OBITUARY Archibald MacDonald Bell

Archibald MacDonald Bell, who for 38 years directed Noranda’s exploration program, died recently in Mississauga, Ont. He was 85.

Born in Grafton, Australia, of Canadian parents, Bell attended the University of Toronto and received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. In 1934 he was engaged as an exploration geologist by Oliver Hall, consulting engineer for Noranda Mines.

Bell was identified with the Copper Mountain deposit in Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula, the Pamour Porcupine mine in Timmins, Ont., and the Bell copper mine at Babine Lake, B.C.

In 1938 Bell took an option on behalf of Noranda Mines in the Copper Mountain property, which was staked by prospector Alfred Miller in 1921. Exploration started in the same year, ceased during the Second World War and resumed in 1947. By then Bell had proven major copper reserves at Copper Mountain and nearby Needle Mountain and in 1947 persuaded Oliver Hall and James Murdoch, Noranda’s first president, to establish a new company to hold the expanded property. Production began in 1955 at an initial rate of 2,000 tons per day with reserves of 67 million tons averaging 1.3% copper at both properties.

As well, Bell helped to bring the Pamour Porcupine gold mine in Timmins into production. In 1934 he and Oliver Hall proposed that Noranda Mines enter into an agreement with Quebec Gold Mining, which had a controlling interest in Pamour Porcupine Mines, to finance development of the property. It was brought into production in 1936.

In 1947, Bell moved to Toronto where, as manager of exploration for Noranda Mines, he directed an extensive exploration program which led to mine development in Mexico and South America, as well as the establishment of company offices across North America and Australia.

He was instrumental in implementing the exploration on the Newman copper property at Babine Lake, B.C. This became the Bell copper mine which went into production at 10,000 tons per day in 1972 with reserves of 46 million tons averaging 0.5% copper.

After his retirement in 1972, Bell and B.O. “Bern” Brynelsen formed the western-based consulting firms of B & B Mining and Norancon.