Editorial Mining Hall of Fame

Just the other day, at a meeting of the Toronto Geological Discussion Group, the publisher of The Northern Miner, M. R. Brown, proposed establishment of a Mining Hall of Fame. This, like sports Halls of Fame in Canada, would permanently enshrine those individuals who have made great and lasting contributions in their particular fields of endeavor.

We think it’s a challenging idea, with a great deal of merit, and not at all impossible of achievement. There is no reason why mine discoverers and developers, like hockey and football players, should not be accorded something of the public honor that election to a Hall of Fame entails. In fact, the mining industry is long overdue in attempting to make its accomplishments more widely known, in this case through those remarkable individuals who would merit inclusion in a Mining Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame concept is not at all new, though it is when applied to an industry segment, rather than to sports. There are literally dozens of Halls of Fame across Canada in the sports arena, but none we’re aware of that apply to a particular Canadian industry.

The mining industry itself already accords special honors to mining achievers, through such bodies, for instance, as the Prospectors and Developers Association and its Prospector-of- the-Year award, and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, with its various annual awards. This paper, too, we believe makes a significant contribution to the honors list with its own annual selection of Mining Man-of-the-Year.

But one problem with all of these awards is that they generally make limited outside public impact. The industry itself knows of and appreciates them, but few others will be even aware of them. A Mining Hall of Fame, supported by the industry and located in a permanent home available for public visitation, we think, could considerably enhance the opportunities to make mining’s accomplishments, and the names of the men who achieve them, better known to all Canadians.

A Mining Hall of Fame is just an idea, at this stage. But it is at least a possibility, with the backing and financial support of the industry from top to bottom (not just the seniors, the big players, but right down to the smaller companies in the junior resource sector). We suggest as a starter, that industry associations, particularly the national groups, include the idea on their public relations agendas for discussion. Meantime we’d like to hear from anyone who feels he or she could contribute to a dialogue on the proposal.