CANADIAN DIAMOND DRILLING ASSOCIATION

What CANADIAN DIAMOND DRILLING ASSOCIATION does

The Canadian Diamond Drilling Association (CDDA) is a Canadian non-profit industry trade association founded in the 1940s and headquartered at 1-236 Worthington Street West, North Bay, Ontario. It serves as the collective representative body for Canadian diamond drilling contractors, drilling equipment manufacturers and suppliers, mining and exploration companies, and industry partners, with a stated mission to promote safety, environmental, and quality standards in the diamond drilling sector and to provide a unified industry voice in negotiations with governmental agencies. CDDA maintains a small paid office staff of two (Executive Director Louise Lowe, Membership Services Coordinator Ashley Gauvin) supported by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from major member companies, and currently reports 24 member companies tracking approximately 2.886 million combined surface and underground man-hours.

The CDDA's flagship product is the Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC) program — a third-party-audited certification standard administered by the CDDA Certification Body and aligned with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 / OHSAS 18001 frameworks. Certification is valid for one year and requires annual re-certification audits. Around this core, CDDA operates a member portal (members.cdda.ca) for resource access and statistics tracking, the Explore CDDA Jobs Portal for industry employment matching, the Bring It to the Surface mental health and wellness initiative with associated podcast, the Drill Press monthly newsletter and blog, the Down to the Core Industry Series of webinars and videos, an ongoing Safety Alerts program, and premier in-person events including the annual AGM & Convention (80th held in Quebec City, May 2025; 81st scheduled in Victoria, BC, May 2026) and the Overburden Golf Tournament.

CDDA's business model is membership-driven and non-profit: annual membership dues paid by contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers form the core revenue base, supplemented by convention booth and delegate registration fees ($1,300 member / $1,500 non-member), event sponsorship across Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers (Platinum $5,000), DEC certification and annual re-certification fees per a published U003 Fee Structure, and advertising on the CDDA website and event programs. Distribution is fully direct — through the CDDA website, member portal, in-person events, and cross-promotion with affiliate associations including AME BC, PDAC, CAMA, NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, and Yukon College. CDDA reports no public revenue or financial disclosures, consistent with its status as a member-funded non-profit association rather than a corporate entity.

Name

CANADIAN DIAMOND DRILLING ASSOCIATION

Legal name

Canadian Diamond Drilling Association

Website

https://cdda.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Canadian Diamond Drilling Association (CDDA) is a Canadian non-profit trade association, founded in the 1940s and headquartered in North Bay, Ontario, that delivers the Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC), safety advocacy, training resources, industry events, and member services to diamond drilling contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)

akta.pro primary industry

Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB)

Keywords

• Diamond drilling association
• Drilling contractor certification
• Mining safety standards
• Industry advocacy programs
• Tradeshow networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

North Bay

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual membership fees paid by contractors, manufacturers and suppliers in the Canadian diamond drilling industry to access industry resources, member directory listing, safety meetings, convention invitations, drilling statistics tracking, and promotion of training/employment opportunities.
2. Convention booth and event registration fees: Annual AGM & Convention booth and delegate registration revenue, with tiered pricing: Member Booth $1,300, Non-Member Booth $1,500, Platinum Sponsor booth $5,000 (included in sponsorship).
3. DEC certification fees: Certification fees for Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC), including initial certification and annual re-certification audit fees per the U003 DEC Fee Structure.
4. Event sponsorship: Sponsorship revenue from Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze tier sponsors for the annual AGM & Convention, Overburden Golf Tournament, Curling Tournament and Safety Meetings.
5. Advertising revenue: Advertisement opportunities on CDDA website, official event program, and email/online publications sold to industry suppliers and manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Canadian Diamond Drilling Association is a member-funded non-profit trade association that delivers industry advocacy, the Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC) third-party-audited safety/environmental/quality program for drilling contractors, member networking, industry statistics tracking, training and employment resources, and annual events including the AGM & Convention and Overburden Golf Tournament. It serves as the unified industry voice in negotiations with Canadian governmental agencies on workplace health, safety, and mining regulations. The association also operates the Bring it to the Surface mental health and wellness initiative and the Explore CDDA Jobs Portal connecting job seekers with employers in mining, drilling, and manufacturing.

Product overview

The Canadian Diamond Drilling Association (CDDA) is a member-driven trade association — not a unified software product — that offers a portfolio of programs, services, and industry events for the Canadian diamond drilling sector. The portfolio centers on the Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC), CDDA's flagship third-party-audited certification program for drilling contractors in Health & Safety, Environmental, and Quality Management. Supporting that core offering, CDDA operates the Member Portal for resource access and statistical tracking, the Explore CDDA Jobs Portal for industry employment matching, and the Bring it to the Surface Initiative, a mental health and wellness program that includes a podcast series. Educational and community content is delivered through The Drill Press newsletter/blog, the CDDA Industry Series (Down to the Core) webinars and videos, and the CDDA Safety Alerts program. The annual AGM and Convention and the Overburden Golf Tournament serve as the association's premier in-person gatherings for industry leaders, suppliers, manufacturers, and training partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC): CDDA certification program launched to establish a higher standard of quality in the diamond drilling industry, supporting drill contractors in improving health and safety, environmental and quality performance. Certification is granted by the CDDA Certification Body after a qualified third party audit.
• Bring it to the Surface
• The Drill Press

Products and services

• Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC) A third-party-audited certification program for Canadian diamond drilling contractors covering Health & Safety, Environmental, and Quality Management Systems. Certification is granted by the CDDA Certification Body after a qualified third-party audit per the U001 DEC Standard, U002 DEC Regulations, and U003 DEC Fee Structure; valid for one year and renewed annually through re-certification audits.
• Explore CDDA Jobs Portal An online job portal connecting job seekers and employers in the mining, drilling, and manufacturing industries. Provides hundreds of regional and international full-time and part-time employment opportunities for CDDA members and the broader industry.
• Bring it to the Surface Initiative CDDA's industry-wide mental health and wellness initiative dedicated to raising awareness, inspiring action, and sharing resources across the diamond drilling and exploration industry. Includes a podcast series, merchandise and promotional items, and educational speakers such as Clint Gore. Proceeds from select events (e.g., Overburden 50/50 draw) support the initiative.
• CDDA Industry Series (Down to the Core) A member-facing content series featuring industry webinars, member videos, and member-submitted videos for the diamond drilling sector. Members can submit videos via the CDDA office email for inclusion in the series.
• CDDA AGM and Convention CDDA's premier annual gathering of diamond drilling professionals. Features keynote speakers, technical paper presentations, interactive workshops, exhibitor booths, mini-tradeshow, and networking events. Calls for papers are issued annually. 80th edition held in Quebec City (May 2025); 81st edition scheduled in Victoria, BC (May 2026).
• CDDA Overburden Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament hosted by CDDA at Osprey Links Golf Course. Includes welcome package, 18 holes of golf, green fees and cart, BBQ lunch, and dinner. Proceeds from the 50/50 draw support the Bring it to the Surface Initiative. Entry fee is $140 per person.
• CDDA Member Portal Members-only online portal providing access to industry resources, secure tracking and management of drilling statistics online, DEC application package, exclusive invites to CDDA safety meetings and the annual convention, and ability to promote training and employment opportunities.
• CDDA Safety Alerts Program Ongoing safety alert publication program addressing identified risks in diamond drilling operations. Notable alerts include Wildlife Awareness and Bear Safety on Remote Exploration Sites (June 2026), Repetitive work resulting in injury (March 2026), and Worker Drilling on Ice Cover (February 2026).

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,886,764 total man hours tracked across member companies (surface + underground)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship (host sponsor of overburden golf tournament), flagship (platinum sponsor of 81st agm & convention), moderate (curling tournament host sponsor), flagship (platinum sponsor), major (gold sponsor), major (gold sponsor and mini-tradeshow booth), moderate (silver sponsor), moderate (mini-tradeshow booth), moderate (silver sponsor and mini-tradeshow booth), moderate (advertiser), flagship (dec auditor), moderate (industry association affiliate), major (industry association affiliate), moderate (training partner), moderate (safety partner), moderate (gold sponsor), minor (silver sponsor), minor (bronze sponsor and advertiser), minor (bronze sponsor), moderate (member and software partner) and minor (website advertisers).

• Boart Longyear Drilling Productsflagship (host sponsor of overburden golf tournament)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026Boart Longyear Drilling Products serves as Host Sponsor of the 2026 CDDA Overburden Golf Tournament (June 18, 2026 at Osprey Links Golf Course). Also a member company, mini-tradeshow booth exhibitor, and long-time CDDA supporter.
• IMDEXflagship (platinum sponsor of 81st agm & convention)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026IMDEX is a leading global mining technology company providing drilling fluids, downhole instrumentation, and data management software. Portfolio brands include AMC, Reflex, Devico, Datarock and Earth Science Analytics. Platinum Sponsor of 81st CDDA AGM & Convention May 24-26, 2026 in Victoria, BC.
• ICAMP (Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping)moderate (curling tournament host sponsor)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2024Not-for-profit innovation centre operated by Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario. Official Host Sponsor of the CDDA Curling Event December 3, 2024. Partner on the Common Core Program at Canadore College with MIHR.
• RJLL Forage Drillingflagship (platinum sponsor)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum Sponsor of 80th AGM & Convention. David Bradley is President; Vice President Réal shared a message on International Driller's Day June 3, 2026.
• Major Drilling Group International Inc.major (gold sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerGold Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. Senior representatives (Kathy Karbonik, Canadian HR Manager; John Stringer, Business Development/Contract Manager) attend CDDA Board meetings.
• Epirocmajor (gold sponsor and mini-tradeshow booth)Strategic or Co-development PartnerGold Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention and Mini-Tradeshow Booth exhibitor. Michelle White, Product Manager of Exploration Consumables, is a CDDA Board attendee.
• Orbit Garant Drillingmajor (gold sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerGold Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. Gilbert Huard, Director of Underground Operations, is a CDDA Board attendee.
• Foracomoderate (silver sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSilver Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. Robert Steadman, Vice President of Human Resources, is a CDDA Board attendee.
• Team Drillingmoderate (silver sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSilver Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. DEC Certified contractor. Robert Fleming (CEO/Shareholder) and Gerry Cooke (H&S Officer) are CDDA Board attendees.
• Hole Productsmoderate (mini-tradeshow booth)Strategic or Co-development PartnerMini-Tradeshow Booth exhibitor at 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. June 2025 Member of the Month; leading manufacturer and supplier of high-performance drilling tools across US and Canada.
• CHUBBmoderate (mini-tradeshow booth)Strategic or Co-development PartnerMini-Tradeshow Booth exhibitor at 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• Sunny Corner Exploration Inc.moderate (mini-tradeshow booth)Strategic or Co-development PartnerMini-Tradeshow Booth exhibitor at 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. Industrial pipe fitting and steel fabrication provider based in Miramichi, New Brunswick.
• Axis Mining Technologymoderate (silver sponsor and mini-tradeshow booth)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSilver Sponsor and Mini-Tradeshow Booth exhibitor at 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• Di-Corpmoderate (advertiser)Strategic or Co-development PartnerAdvertiser on CDDA website. Ryan Boesche, Regional Sales Manager at Di-Corp, is a CDDA Board of Director.
• International Certification Ltd. (Bert Hettrich)flagship (dec auditor)Implementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBert Hettrich, certified 3rd Party Lead Auditor for Safety, Environmental and Quality Management Systems, audits 50-60 companies annually. Co-owner of International Certification Ltd., a License Partner of International Certification Management GmbH (part of CSA Group). Audits CDDA contractors going through DEC U001 Certification and was involved in developing CDDA DEC Standards since 2010.
• Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME BC)moderate (industry association affiliate)Strategic or Co-development PartnerProud member of AME BC — co-promotes CDDA events, programs and student-industry networking opportunities (e.g., Annual Student-Industry Networking Event at Mineral Exploration Roundup).
• Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA)moderate (industry association affiliate)Strategic or Co-development PartnerProud member of CAMA — supports CDDA's mandate to promote industry standards and Indigenous engagement in mining.
• Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)major (industry association affiliate)Strategic or Co-development PartnerProud member of PDAC. CDDA has engaged with PDAC committees in support of PDAC's 5-year strategic plan; PDAC members have endorsed CDDA DEC certification as an initiative that helps keep crews safe and reduce risk.
• NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Minesmoderate (industry association affiliate)Strategic or Co-development PartnerProud member of the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines — supports cross-promotion of industry initiatives in Northern Canada.
• Yukon Collegemoderate (training partner)Implementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProud member of Yukon College for training and educational partnerships supporting the diamond drilling workforce.
• Workplace Safety Northmoderate (safety partner)Strategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated surface diamond drilling risk assessment workshops with the CDDA that identified the Top 10 health and safety risks in the surface diamond drilling sector, including "worker drilling on ice cover" and "repetitive work resulting in injury".
• Canadore Collegemoderate (training partner)Implementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates ICAMP (Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping) in North Bay, Ontario and is home to the Common Core Program, a drilling training program offered in partnership with the CDDA and MIHR.
• Gifford Carr (Gifford Carr Technology Corp)moderate (gold sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerGold Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• TIME Limited (TIMEC)minor (silver sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSilver Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• Hy-Tech Drilling Ltd.minor (silver sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerSilver Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. DEC Certified contractor.
• MBI Globalminor (bronze sponsor and advertiser)Strategic or Co-development PartnerBronze Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention and website advertiser.
• Can-Nam (Cannamm)minor (bronze sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerBronze Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• Multi Power Productsminor (bronze sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerBronze Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• AVD Drillsminor (bronze sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerBronze Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• ROCS Products (Produits Rocs)minor (bronze sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerBronze Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention.
• DIAFOR (Diafor Diamond Drilling)minor (bronze sponsor)Strategic or Co-development PartnerBronze Sponsor of 80th CDDA AGM & Convention. Mathieu Dionne, President of Diafor Diamond Drilling, is a CDDA Board attendee.
• Krux Analyticsmoderate (member and software partner)Technology or IntegrationKrux Analytics joined CDDA membership (Oct 2020) and provides customized exploration drilling data collection, storage, and analysis software used by CDDA members including Foraco, Geotech, Team Drilling, Major Drilling, Norex, Priority Drilling, Teck Resources, Bryson Drilling, RioTinto, and Boart Longyear. Technology partner of IMDEX.
• Blais Industries / PilotCO / Ranger Mining / Boart Longyear Drilling Products / DiCorp / MBI Globalminor (website advertisers)GTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple industry suppliers advertise on CDDA's website through the member advertising program, supporting the association and reaching the Canadian diamond drilling audience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mining Association of Canada (MAC): National industry association for the Canadian mining sector, focused on advocacy and sustainability. Comparable to CDDA as a Canadian mining-focused trade association with government engagement, but covers the full mining sector rather than the diamond drilling niche.
• Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC): Canadian mineral exploration industry association of which CDDA is a proud member. Comparable in non-profit trade association model, government advocacy role, and convention-based member engagement, but operates at the broader exploration/mining sector level rather than the diamond drilling niche.
• Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME): US-based international professional society for the mining and exploration industry. Comparable to CDDA in providing technical resources, professional development, and industry publications to mining/drilling professionals, but operates globally and across the entire mining value chain.
• International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC): Global industry association for the drilling industry with advocacy, training, and certification programs. Comparable to CDDA in mission (industry voice, safety standards) but operates internationally and covers the broader drilling sector rather than Canadian diamond drilling specifically.

Regional players

• Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME BC): BC-focused mineral exploration industry association of which CDDA is a proud member. Comparable as a non-profit Canadian mining/exploration association with member services and government advocacy, but operates provincially and across the broader exploration sector rather than exclusively in diamond drilling.
• Canadian Association of Mining Equipment and Services for Export (CAMESE): Canadian trade association representing mining equipment and service exporters. Comparable as a Canadian mining industry trade association with member services, events, and advocacy focus, but oriented to export promotion of equipment/services rather than the diamond drilling niche.
• American Exploration & Mining Association (AEMA): US-based national mining association representing the mineral exploration and mining industry. Comparable to CDDA in operating as a national mining-focused trade association with advocacy and safety/standards engagement, but serves the US rather than Canadian market.
• Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA): Canadian association supporting Indigenous engagement in the mining sector, of which CDDA is a proud member. Comparable as a non-profit Canadian mining industry association with advocacy and networking mandates, but focused on Indigenous participation in mining rather than the drilling vertical.

Direct peers

• British Drilling Association (BDA): UK drilling industry trade association providing standards, training, and advocacy for the British drilling sector. Directly comparable to CDDA as a national drilling-specific trade association with member certification and safety standards focus, but serving the UK market.
• Australian Drilling Industry Association (ADIA): Australian national drilling industry association providing training, accreditation, and advocacy for drilling contractors. The most directly comparable international peer to CDDA in scope (single country, drilling-specific trade association with certification and advocacy mandate), serving the Australian drilling market rather than Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-diamond-drilling-association

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CANADIAN DIAMOND DRILLING ASSOCIATION