[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 59 (Thursday, April 10, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S2371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO PETER MUNK

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the more than 30 years 
of hard work and leadership Mr. Peter Munk has demonstrated as the 
founder and chairman of the board of Barrick Gold Corporation.
  Since Barrick Gold was established in 1983, Mr. Munk has worked to 
make Barrick one of the world's largest gold mining companies, with 
projects reaching four continents. In 1986, Mr. Munk bet on Nevada, 
bringing Barrick to the Silver State with the acquisition of the 
Goldstrike mine located on the Carlin Trend in Eureka County. Nevada 
has since become the largest source of gold in the United States, 
producing more than 75 percent of the gold mined throughout the 
country. Even today, the Goldstrike mine is one of Barrick's most 
productive properties. Two of Barrick's 5 core gold mines are located 
in Nevada, and the company continues to operate 7 mines throughout the 
State, employing more than 4,200 people.
  Mr. Munk has shared his many successes and accomplishments with the 
communities in which he works and lives, and through his philanthropy, 
he has demonstrated his dedication to education and health. He created 
the Peter Munk Charitable Foundation in 1992 and has made significant 
donations to his alma mater, the University of Toronto, which is home 
to the Munk School of Global Affairs. Additionally, the premier Peter 
Munk Cardiac Centre was constructed at the University Health Network in 
Toronto as a product of his generous contributions.
  Under Mr. Munk's strong leadership, Barrick Gold has given back to 
the many communities surrounding Barrick mining operations, and the 
company has helped provide added support for local economic, health, 
and social development. In Nevada, much needed school supplies, college 
scholarships, and large community projects have been funded with the 
support of Barrick Gold. The company has also implemented strict 
controls to help reduce the impacts of mining on the environment and 
contributed to wildlife restoration and improvement projects to enhance 
Nevada's native plants and species habitats. For instance, in 2012, 
Barrick partnered with Federal and State land managers to restore vital 
greater sage-grouse habitat that had been scarred and damaged by a 
devastating wildfire.
  Mr. Munk has made a significant impact on the State of Nevada and has 
established a lasting legacy on the international mining industry. His 
influence has been recognized by the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and 
the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, and he was honored with one of 
Canada's highest honors for a private citizen when he was made a 
Companion of the Order of Canada. Additionally, Mr. Munk was the first 
Canadian to be awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate 
Citizenship in 2002 and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee 
Medal in 2012.
  As Mr. Munk steps down from his role as chairman of the board of 
Barrick Gold Corporation, I congratulate him on his many years of 
success and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

                          ____________________