A golden era for mining (1957-64)

Jan. 17, 1957

The rich new nickel discoveries of Le Moyne Ungava Mines have rapidly set the stage for what promises to be one of the biggest, most intensive and most expensive exploration efforts in the exciting history of Canadian mining.

Announced exclusively by The Northern Miner only two weeks ago, it is believed as many as some three dozen companies have already made determined bids for concessions or interests in the new area in the bleak, sub-Arctic barrens of New Quebec. They represent what is probably the greatest array of mining talent and resources ever to be thrown into a new area.

It is understood that applications for concessions that cover virtually the entire belt of favorable rocks, stretching 200 miles from Cape Smith at the northeast tip of Hudson Bay to Wakeham Bay on Hudson Strait, have flooded the offices of Quebec’s Department of Mines, which in 1955 withdrew the entire area from staking.

May 23, 1957

A 50th anniversary is a remarkable occasion for any mine. Especially is it so for a silver mine which exists on narrow, irregular veins, but the Miller Lake O’Brien mine of Siscoe Metals of Ontario, at Gowganda, will celebrate the passing of that important milestone at a ceremony this weekend. And with a continuous record of a half century of production behind it Siscoe will embark on the second half by bumping mill tonnage to a record rate of 300 tons daily.

Miller Lake O’Brien saw its first important production under the wing of the M. J. O’Brien interests who operated the property for many years. Leasers took over for a spell then Siscoe acquired the mine about 10 years ago.

June 13, 1957

Quietly working on a broad exploration project for the past year, the Mattagami Syndicate in recent days has come up with what could well be an important copper-zinc discovery in Northwestern Quebec, The Northern Miner can say.

Results of the first hole show two impressive intersections. This is the word from people connected with the syndicate, and is concurred in by a number of engineers who have seen the show.

The syndicate is composed of a group of six mining companies, each holding a 16.66% interest. The companies are Leitch Gold Mines, Teck-Hughes, Dome Mines, Iso Uranium Mines, Highland Bell, and Area Mines.

The discovery has touched off another large-scale staking rush, with a number of the “big name” companies engaged in the scramble for ground.

Interest in the area has climbed to a fever pitch as a result of the first hole put down by the syndicate. This was to test the first of a dozen or more important looking anomalies that have been covered by syndicate stakings. Altogether, close to 500 claims in a dozen or so groups have been pegged out. These are currently being added to, it can be said.

After going through 50 ft. of overburden, the hole collared in massive sulphides with the 27-ft. intersection assaying 0.89% copper, 6.6% zinc, 0.03 oz. gold and 0.58 oz. silver. At 275 ft. an 88.5-ft. section of massive sulphides assayed 0.83% copper, 8.89% zinc, 0.02 oz. gold and 0.6 oz. silver.

Oct. 23, 1958

Initial production is scheduled to commence in November from the Potash Company of America Ltd. plant about 15 miles east of Saskatoon, Sask., The Northern Miner found while visiting the property.

All phases of the mine preparation and plant construction programs are well along and, barring unforeseen hitches, mining should be under way before the middle of next month.

Shaft sinking to the 3,450-ft. horizon has been completed and driving both east and west from the shaft at the ore horizon is under way.

The shaft-sinking job itself and the equipping of the shaft for production have been unique in the annals of Canadian mining. Shaft sinking took place through ground that had been previously frozen solid. It is believed to be the deepest shaft, put down through pre-frozen ground, ever attempted on this continent and probably anywhere in the world.

Dec. 31, 1959

Uncertainty over the immediate future has residents and merchants of Elliot Lake, Ont., centre of Canada’s largest uranium-producing area, on edge these days, The Northern Miner noted on visiting the area.

While there are many who feel that over the long term the camp has a promising future, it is the years immediately following expiration of present sales contracts that cause the most concern.

Main fear at present is that some of the producers — perhaps three — will shortly cease operations and throw some 2,500 mine employees out of work.

This fear followed the announcement early in November of a new agreement between Eldorado Mining and Refining, the Canadian government’s purchasing agent for uranium concentrates, and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. This agreement paved the way for weak operators (those in financial difficulties) to sell the unfilled portions of their contracts to their more fortunate brother operators.

Aug. 18, 1960

Quebec Cartier Mining Co., Canadian subsidiary of U.S. Steel Corp., is on the last lap of a huge construction job that is creating the largest single mining enterprise ever attempted in Canada. First production of high-grade iron concentrate is expected to be realized this fall, and the initial shipment is scheduled to go out early in the new year.

This is a tremendous achievement for the project which is unofficially estimated to represent an expenditure of almost $300 million. Bids were not called for until the end of May 1958, so that the production effort has been achieved in less than 2.5 years’ time.

More than 8,000 men are swarming over the job now, hurrying to completion the preparation of an open pit, construction of a mill, railway, power plant, two towns and port facilities.

March 30, 1961

Last weekend with appropriate ceremony, the magnificent new plant of International Nickel Co., at Thompson, Man., was officially ushered into production. Premier Duff Roblin, of Manitoba, cut the nickel ribbon symbolizing the start of operations.

Attending the dedication ceremonies were some 200 representatives of government and industry from as far away as Paris and London. The federal government was represented by Hon. Paul Comtois, Minister of Mines, and Hon. Walter Dinsdale, Minister of Northern Affairs. Congratulatory messages were read from Prime Minister Diefenbaker, Luther H. Hodges, U.S. secretary of commerce, and others.

The $185-million Thompson project made a great impression on the visitors. They saw a plant solidly built, using the most modern equipment designed to assure efficient and low-cost operation. Although compact, the layout is spacious and the designers obviously have made provision for expansion.

Nearby is the townsite provided with all the amenities for modern living. Hundreds of comfortable homes in the modern style are being rushed to completion, and more will be built. Population approaches 4,000 but it will quickly expand to 8,000 as more accommodation becomes available. That will make Thompson the fourth-largest community in Manitoba.

May 25, 1961

The productive days of a prolific and once mighty gold camp are fast coming to an end. Kirkland Lake, in the full flower of youth some 25 years ago, is now well past its prime and it will not be long before the number of operating mines dwindles to but a few.

June 22, 1961

Production plans for Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corp., which have blown hot and cold for several years now, have jelled at last. The stage is set, so The Northern Miner can say, to bring the company into operation as a major produce of silver and base metals, to be followed eventually by ancillary plants turning out fertilizers and chemicals.

The announcement was made in New Brunswick last week by Premier Louis J. Robichaud, that New Brunswick M. & S. would get started this year on construction of a $50 million complex, entailing mine development and erection of a concentrator and lead smelter.

April 16, 1964

Texas Gulf Sulp
hur has chalked up a brilliant exploration success in its field program north of the Porcupine area. Following a visit to the discovery property, The Northern Miner can say that a major new zinc-copper-silver mine is definitely in the making, one that has all the earmarks of shaping into a substantial open-pit operation.

Only a relative handful of holes has been completed since the discovery hole but on the basis of seven tests either completed or drilling it can be stated that a strike length of 600 ft. minimum has been established, showing an ore width of roughly 300 ft. which has been traced so far to a maximum vertical depth of 800 ft.

So recent has been the discovery, and so urgent the effort to accelerate the drill program (four machines have been moved in since the discovery hole was completed), that assays have been completed on only the discovery. But this must be recorded as one of the most impressive drill holes completed in modern times.

For a core length of a shade better than 600 ft., the hole averaged in excess of 1% copper, 8% zinc and nearly four ounces of silver.

And there are impressive, strong sections within this width which in themselves are quite spectacular. In the upper part of the hole, for example, a core length of 82 ft. ran 7.1% copper, 9.7% zinc and 2.4 ozs. silver. This was followed by continuous values of ore tenor – deeper down, a 100-ft.section runs 0.33% copper, 0.8% lead, 14.3% zinc and 4.2 ozs. silver. And still deeper, a strong zinc section of better than 100 ft. averaged out to in excess of seven ounces of silver in addition to ore-grade zinc values.

April 23, 1964

History will mark it as the “whirleybird” staking rush — without the helicopter, the biggest outburst of staking in many a year would have been impossible, but with as many as eight or nine machines flying from sunrise to sundown, The Northern Miner can say that upwards of six thousand claims have now been staked in the rush accompanying Texas Gulf Sulphur’s new find north of the Porcupine gold belt.

Aug. 6, 1964

The Canadian mining world was rocked by the announcement late last week that no commercial assays had been encountered in the first hole drilled by Windfall Oils & Mines. The statement by George A. MacMillan, president, was marked for release at 6:30 p.m., July 30.

This ended almost a month of speculation during which time the financial district seethed with rumors and in frantic trading the company’s shares rose from 56 to a high of $5.70. On the last trading day prior to the announcement the stock traded in a range from $3.05 to $4.25 and closed at $4.15 per share. The following morning, after a delayed opening, the first sales were at 80.

A complete investigation into the affairs of Windfall has been ordered by Ontario Attorney-General Wishart. (This investigation, which had been ordered prior to the release of the Windfall results, was broadened to include investigation of Bunker Hill Extension Mines and Glenn Uranium Mines).