For many years I have been a subscriber and contributor to The Northern Miner. Your recent editorial “Qualifications please” (T.N.M., March 14/94) left me in shock and dismay. It is a direct attack on Canada’s new federal mines minister, Anne McLellan. It appears the editorial was written without any research into her home location, mining background and, least of all, her mining associates.
Allow me to enlighten you. McLellan was brought up on the Noel shore of Nova Scotia, not far from the Walton mine which, during its life, produced 4.3 million tons of barite and 364,000 tons of sulphide ore grading 0.63% copper, 4.97% lead, 1.67% zinc and 404.4 grams silver per tonne, making it one of the highest-grade silver producers in the Western world.
The miners lived next to Anne and her family on the Midas Basin’s Noel shore. She played, dug clams, collected agate and climbed the red triassic cliffs. Yes, Anne has a strong background in childhood prospecting.
Anne’s uncle, Jim McLellan, brought up along the shore of the Bay of Mines, went on to become the chief engineer and resident manager of all of Sherritt Gordon’s mines in Manitoba at Lynn Lake and Leaf Rapids for more than 20 years. Anne would prospect with her uncle (along the Walton shore, to the West Gore antimony-gold mine and to the Rawdon gold operations where Jim started his mining career) on his many visits back to Nova Scotia. The McLellan mine at Lynn Lake is named in recognition of Jim and his family’s contribution to Manitoba and Canadian mining.
Anne will be a great mines minister and, although she represents a riding in Alberta, is a true Nova Scotian. We Nova Scotians are proud of the McLellans from the Rawdon hills and Noel shore.
W. Bruce Dunlop
Regional Representative
Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada
Winnipeg, Man.
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