Gardiner retires as chief executive officer and president of the Elk Valley Coal Partnership and Elk Valley Coal Corporation, and as president of the Trust and Fording Inc.

He will be replaced by Jim Popowich, who currently serves as Executive Vice President responsible for the operations of the Partnership.

Michael Grandin, chief executive officer of the Trust, said: "Jim Gardiner has served Fording and its affiliates for the past 35 years. He has played a large role in growing the business from a single mine to the second largest supplier of seaborne metallurgical coal in the world.

“Over the past year, he has provided valuable leadership in integrating the six mines included in the arrangement between Fording, Teck Cominco and Luscar. During that same period, Jim concluded that he did not wish to work indefinitely under the new organizational structure. With the most demanding phase of the integration completed, Jim has decided to retire. We can't thank him enough for his past contributions, and wish him every success in the future."

Popowich has served for 35 years with Fording and its affiliates and he, too, has played a major role in their growth and development. The Trust said it was confident that under his leadership and guidance synergies and operational improvements will continue to be achieved.