Canadian Mining Hall of Fame welcomes 1999 inductees

Nine men with accomplishments as diverse as discovering gold in the Klondike to examining trace elements in plant life will be inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame during its annual awards dinner on Jan. 20, 1999, at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

The ceremony will mark the 11th year of the awards, which have been given to 88 men and women who made significant contributions to various aspects of the industry in Canada. Portraits of the inductees and citations outlining their contributions hang in the Mining Building of the University of Toronto, the home of the Hall of Fame.

Sponsors of the Hall of Fame include the Mining Association of Canada, the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, and The Northern Miner.

The 1999 inductees include:

Robert M. Smith

(1932-1998)

Aptly described as “the soul” of Barrick Gold, Robert Smith is best known as the stalwart of one of the most successful partnerships in mining history. While Chairman Peter Munk supplied the vision and business talent that made Barrick one of the world’s largest and most profitable gold producers, Smith will be remembered for having built, led and inspired the technical team that transformed Munk’s vision into reality. His expertise enabled Barrick to grow from a small operation that produced 57,000 oz. gold in 1984 to a company producing 3 million oz. in 1996. In the process, his name became associated with the development of mines across the continent, most notably the Betze-Post and Meikle mines in Nevada.

Harry Verney Warren

(1904-1998)

A lateral thinker long before the term was coined, Harry Warren applied his intellectual curiosity and scientific mind to the field of geochemistry, where he made remarkable contributions to prospecting and mineral exploration. He was a pioneer in a discipline that came into its own, to a large extent, through his efforts. In his special area of research — bio-geochemistry, of which he is acknowledged to be the founding father — he studied the metal content of plants and vegetation as a guide to buried mineral deposits. From his findings, he went on to propose the now-recognized connections between trace elements and the environment and health.

Arthur Thomas Griffis

(1912-1982)

Mining engineer Arthur Thomas Griffis has truly earned his place of honor in Canadian mining history. He discovered five iron deposits in Labrador and Quebec for the Iron Ore Co. of Canada. Later, he found a copper deposit that extended the life of the McIntyre Porcupine gold mine in Ontario and developed a profitable copper-zinc orebody near Timmins for Canadian Jamieson Mines. He also led Watts Griffis & McOuat through its formative years to become a major international firm of consulting geologists and engineers. These accomplishments reflect the multi-faceted talents of a remarkable man.

John Williams McBean (1913-1973)

A rare combination of geologist and entrepreneur, Jack McBean turned small, struggling companies into winners. He contributed to the success of the Upper Canada, Upper Beaver and Macassa/Tegren gold mines in Ontario’s Kirkland Lake region. He initiated exploration projects in the Arctic, which culminated in the discovery of the rich zinc-lead deposit that became the Polaris mine, the most northerly base metal producer in the world. He turned Heath and Sherwood Drilling into a progressive and world-renowned company and was one of the founders of the vast Panarctic Oils organization.

George Carmack (1850-1922)

Skookum Jim Mason (d. 1916)

Tagish Charlie

Robert Henderson (1857-1933)

The discovery of placer gold in the Klondike a century ago set off one of the world’s greatest gold rushes and forever changed the history of the Yukon Territory and Canada. Though controversy still persists as to who made the discovery, it is agreed that four men sparked the stampede: George Carmack, the son of an American forty-niner; his Tagish Indian partners, Skookum Jim Mason and Tagish Charlie; and prospector Robert Henderson of Nova Scotia.

On Aug. 16, 1896, Carmack and his partners found gold nuggets at Rabbit Creek and staked their claims the following day. After the news reached Alaska, and later the world, thousands packed up and set out for the growing town that was to become Dawson City. The great Klondike gold rush had begun.

Norman R. Paterson

(b. 1926)

When the modern age for exploration geophysics began more than four decades ago, Norman Paterson was one of its leaders. Today, he is known worldwide for his innovations in geophysical technology and his skilled practice of geophysical techniques and interpretation. As president of Huntec Ltd., then as founder of Paterson, Grant & Watson, he developed advanced instruments and interpretive techniques thar are now used all over the world. Long before the Canadian mining industry became serious about expanding into foreign lands, he quietly shared Canadian expertise with less-developed nations, aiding significantly in the development of their resources. During his 47-year career, Paterson participated in the discovery of at least 20 commercial or potentially commercial mineral deposits.