Video News/Vancouver Resource Investment Conference 2026

Gold and silver prices are forcing a reassessment of the mining sector, but veteran executives Ross Beaty and Bob Quartermain cautioned that price spikes alone do not guarantee sustainable growth. Speaking with Kitco News at VRIC 2026 in Vancouver, Beaty, chairman of Equinox Gold, and Quartermain, president and CEO of Dakota Gold, said recent volatility reflects speculative excess in silver, while gold’s strength is more fundamentally driven by capital moving out of currencies and bonds and into hard assets. Both executives emphasized that mine supply cannot respond quickly to higher prices due to permitting timelines, capital intensity, and geological constraints. They argued that the current environment improves access to risk capital for developers and explorers, particularly in safe jurisdictions, but warned that mining remains a long-cycle business vulnerable to sharp downturns. Beaty and Quartermain stressed the importance of disciplined capital allocation, jurisdictional diversification, and long-term planning as companies navigate what could be a powerful but uneven phase of the precious metals cycle.