Book review: J.P. Norrie biography a gold mine obscured by overburden

Finding and developing gold mines in the Abitibi region of northwestern Quebec is no easy task, as deposits are typically broken up by faulting and masked by tangled vein-systems and thick overburden. Long before the advent of deep-penetrating geophysics, James Paul Norrie (1891-1945) discovered and developed a series of gold mines in the region that generated wealth and hundreds of jobs when they were needed most. For these and other achievements, “the man who made the Malartics” was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in January 2000.

From Cloddy Earth to Glittering Gold: A Canadian Gold Rush chronicles the life and times of J.P. Norrie, and the early history of gold mining in northern Quebec. As a literary work, it has flaws. The book is co-authored by George and Harry Norrie, whose knowledge of their father was limited by his frequent absences and untimely death.

Fortunately, J.P. Norrie had kept letters, memos, and other data that comprised a meticulous record of his remarkable career. The documents sat in six boxes — about 4 by 2 by 1 ft. in size — for 50 years until 1995, when they were discovered in the attic of the family home in Nova Scotia. The authors used the historic documents to supplement their reminiscences, with mixed results. The mine stories are told through correspondence between J.P. Norrie and various prospectors, financiers, promoters, politicians and friends. Mining history buffs will find a treasure trove of technical information in the progress reports. Lay readers will find them tedious and repetitive, though the book still has a solid story at its core. Unfortunately, it’s too lengthy and ponderous to appeal to a broad audience. It’s a gold mine obscured by overburden and a disjointed, sometimes jarring, approach to storytelling.

Faults and flaws aside, From Cloddy Earth to Glittering Gold is well worth reading. It’s one of the most detailed accounts of an important era of Canadian mining history. It’s unique, as it captures the multi-dimensional personality of J.P. Norrie without the bias or myth that compromises many biographies. The influence of his Maritime roots, his obsession with work and deep disdain of alcohol, and his honesty and dedication to friends from all walks of life are revealed in the pages of the book. There is humour, pathos and a dash of adventure, with Norrie among a group of prominent mining men stranded in the High Arctic at the onset of winter. There is controversy too, as the book delves into a long-running dispute about who made the first pitchblende discovery at Great Bear Lake in Canada’s Northwest Territories in 1930. History credits Gilbert LaBine with the first find, but Norrie’s records suggest evidence to the contrary. The book also reveals his close ties with famous mining men of his day, such as Thayer Lindsley, who backed many of his projects, and Colonel C.D.H. MacAlpine, Joseph Errington, and Donald Hogarth. More than two dozen Canadian Mining Hall of Fame associates add colour and weight to the story, such as Viola MacMillan, Pierre Beauchemin, Jules Timmins and Edmund Horne, to name but a few.

To the authors’ credit, J.P. Norrie’s humanity shines through the pages of this biography. He was an engineer who championed prospectors every chance he could. He was a mine manager who treated immigrants and the Depression-era unemployed with dignity. He befriended promoters and financiers, but expected their word to be as good as his own. These qualities add colour and much needed balance and perspective to the accounts of his many technical achievements.

The book was published by Trinity Enterprise of Saint John, N.B., which can be reached by phone at (506)-693-2252, or by e-mail at info@trinityenterprise.ca