EDITORIAL PAGE — A light under the bushel

They can be found in all of Canada’s major mining districts, in Nevada’s Carlin Trend and in Chile’s Atacama Desert. In fact, graduates from the Haileybury School of Mines can be found in just about every corner of the globe where Canadian mining companies have ventured.

Over the decades, this unique school, based in New Liskeard, Ont., has become internationally known for its embodiment of the Canadian mining tradition. It stands for excellence and hard work, and its graduates are considered the best of the mining industry.

All this makes it hard for us to understand why some shortsighted educational bureaucrats have decided to hide this light under a bushel. And we are not alone. The Haileybury School of Mines Alumni Association is astounded that it is being further assimilated into the multi-campus Northern College system. Mining courses will continue at the school, but no longer under the prestigious Haileybury moniker.

The School of Mines has a unique identity which dates back to 1912, when Haileybury High School first provided geology and surveying courses. The mines program received its first home in 1919 and has operated as a separate school ever since, except for a brief shutdown during the War years.

At times, educational bureaucrats resented the school’s independence, along with its status, its traditions, and its determination to provide a first-class mining education. At other times, politicians tried to run roughshod over the institution in order to pursue their own agenda.

But one thing is certain: the school has earned the respect of the Canadian mining industry, and its name ought to be preserved and promoted. We urge Ontario Premier Michael Harris, his minister of mines, and local members of Parliament to look into this matter. Canada’s reputation for excellence in mining owes much to the Haileybury School of Mines.