EDITORIAL & OPINION — COMMENTARY — Ontario mining in the veins

“There is no failure except in no longer trying.” — Elbert Hubbard

Quotations such as the one above are lived out daily in the mining business. If the town of Kirkland Lake had given up hope, it could have become a ghost town.

There was always the believing prospector, the engineer or promoter here to carry on, to keep us dreaming, to lead us on. Sometimes we got lost, sometimes we gained, but in the mining business, the dreamers never give up — they never will.

It is tempting to excuse oneself and turn to safer ventures. Think it was part of God’s plan to let us find enough for each generation? Not so. Believers in the mining industry can’t sit back to leave even the least promising veins for the next generation. They know there’s plenty more down there, and they’re going to find it.

There are times when most northerners take a loss in backing mining ventures, but for those who gain, the gains are great and the employment continuous. All mining people who have lived through the ups and downs of mining towns’ fortunes and misfortunes wish for better days for the next generation.

It’s their turn to take the occasional ride. Those who have not grown to understand the industry can happily switch to faster-moving investments in computer science and mergers; but we love mining, in spite of its uncertainties. We just know gold will always be a precious commodity.

Some of us remember US$35-per-oz. gold. Some of us remember when it was just US$25. We are inflated, yet unequipped to go through such hard times again. But the industry will recover.

Stockbrokers no longer live on Government Road, no longer encourage buying on margin. We hope they never will again. Some lost, even left town owing the market. But some were lucky, and they hope they will be again.

I was pleased to learn that drilling is still being done in our area. Take another look.

Don’t expect us to finance further dreams, but don’t discourage those who do. Here’s to them.

— The preceding appeared in The Northern Daily News, published in Kirkland Lake, Ont., where the author resides.