Ontario to establish Elliot Lake office for mineral development

As part of a plan to bring facilities and staff to areas of greatest public need, the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines is opening a new minerals development office in Elliot Lake, Ont., this month. Located at Elizabeth Walk and staffed by consultant James Robertson, the office will be a principal contact point for prospectors, exploration companies, government agencies and educational institutions in matters relating to exploration.

Elliot Lake has been hit hard by the recent closure of Rio Algom’s (TSE) Quirke and Panel uranium mines which resulted in the laying off of 1,700 employees. Denison Mines (TSE), the city’s other main employer, is currently facing serious financial difficulties.

“This office will support the special 4-year geological reassessment project which was started in the Elliot Lake area earlier this year,” said Gilles Pouliot, Ontario’s mines minister.

Built at a cost of $2 million, the office will also provide information on ministry geological programs in the area and on the special Elliot Lake Mineral Incentive Program.

Robertson has written a number of published articles on the geology and mineral deposits of the Elliot Lake/Blind River area. As an employee of the Ontario Geological Survey, he was responsible for the geological mapping of the Elliot Lake area from 1954 to 1980. He later transferred to the Mineral Resources Branch where he worked as a uranium policy advisor.

Since November, 1988, he has been supervisor of the mineral commodities program in the mineral development and lands branch, with continued responsibility for uranium. Robertson may be contacted through the Elliot Lake Northern Development office until the new facility opens later this month.