Editorial Percy Finlay – a special breed

The mining industry has certainly lost a friend and one of its most respected spokesmen with the passing of “Percy” Finlay.

We here at The Miner knew him well over the years, not so much as a top lawyer or chairman of the likes of mighty Hollinger Argus, but for his almost fanatical dedication to any of the many junior companies with which he was associated over the years.

Something of a character, we all held him in the greatest respect. But woe betide any writer who erred in reporting anything on any of his companies, for he was meticulous to the nth degree.

While holding a myriad of chairmanships and directorships and belonging to some of the plushiest clubs in town, the trappings of wealth and power seemed to mean little to him. Indeed he was a very frugal man — but very kind. Even his office was different. While senior partner in a prestigious law firm with spacious and luxurious offices atop one of Toronto’s newest skyscrapers, his own office was on the small side and anything but fancy, books and reports piled everywhere, while the offices on both sides are quite something.

On the day he died (at age 89), he was up at 6.45 a.m. as usual, and drove himself to work in what his son describes as “dad’s beat-up old Oldsmobi le”. He suffered a stroke in the office, was rushed to the hospital where he died.

We are going to miss Percy Finlay. And so is the mining industry, for there are too few of his ilk around today.