EDITORIAL PAGE Developing Sudbury’s North Rim

Over a distance of less than five miles along the North Rim of the Sudbury Basin, from the old Hardy mine to Longvack, Inco Ltd.’s operation at the extreme east end of the North Rim, there are no less than 16 mines. Fourteen have their own shafts.

Fourteen main shafts in less than five miles. With shaft sinking the largest single cost in the opening of a new mine, that represents a significant expenditure. The total includes mines of both Falconbridge Ltd. and Inco but takes no account of service, ventilation and second exit openings which in many cases are also vertical shafts.

Not only is there a major capital investment involved in sinking the shafts, but there is also operating expense to be considered. Hoisting ore and waste and generally servicing a mine by shaft is a costly proposition.

There is a reason for such a multiplicity of shafts. It’s a question of property boundaries. The claims of Falconbridge and Inco form a jagged sawtooth pattern in plan, with Falconbridge’s generally to the south and Inco’s updip to the north. Inco’s claims were largely on outcropping sulphides, or on their anticipated projections. It has happened more than once that the mostly low dipping orebodies have been transected by the boundary line separating the properties of the two companies.

It is the jagged boundary line that has prevented rational development of the orebodies, because the simplest solution to the problems of ground ownership if not the cheapest has usually been to sink a new shaft.

Perhaps in an earlier age when strong-willed, single-minded owners controlled the destinies of companies there was no room for compromise or for the surrender of a portion of control for the common good. But times have changed, and the competitor is no longer the company down the street or the owner of the claims next door. The competitor today is the producer 5,000 miles away that is becoming more efficient by the year and has the potential for producing metal at giveaway prices.

There must be a rationalization of the development and exploration of the North Rim, though it will need a Solomon to come up with an acceptable plan. Nevertheless, the will is there and has been demonstrated on more than one occasion when agreements have been reached in order to mine a specific orebody divided by an awkward boundary line.

There is every possibility that there are other North Rim mines yet to be found and another 100 years for the Sudbury Basin, but the chances of developing those mines will be favored if Sudbury’s major players recognize their common interest and channel money and resources into exploration rather than sinking unnecessary shafts.