Their shared effort also addresses widespread misunderstandings — from confusion between minerals and elements to public uncertainty about what critical minerals are. They work to put mining into perspective, comparing mine footprints with the often larger areas occupied by landfills and paved roads to help people see resource development more clearly.
As Beneteau built the Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub, Downing encouraged her to broaden the project to reflect how land use, waste and mining intersect. He also supported her effort to make information from 43-101 technical reports more accessible, an issue he sees as central to improving mineral literacy in Canada.
Her students respond strongly to the question printed on her now-popular stickers. Some have said their families don’t understand or support careers in mining, but this simple question helps them spark conversations at home about the industry’s vital role in modern life.
Beneteau also recently turned this question into a short educational video that walks viewers through the relationship between elements, minerals and rocks, showing how the building blocks of the Earth connect to the objects we use every day. The video mirrors Beneteau’s classroom approach — simple, visual and grounded in curiosity — and reflects their shared goal of making geology accessible to a wider public.
Building on their fifth Canadian Mining Journal article themed “What have you done today that did not involve a mineral?”, Beneteau and Downing are now advocating for the creation of a World Mineral Day. The proposed day would highlight the essential role minerals play in daily life. They are seeking support from partners across the mineral and mining community to help bring this initiative to the public.
A legacy stitched together
Downing also highlights Beneteau’s influence as a woman in mining and exploration, where representation remains limited. For many students — especially young women — her career signals that geoscience is open to diverse voices and perspectives. Her teaching and conference work show students that they, too, have a place in shaping the future of mineral development.
As she approaches retirement, Beneteau has reduced her work hours to focus on her passion project — “it’s like building a quilt,” she says, “stitched together one piece at a time.”
Like quilting, this work is an act of creativity, patience and sharing. And it leaves Canadians with a profound reminder:
What have you done today that did not involve a mineral? It is more than a question — it is an invitation to reflect on a shared story of resource development, community prosperity and a deeper connection to the world beneath our feet.
Resource Works News
Contact the subjects of this article:
Donna Beneteau [email protected]
Bruce Downing [email protected]
The Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub
The Data Hub is an open-access platform created by Donna Beneteau to provide comprehensive, fact-based information about Canadian mines. It bridges a critical information gap by compiling technical data often unavailable to the public, allowing users to explore mines’ histories, locations, and impacts. The Hub supports learning, transparency, and community engagement, promoting better-informed discussions about mining’s role in Canada’s economy and environment.
Access the Hub via
The ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World: Canadian Historical Mines – Overview
CIM website: Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub and Visualization Centre
