Robert William Boyle

1920--Alive
Geochemsit. worked on methods. helped find places.

worked for prospecting syndicate--
then WWII.
Geology at London College; then Queen's
Then u of T;

Mapped/mine sites/ Yellowknife Gold Camp.
Interested in chemistry of gold deposits.

More school-- phd 1953

1952-- joined the GSC; returned to Yellowknife; working on his Gold theories.
1953-- Went to Keno Hill in the yukon--and geochemistry got more exciting.
Worked there on Keno Hill--helped revive the camp through science!

1955- Asked GSC to set up geochemistry lab for prospecting.
Began mapping in Maritimes for heavy metals.
Later did some work at Cobalt Silver too.

Frederick M. Connell

1883--1980

Got Inco medal in 1973:
"In recognition of the leading part he has played as a mine-finder and mine-maker, placing his name in the foremost rank of those whose names and accomplishments will always be associated with laying broad and firm foundations to one of Canada's greatest industries."

Worked on a number of famous mines. Let me tell you about them.
And then...

Spencerville Ontario--1906-- graduate from Queen's in Mining Eng.
Worked in Silver exploration in Cobalt;
Porcupine and Kirkland Lake gold rushes.

1920--1929; opened a number of mines Waite Amulet Mines; Central Patricia Gold Mines.

1938 formed the Conwest Exploration group; became all of Connell Mining.
Connell's Conwest.

1945-- teamed with Frobisher-- to make Keno Hill Mining to deal with Silver in the Yukon.
United Keno became largest single producer of silver in Canada.

1950-- took over claim Northern Bc.
Became an asbestos mine.

Oh yeah, and the OBE.

Ernest J. Darragh

Another Cobalt discoverer.
He was in the bush.
James H. McKinley and Ernest J. Darragh were contractors providing lumber for a railway being pushed north through the thick Ontario bush. On August 7. 1903 the two partners were walking the right of way scouting for trees suitable for railway ties....
etc;.

James Roycroft Gordon

1898--1980
Inco man-- first Canadian born president.
Scientist and executive.
developed technique--metallurgical breakthrough to capture
more minerals--less waste from Nickel ore.

Born in Kingston. Queens. Cemistry.
Was in WWI. Artillery.

First job was working on ores in Cobalt ontario.
Worked on many science experiments for metal.

1936 INCO hired him at Copper Cliff.
1940--made management.
1960-- Pres of INCO

Tom Hebert

Another of the Cobalt discoverers.
He found the big one:
"Tom Hebert, a French-Canadian working on the railroad, prevailed on the geologist to examine a vein Hebert had found in the face of a cliff Miller reported:..."silver was lying in profusion at the base of the cliff." Hebert's discovery became the richest silver mine in the Cobalt camp and one of the most productive in the world. Affectionately labeled as "Big Nip," this mine yielded more than 91 million ounces of silver over 40 years of production."

Edmund Horne

1865--1952
Prospector -- began looking for gold in Ontario--decided to take it to Quebec;
ended up finding a big deposit, the Horne Copper and gold which began Noranda.

Born in NS.
Miner and prospector of old.
Worked at Oldham Gold in NS.

Went from Colarado to BC to California. Real Deadwood territoriy.
Heard of silver in Ontario at Cobalt in 1908 and went there.

1911 entered Quebec border; found favorable geology near Rouyn.
1914-- he returned there. found great samples on what is now Noranda.
Anecdote: Unfortunately, the samples showed no gold, and so bitter was Horne's disappointment that he decided he was "all washed up on golden dreams."

1917-- Went to Ontario gold camps, and raised $.
Returned to his Lake, this time determined. again disappointing.
1920: returned. canoed. found good results. new money.
Found backers, and then took it big.

"It turned out to be one of Canada's greatest orebodies, "the Horne", and Noranda was born in 1922. Today, Noranda employs more than 32,000 people, and has assets of $11.8 billion."

John Kostuik

1911--2005
"John Kostuik exemplified the rough and ready ways of the hard-rock miner" oh ok.
He was a miner, who figured out how to do lowcost mining in the 30s.
Came from Poland with parents.
Went to Queen's for mining engineering.

Grew up in Cobalt, Onatrio. Mine Superintendent at Howey Gold.
Did lots of work. At the Malartic operation.
Went to Abitibi. Went to French Moraroroco.

1955-- Kostuik-- worked for Stephen Roman as the Denison mine manager.
1969 became president of Denison. Yep.

Gilbert A. LaBine

1890--1977 "Mr. Uranium."
Anecdote here, but it's not a good one...
1930: Discovered the pitchblende at Great Bear Lake, NWT
(this is a location we're likely going to use.)
There-- yielded Uranium and Radium.

Self-taught. Found Eldorado Uranium at Great Bear.

1890. Born in Pembroke--began in the silver fields of Cobalt--
and then did some staking at Porcupine and Kirkland Lake.
Prospected with Hollinger, and Harry Oakes.

Went to Manitoba-- no luck for gold there.
He and brother formed company--Eldorado Gold Mines. again no luck.
But gave funds to explore Great Bear Lake and the Uranium.

Well, this is as good as it gets. It's THAT uranium. The uh, one with
uh, THAT history. Ahem.
"The Eldorado radium/uranium ore was so rich that it broke a stranglehold on radium then held by Belgium. But with a saturated market and stockpiles building, production at Eldorado was suspended until the advent of World War II and the sudden urgent demand for uranium - uranium used to produce the first atomic bomb, the bomb that at Nagasaki and Hiroshima ended the most devastating war in history."

Govt. took over Eldorado.

1934-- also did some gold in Manitoba--and that worked ok.
Gunnar Gold. then post War-- found large Uranium in Saskatchewan.

Called "Mr. Uranium."
FOR MORE Check this out on Eldorado.

James McKinley and the Cobalt Discoverers

Mad Anecdote here: They are the Cobalt Discoverers.
James H. McKinley -- Ernest J. Darragh -- Alfred "Fred" LaRose – Tom Hebert

A bonanza strike. Celebrated 100th anniversary in 2003.
Cobalt called "The Most Historic Town in Ontario"
We HAVE to use Cobalt as one of the sites.
And think about the pictures.

Silver riches: As a source of silver riches, the Cobalt area led the world in yielding a phenomenal 460 million ounces. That is about US$2 billion worth of silver at today's prices. In Cobalt's peak year, 1911, 34 mines produced some 30 million ounces.

Great descriptions here that we can put in the story. Cobalt lead to not just mines--
but helped develop the entire Canadian mining industry in both skills and money
to fund further development.

Threw a hammer? What's the real story there?
August 7--1903 -- they were in the bush. James and Ernest. Getting lumber
for a railway. Found some unusual pink stained rocks: And then had them checked out
in Montreal and Ottawa: Different results -- Montreal said silver!

In September 1903-- Fred La Rose was sharpening steel drills for railway builders.
had worked in a quebec mine. Also noticed pink rocks.

Willett G Miller: he's the ontario provincial geologist--- famous guy--
followed up (Apparently for all of Canada) that this guy followed up with a visit.
Lead to 4 veins being found.

And finally
Tom Herbert: another railroad worker-- pushed Miller to look at a vein he found.
Became the biggest mine in the camp. "Big Nip!" ran for 40 years...

W. AUSTIN MCVEIGH

1882-1975

Born near Ottawa in Quebec. Loved the outdoors.
Did early prospecting before WWI in Cobalt and Kirkland Lake for silve rand gold.
"learned basics of geology." Self-taught?

1926--went to Red Lake after hearing of gold strike there.
1936-- found a good strike; did good prospecting.
Made a great gold mine.

1938 went to Manitoba for the Sherritt Gordon Mines.

1941 prospecting in Lynn Lake (MB) found a good copper/nickel deposit--bu tit was too far.
1943 McVeigh returns--Magnetometer! uses it to find more.
Lynn Lake mine turned out to be a super-rich find. Made Sherritt cash.

Willet Green Miller

1866-1925. Looks VERY Deadwood.
In the fall of 1926, a memorial tablet was unveiled at Cobalt, dedicated to Willet Green Miller, "provincial geologist of Ontario, who gave to Cobalt its name and place among the great mining camps of the world; who read the secret of the rocks and opened the portal for the outpouring of their wonderful riches".

Highly regarded Geologist. Knew much of Canada's mineral potential. Portrait of him is in Queen's Park.
Sudbury has a facility named after him.

1890: U of T. Natural Science. Grad work at Harvard, Chicago, etc;.

Worked for GSC. mapped out Ontario.

1902: the first provincial geologist for Ontario.
First to recognize importance of Cobalt discoveries--before precious metals mined in N. Ontario.
Did investigation of the region--from nickel--to cobalt-- and found the Silver.
Helped shape the camp in Cobalt:
1915 Got the Gold Medal of Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in London for this.

Science method: how to identify diamonds, emeralds,corundum , emery: by X-Rays.
Corundum: This lead to production of it in Eastern Ontario. (1906 --- big deal)

authority. on Precambrian geology.

Alex Mosher

1900--1993.
A prospector.
One of the founders of PDAC.

From long line of miners--born at Eureka Gold Mine, Wine Harbour NS.
"inherited interest in mines"
born in Maritimes--grew up in Cobalt. But "took his canoe to more remote areas"

1927, with his brother Murdock, he staked Central Patricia gold mines.

In 1930 prospected in Matachewan area and played an important role in staking the Ashley Gold Mines. He and his brother Murdock were also in the vanguard of the Little Long Lac staking rush in 1931.

1938. Did prospecting in Yellowknife.

1940's. He was part of a group staking a radioactive vein in 1947 at Otter Rapids on the Abitibi River. It was a history-making event, as this find was the first of its kind outside the Northwest Territories.

A magnetic deposit he staked later at Bruce Lake became the Griffith Mine that yielded annually 1.5 million tons of iron ore pellets for many years.

Chimo Gold Mines was another Mosher find in Vauquehn Township of Quebec. Under his direction gold was produced here from 1966 to 1968.

Richard and Norman Pearce

Newspaper men! Brothers! The Northern Miner!
1892--1972/ 1890--1967
Anecdotes a plenty!
Fought for cheaper power for mines/campaigned on mining rights/fought govt. etc;.
Stood up to dominating personalities--never had to pay damages. huh.

Richard Pearce purchased Northern Miner in 1916 in first year of publication,
out of Cobalt. expanded facilities after WWII.
His brother returned from war to join him in 1920.
They were co-owners and editors.
40,000 circulation.
Exciting! then 1929 stockmarket crash. moved to Toronto

Survived great depression.
Went on... signed off actively in 49.

Cool!

Paul Penna

1922--1996
mine maker. executive.
AgnicoEagle. looking for gold in Canada.
Born in Toronto.
Started as a broker/financier.
1962--took over Agnico, a Cobalt area Silver mine.
turned it around and made it great.

then switched to gold in Quebec at Dumagami.
Did a big mine there called LaRonde. Ore and Copper.
dug up lots of gold.

Don't learn much about this guy, just his digging programs.
Finally did stuff
in Kirkland Lake / Larder Lake area.

Robert Crooks Stanley

1876-1951.
He was a big nickel guy for Inco.
Worked it in Sudbury with 8 mines there; and Thompson Manitoba to. Lots of stuff ther.e
He looks like he's a guy having his picture taken.
Inco used to be American right?

Began with Orford Copper-- a prequel to Inco in 1910. No way.
Became VP of International Nickel.

Anecdote: To the Inco story is that after WWI nickel market collapsed--
And under Stanley's direction the company started trying to figure it out.
Found many places to use Nickel. That's exciting--shows how markets, mining,
historical forces work together. (Something here- but needs "mined")

Did early reports on Cobalt area in 1904 too. On Silver.
And Did some early reports that lead to porcupine area/ dome mine/ timmins

But why do they need to mention he was a fisherman?
We know nothing about this man except that he liked Salmon. Huh.

Noah Timmins

1867--1936
Wow--he's a big deal here. Seriously. He's the mining MAN.

One of the founders of the Cobalt mine (LaRose, Silver)
and Hollinger gold mine in Timmins.

Tonnes of stories about this guy.

Noah and Henry. Born in Mattawa Ontario.
Prospectors.
Timmins first bought the share in the Cobalt mine. that was the big deal.
Then they both moved away to Montreal and married a pair of sisters. Whoa.
One of their nephews told them about a gold discovery in Porcupine by Benny Hollinger.

Anecdotes here.
They set out for Porcupine--and invested in the mine--and then they incorporated with it.
Became the Hollinger mine in 1910 60 years life. Humungous. The largest single Gold mine in Canadian history.

Timmins was born from the community there.
Was able to be organized there.

1924--gave money for Noranda in Quebec.
And mother mines across country (quebec, yellowknife, NWT, manitoba)

Murray E. Watts

1909--1982
Prospector. Engineer. Lots of discoveries.
Worked in the Arctic--and discovered the land in the Arctic.
hard rock mines

Born in Cobalt Ontario.
Discovered-- Raglan Nickel deposits in Ungava Quebec. 1950's.
Asbestos Hill deposits, also Ungava. Northern Quebec you know?
Mary River Iron on Baffin Island.
47" Copperzone in Coppermine river are of NWT.
Fluorite Tin Tungsten in lost River, Alaska.

Anecdote-ish- Famous canoe-trip.

Used aircraft in his northern explorations--innovation.

Arctic stuff:
The discovery of the Mary River iron deposits in the northerly half of Baffin Island; as having early recognized the value of the Vestgron zinc-lead deposits in Greenland; as the finder of the "47"-zone copper deposit in the Coppermine River area of the Northwest Territories; and recognition of the value of the fluorite-tin-tungsten, deposits at Lost River in Alaska.

William H. Wright

1876-1951.
Discovered the "Kirkland Lake Break" which made 7 gold mines.
Founded the Globe and Mail. (hearst?)
WrightHargreaves Mine was the largest in Kirkland Lake
born in England.
Did prospecting early at Cobalt and Porcupine.
Brother in law--Ed Hargreaves.

1911-- Big discovery story.
Quartz outcroping. Rich find.
Staked many claims.
Hargreaves sold-- Wright kept it on.
Prospector.


Three mines: Sylvanite; Lakeshore; WrightHargreaves.
sold Sylvanite to 'Harry Oakes'-- link through.

Went to WWI. Served as a private--even when already a millionaire. Whoa.

Founded G&M in 1936. That's a big deal.

Anecdote--kept backpack/prospecting gear in room in Barrie till he died.