ODDS’N’SODS — How Griffith opened on time

The official opening of the Griffith iron ore mine at Ear Falls, Ont., was to take place one Monday in 1968.

The preceding Friday at 3 p.m., Darrell Gill, purchasing agent at the Griffith, phoned us, ordering 600 ft. of 48-inch-wide conveyor belting, for the crusher feed belt. Someone had cut the mine’s belt in half by accident. I recalled we had previously sold Steep Rock Iron Mines at Atikokan several thousand feet of 60-inch belting for the pit site, the belting to be used to transport ore from the north to the south pit.

For some reason, this conveyor system did not work out in the pit and all belting and equipment were removed.

Bill Rennie, purchasing agent of Steep Rock Iron Mines, was contacted as to the availability of, and our need for, 600 ft. of this belting. Within an hour, he replied saying they would release the belting, but as the belting was in 1,000-ft. lengths, we would need to take the entire 1,000 ft. Now the problem was how to get a 12-ft. diameter roll of belting from Atikokan to Thunder Bay, Ont.

George Armstrong Sand and Gravel Co. was contacted to transport the belts. All was fine, but it was Saturday and at this time no commercial vehicle was allowed to move in Ontario on Saturday or Sunday.

Our local MP Jim Jessiman was alerted and a special highway permit to allow movement of the Armstrong low bed vehicle was requested.

Jim Jessiman gave his approval.

The Hill supply rented a 25-ton crane to unload the belt at our shop. Now the large concern was how to cut or slit the belt to 48 inches from 60 inches. Our men tried knives and carpenter saws but to no avail. The belt was 1.25 inches thick. Finally, we tried an 8-inch diameter skilsaw with carbide-type blades.

It did the job.

We burned out six skilsaws and used 10 carbide-type blades while cutting the belt.

Meanwhile, Darrell Gill at the Griffith called every hour for an update. Fortunately, on Sunday morning at

3 a.m., his 600 feet of belting were loaded on our truck and delivered to the Griffith mine.

The mine millwrights installed the belt on Sunday afternoon. The result was that the mine opening took place on Monday as planned.

— George Hill is president of George O. Hill Supply Ltd., an industrial supply firm in Thunder Bay, Ont.