Emerald: A jewel of a mine

The varied and valuable experience I gained at the Emerald base metals mine, in the Salmo area of southern British Columbia, affected my entire career as a miner.

To begin with, there was the actual mining. Shrinkage stopes provided ore for the mill, and the miners displayed exceptional flexibility in accomplishing their tasks. The hardy crew handled the heavy-duty machines, including Leyner drills and Denver stopers, with admirable skill, sending some 300 tons of tungsten ore to the mill each day. There seemed always to be a plentiful supply of mill feed, and therefore seldom, if ever, did the operation have to be shut down. The miners, led by Jack Magee and Jack Anderberg, worked with a superior degree of co-operation and harmony.

And then there was the geological surveillance and exploration of the project and the area. Accompanying the mining team was a spirited group of geologists, including Harold Lakes and Clive Ball.

The mining of the Emerald tungsten zone was mapped, assessed and studied meticulously each day. Detailed cross-sections and descriptive stope plans followed the progress of the extraction. The geologists also surveyed the potential of the claim area. Iron Mountain, with its continuous, parallel beds of argillite, dolomite, and quartzite, provided a sizable challenge. A detailed and definitive program of surface mapping and diamond drilling outlined substantial potential for tungsten in the Emerald and Jersey deposits. Consequently, the operation served Placer Development for well over 28 years.

Key to the Emerald’s success was sound management. Initially, two old-timers, Hal Powell and Jack MacKenzie, managed the mine. They were followed by Jerry Christie, Rolly Legg and others, all of whom knew how to direct the operations back and forth between tungsten and lead-zinc in response to market fluctuations.

Soon a new mill, accessible by mountain roads, was built. And in an effort to reduce costs, new mining technology was being introduced into the Canadian mining industry at a rapid rate. Long conveyor tunnels were excavated, and trackless mining was implemented; jack-leg drills and knock-off drill bits made their debut; and load-haul-dump machines were used for the first time. These were exciting times, and nowhere more so than at the Emerald.

The smoothness with which these changes were carried out was a reflection of the splendid office support staff at Emerald. They made sure the crews were paid and the bills were honoured.

The Emerald team boasted a splendid mining force. Such stalwarts as Chris Christianson, Gunnar Adolfson, Tony Yoski, Jimmy Stewart and Peter Matson (to name but a few) entered the mine each day to drill, load and blast their required quota of ore. I never heard a murmur of complaint from the crews. They had good quarters, excellent food, solid supervision, adequate direction, fair wages and excellent machines, as well as the incentive to produce results. It would be an understatement to say that this was one of the best mining teams in the province at the time.

No less impressive were the mill teams. The flow sheets were adjusted to achieve maximum recovery and optimum specifications, and the overall efficiency helped ensure that Placer Development remained competitive.

At Emerald, Placer achieved its economic objectives and became a major mining force in Canada. As for me, I gained the encouragement and experience that made it possible to continue in the mining industry with a high degree of confidence and pride.

— The author, a retired mining engineer, resides in Vancouver, B.C.