OBITUARIES — Former editor John Carrington spent 44 years at

A former editor of The Northern Miner, John W. Carrington, passed away Jan. 20 in Toronto after a long illness. He was 81.

Carrington, who devoted his entire career of 44 years to the weekly newspaper, joined the staff after graduating in 1935 from the University of Toronto with a BASc in mining engineering. He became editor in 1949, a director of the company in 1965 and senior vice-president in 1971. Carrington’s career spanned the greatest period of mine development in this country. During those times, new frontiers were opened by such projects as Pine Point and the Labrador iron mines, and railway lines hundreds of miles long were built to bring metals from these operations to market. Carrington travelled widely for the newspaper, and provided news on industry developments such as uranium in Elliot Lake, potash in Saskatchewan, Geco, Brunswick Mining & Smelting, Matagami, Highland Valley and a host of other major mining developments.

The list also includes the Texas Gulf discovery of Kidd Creek Mines, which generated much excitement and widespread press coverage. So respected was The Miner, that Carrington was able to arrange an exclusive story on this great discovery, leaving such prominent publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Life and even Canada’s own The Globe and Mail waiting in the wings. Subsequent coverage of the Leitch Gold Mines’ lawsuit and the infamous Windfall fiasco brought about new disclosure regulations, thus effectively ending any further exclusive reporting for the newspaper. Under Carrington’s guidance, The Northern Miner was the publication of record for Canada’s mining industry, and much of the editorial style he learned from the paper’s founders continues to this day.

Carrington was widely known and respected for his leadership and for his knowledge and love of the industry. He is survived by wife Alice, daughter Catherine and son John. He was predeceased by his first wife, Clara, and daughter, Molly.