Mining Helped develop the far north with long line of Arctic

The reason why men began exploring the Arctic is probably the same as why a mountaineer climbs an unclimbed mountain — because it’s there. The first known attempt to reach the Arctic was that of the Greek Pytheas, who in 330 B.C. made an expedition in search of the remote sources of tin and amber. He was away from his Mediterranean for six years and probably reached the vicinity of Iceland, but, no doubt, was stopped by ice and fog.

Perhaps the most interesting early expedition, from a mining point of view, was that of Martin Frobisher who made three voyages in search of a passage to Cathay and India by the Northwest Passage in 1576- 1578.

On his return from his first voyage, which took him to Baffin Land, he brought with him a “peece of Black stone much lyke to Seacole in colour” which, “when burned in a fire and when quenched in vinegar, glistened like gold.”

A company of “Goldfinders” appears to have financed two further voyages to bring back a cargo of this alleged gold ore, 2,000 tons of which were brought to London. But the cargo was subsequently found to contain neither gold nor silver nor other valuable metals, and was finally “cast forth to mend the highway.”

In 1769, the Hudson’s Bay Company sent Samuel Hearn to ascertain the whereabouts of the source of copper traded amongst the Indians. On his third attempt, he reached Coppermine on the Arctic coast but found little copper. The famous massacre of the Eskimos by his Indians took place at Bloody Fall, about eight miles from the estuary of the Coppermine River.

Among the most significant finds in modern history was Gilbert Labine’s radium discovery in 1930 on Great Bear Lake, which led to the development of Canada’s first radium-uranium mine. The Port Radium mine was turned into a crown corporation, Eldorado Nuclear, during the last war, and uranium from here was used in initial nuclear research. Later, Echo Bay Mines (TSE) reactivated the property as a silver producer.

The mining industry has come a long way in the years that followed Labine’s landmark discovery. In recent decades, it has made substantial contributions to northern development, to the Canadian economy and to the development of technology and transportation systems.

An example of the latter is the Canadian aviation industry.

“The industry grew as it responded to the demands of miners and prospectors for more rugged, versatile bush planes capable of hauling larger loads and landing on shorter strips,” according to a brochure from the Northwest Territories Chamber of Mines. “Fairchilds, Puss Moths, Bellancas, Beavers, Otters, the venerable old DC-3s, and now the Hercules all contributed to the building of the mining industry. The Bristol Freighter ferried in bulldozers and supplies for Discovery mine in the 1960s. Hercules aircraft delivered much of the material and equipment for the Lupin mine in the 1980s.

What follows is a glance at the most prominent mining operations of the Great White North — past and present: Cantung

The Northwest Territories has traditionally provided almost 100% of Canada’s production of tungsten. The Cantung mine, on the Yukon- Northwest Territories border, has been Canada’s principal producer of the mineral. Canada Tungsten Mining (TSE) opened this property for production in 1961. Initially, open pit mining was used to recover the ore, until underground production began in 1974. Low metal prices forced the closure of the mine in 1986, although the company has announced its intention to reopen the mine as soon as markets improve. Con mine

The Con mine, first producer of gold in the Northwest Territories, has its origin in the days of the Klondike gold rush of the 1920s. Cominco (TSE) poured its first gold brick in 1938. Now, more than 50 years later, Con has just deepened its main shaft to gain access to ore more than 1,600 metres below the surface. The old C-1 headframe has been replaced by the modern, 80-metre-high Robertson headframe, which has become something of a landmark in Yellowknife.

The mine was purchased at the end of 1986 by Nerco Minerals of Fairbanks, Alaska, which has vowed that the mine will continue to produce well into the next century. Con currently turns out about 2,500 kg gold annually.

Nerco’s plans for the mine, some of which have been completed, include: a new water treatment plant; new locker rooms and offices; an upgraded mine ventilation system; an arsenic trioxide recovery plant; and purchases of new load- haul-dump machines. Since acquisition of the property, reserves have nearly doubled through exploration and development. Cullaton Lake

This property began production in January, 1983, and was the only gold mine in the Northwest Territories’ Keewatin region. However, development operations were killed in 1985, pending higher gold prices. The property is now owned by Corona (TSE). Faro

The Faro lead-zinc orebody, 180 miles northeast of Whitehorse in the remote Yukon hinterland, was opened in 1969 and has been under exploitation ever since — except for a considerable hiatus between 1982 and 1986.

As the non-communist world’s largest open pit lead-zinc mine (soon to be eclipsed by Cominco’s huge Red Dog deposit in western Alaska), Faro has provided a welcome stimulus for the ever-frail Yukon economy. In 1986-87, its first year back in operation, the mine generated almost $300 million in mineral revenues.

Originally, Faro had about 58 million tonnes (64 million tons) of proven reserves; when Clifford Frame’s Curragh Resources acquired the mine from troubled Dome Petroleum, the pit was about 60% mined out. That meant there was enough for about six more years of operation. Now, it looks like the Faro deposit will be completely mined out in late 1991. Curragh plans to mine a small portion of the deposit by underground methods. Access will be provided by an adit in the south face of the pit. Production from this underground portion could extend into 1993. Giant Yellowknife

Although Giant was the first mine staked during the Yellowknife mining rush, it didn’t produce its first gold brick until 1948, as the following excerpt from the company’s 1949 geological report explains:

“The original Giant claims were staked in July, 1935 (by) Burwash Yellowknife Mines. This was prior to the first discovery of visible gold on the west side of Yellowknife Bay. The claims were acquired by Giant Yellowknife Mines (TSE), upon incorporation of the company in 1937.

“During the period 1936-1940, several surface finds were made on the property, and trenching and diamond drilling were carried out from time to time under different managements. A small incline shaft was sunk on the Brock zone, a system of narrow and lenticular, but high- grade, quartz veins. From this shaft, and from a limited amount of drifting, some 68 tonnes of very high- grade, hand-sorted, gold quartz ore was shipped to the Trail, B.C., smelter. The diamond drilling done on the other showings was generally inconclusive. Due to the difficulties in obtaining finances at that time, work was suspended early in 1940.

“Through an agreement made in June, 1943, management of the property was assumed by Frobisher Exploration. Early in 1944, an intensive campaign of diamond drilling was begun. This was carried on continuously for two years and indicated the presence of a number of substantial orebodies lying within well-developed shear zones. Two shafts were sunk during 1945 and 1946. The mine came into production in May, 1948.”

Now a member of the Pamour group, the company has switched much of its production from underground to open pit operations in recent years.

Total production in 1988 was 323,167 tonnes grading 7.23 grams gold per tonne. While 43.5% was from open pit mining, 57% of 1988’s tonnage was from underground. A total of 1,940 kg was recovered in that year. Lupin

The Lupin deposit, on Contwoyto Lake, about 400 km northeast of Yellowknife, was located in 1960 by Canadian Nickel (Inco’s exploration arm) and was subsequently examined by that company during the period 1962-1964.

In 1979, John Zigarlick, Jr. con
vinced the board of Echo Bay to carry out an exploration program, then paid Canadian Nickel about $3.8 million for the mineral rights at Lupin. True, there had been other successful mines in remote areas of the Northwest Territories (including the Salmita gold operation, owned by Giant Yellowknife Mines, and Cominco’s Pine Point lead-zinc mine). But they had all been close to either roads or navigable waterways, which allowed for transportation of machinery and supplies during the summer months. No such luck at Lupin. All equipment and supplies to build and operate the mine had to be flown in by Hercules aircraft or trucked in by winter ice road. Today the winter road, constructed over a series of frozen lakes, saves Echo Bay more than $4 million a year in operating costs.

Since startup in 1982, the Lupin deposit has taken its place among the most important gold deposits in Canada. Past production plus current reserves total more than two million contained ounces (about 70 million grams) at an average grade of 11.2 grams per tonne. And the deposit is still open at depth. Nanisivik

This lead-zinc producer, owned by Mineral Resources International (TSE) of Toronto, is perched on the northern tip of Baffin Island, 700 km north of the Arctic Circle. Like Lupin, the Nanisivik mine is situated entirely within permafrost, so engineers had to develop unique approaches to mining and townsite- building. The mine began production in 1976, and mine-planners say at least four more years of mining are virtually assured.

Despite reservations within the industry about the viability of the project when it was first being considered, Nanisivik has turned out to be one of the lowest-cost zinc producers in the world. Over the past 12 years, it has provided between 1% and 2% of the Western world’s zinc.

Since startup, about seven million tonnes have flowed through Nanisivik’s mill. Proven and probable reserves now stand at 2.6 million tonnes grading 10.1% zinc, 0.3% lead and 45 grams silver. Pine Point

Cominco’s Pine Point lead-zinc mine, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, was the world’s largest open pit base metal mine, according to the Northwest Territories Chamber of Mines. Prospectors heading to the Klondike via the Mackenzie River during the 1890s first found indications of a valuable metal deposit. It wasn’t until 1964 that the mine began production.

Thirteen years later, in 1987, the mine was forced to close because of low metal prices and high operating costs. Polaris

Cominco’s Polaris, the world’s most northerly lead-zinc mine, is on Little Cornwallis Island. Mineralization was discovered in 1960; the deposit itself was found in 1971, and production followed 10 years later.

The Polaris mill treated a record 1.02 million tonnes of ore in 1988. Concentrate grades and metal recoveries were slightly lower than in previous years due to backfill dilution which affected mill metallurgy, the company says.

Ore reserves at year-end were 14 million tonnes, a reduction of 1.1 million tonnes from 1987.

Among other mines that have operated in the Northwest Territories are: Salmita (this Giant Yellowknife mine produced gold between 1983 and 1987, when reserves ran out); Camsel River (the Northwest Territories’ only silver mine, which operated between 1969 and 1985 and which was recently sold to Octon Resources) (ASE); and Ptarmigan (Treminco Resources (TSE) of Vancouver operates this small gold producer on the outskirts of Yellowknife).