Hall of Fame event stresses human side of mining

The induction ceremonies for the ninth annual Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, held recently at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel, paid tribute to six inductees whose careers showed not the importance of mining to society but the importance of people to mining.

From scientific innovator Anthony Barringer to colorful promoter Murray Pezim, this year’s inductees illustrated the personal mark that some people leave on the business. And in their remarks, many of the inductees emphasized how important human values and human development are to a healthy mining industry.

Anthony Barringer, whose instrument company Barringer Research was a major centre of research and development in both geophysical and geochemical exploration, was inducted for “his numerous contributions to the development of exploration technology,” including the highly successful induced pulse transient (INPUT) electromagnetic system.

Barringer paid tribute to several of Canada’s other geophysical pioneers in his remarks, including fellow Hall of Fame member Harry Seigel, who was also in attendance at the dinner. Citing luminaries such as Stanley Ward, Norman Paterson and William Pelton, Barringer said, “You can’t find any other country that has produced a list like this.”

And he recalled a testing session on an early version of the INPUT airborne electromagnetic system. The crew had made several flights with the apparatus, each time finding that a new adjustment had to be made — which meant a long succession of flights and landings at the Hamilton airport. A reporter from the local paper, assigned to find out what the fuss was about, approached Barringer, who told him, “We are designing a fornication detector for a well-known foreign government with a population problem.” The reporter took all this with a straight face, Barringer recalled. “He wrote it down, closed his book, and took off.”

Benjamin Taylor A. Bell, described in his citation as “the founding father of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM),” was honored for his role in bringing about the amalgamation of provincial mining associations into the Canadian Mining Institute, as the CIM was originally known, in 1898. Appropriately, his plaque was accepted by Sandy Laird, the CIM’s current president.

Bell, without any formal education in science or engineering, turned the Canadian Mining Review into a respected technical journal for the mining industry. He turned out a string of editorials for the publication, attacking dishonest mining promotion and calling for the highest technical standards in mining work.

Gerald Hatch, founding principal of engineering firm Hatch Associates, was inducted for his “outstanding contributions to the advancement of process metallurgy and his leadership in multi-discipline consulting services.” Hatch, whose early research dealt with the chemical and physical metallurgy of titanium, helped to turn around Quebec Iron and Titanium’s struggling Sorel smelter in the early 1950s, then went on to found a consulting firm that could provide engineering services through the whole sequence of plant development — from research, through construction, to operation and marketing.

In accepting his award, Hatch returned several times to a theme that has marked his career: the importance of the human factor in industrial processes. “Successful companies,” he said, “are the ones that have the same qualities that people require in order to succeed — integrity, courage, reaching out to people . . . I’m confident that if we emphasize the development of our people, our mining industry, and all of our industries, will be successful.”

Stephen Ogryzlo, described in his citation as “a globe-trotter long before it became fashionable,” was inducted for a lifetime of contributions to the mining industry. Ogryzlo’s career in the mining industry spanned seven decades, from his start at the Toburn mine near Kirkland Lake to a consulting career that has continued into the 1990s. Along the way, he gained credit for discoveries in Indonesia, Canada and Spain.

William James, president of Inmet Mining, presented Ogryzlo with his citation, praising the veteran as a much-travelled mining man. “He’s done it all,” said James. “Asbestos under Black Lake — most people can’t find it when it’s sticking straight out of the ground. They’re lucky to have you in here.”

The humor in Ogryzlo’s acceptance speech was more understated, but he mentioned being relieved “that I’m receiving this award while I’m still alive.” He thanked his wife, the companies he had worked for, and the people that had worked for him, for their support, and concluded by saying he was “pleased to see some of the deposits still operating, making money and employing people.”

Murray Pezim was inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of his “enthusiasm and perseverance [that] led to the discovery of Ontario’s Hemlo gold camp, one of the great Canadian mineral discoveries, and the Eskay Creek gold deposit in British Columbia.” Norman Keevil, president of Teck Corp., presented the award, noting that the Vancouver-based promoter “took pride in putting money into the ground.”

Dr. Michael Pezim accepted the award for his father, who was too ill to travel to Toronto. He paid tribute by saying, “For the last year and a half, I’ve had the opportunity to learn just how good my father was at his job, and how perfectly suited he was to this industry.”

Franklin Pickard, who served as Falconbridge’s president and chief executive officer from 1991 until his death in 1996, received a place in the Hall of Fame for his “leadership and vision” in guiding Falconbridge through a successful period of expansion, in Canada and elsewhere in the world. His successor, Oyvind Hushovd, presented the Hall of Fame citation to Pickard’s widow, Audrey, and praised Pickard as “a constant champion of technical advancement” and for having recognized that “all businesses, and particularly the resource industries, operated only with the consent of society.”

Audrey Pickard recalled her husband’s fascination with the mining industry.

“Romance, adventure, challenge, reward and intrigue . . . Frank enjoyed the challenge. The process was as important to him as the outcome.” The Hall of Fame dinner also saw a presentation by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, which is entering its centenary year.