LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — Byers wrote for posterity

It was with some sadness that I recently learned of Dr. A.R. Byers’ death. I never met him face to face but I knew him well and respected him through his work.

He completed a doctoral thesis in 1936 at McGill University on the Nighthawk mine. In 1989, we dewatered the old mine, remapped it with a team of geologists and then

diamond-drilled from underground to turn known resources into a reserve. Except for a few raises, which we didn’t rehabilitate, we saw every piece of exposure that Byers had mapped.

At the start of the project we read his thesis. We kept referring to it during the project. Today we have a different interpretation of some of the geology — entirely understandable as a lot has changed in the past 50 years — but we still admire the 1936 thesis.

All geologists should remember when they write reports that they are not just for today, but for posterity as well.

Edward Mahoney

Chief Geologist

Ore Reserves and Production

Royal Oak Mines

Timmins, Ont.