The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, March 4, edition that Franco-Nevada chief executive officer David Harquail told hundreds of cash-starved mining companies at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto on Tuesday that for asset purchases, there is no time like the present. The Globe's Rachelle Younglai writes that Mr. Harquail told conference delegates, "Right now we're buying as much as we can." Mr. Harquail said: "This is a great time to buy assets. Everything is for sale." The Globe notes that Franco-Nevada buys royalties and streams of future precious metal production from miners and thus does not have to deal with the headache of running mines during the downturn. Last year it spent $648-million to buy future gold and silver production from Lundin Mining's copper mine in Chile. Mr. Harquail's comments come one day after rival Silver Wheaton paid Vale SA $900-million for future gold from one of its Brazilian copper mines. The Globe notes that capital has been hard to come by for the thousands of junior miners, which typically raise funds on public markets. Because capital has dried up, they have been seeking alternative sources of cash, notes Ms. Younglai.