Arthur Roy, who discovered several uranium deposits near Kirkland Lake, Ont., has died. He was 84.
Roy, who worked for Inco and, independently, as a prospector, staked 15 claims in the Kirkland Lake area in 1951 after his geiger counter “lit up” while examining a nearby copper showing. Roy sent several samples from the properties to be assayed, and they came back showing significant amounts of thorium and minor amounts of uranium.
In 1953, the claims were sold to John Aird and Algoma Uranium Mines.
The claims were the basis for the Buckles mine (eventually renamed the Rio Algom mine), but Roy was never officially credited with being one of Kirkland Lake’s mining pioneers.
He retired from Inco as a superviser in 1978 after spending 42 years with the company.
Roy is survived by his wife, Monita, and two grandchildren.
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