Honouring Timmins’ mine finders

Led by association president Dean Rogers, northern Ontario’s Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association has erected three bronze statues to honour legendary gold mine finders (from left): Jack Wilson of the Dome mine, Sandy McIntyre of the McIntyre mine and Benny Hollinger of the Hollinger mine. The association calls it a “testament to the importance of mining, not only in the development of the city of Timmins, but to the establishment of mining as a cornerstone of the Ontario economy.”

Sculpted by Sudbury-based artist Tyler Fauvelle, the statues were unveiled at the Timmins museum grounds on Aug. 4, with more than 40 family members of Wilson and McIntyre in attendance. Other major sponsors of the effort were Heritage Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Goldcorp, Lake Shore Gold, former board members of Holmer Gold, members of the Wilson family and the city of Timmins.

Wilson, McIntyre and Hollinger were inducted together into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2010, in the lead-up to this year’s one-hundredth anniversary of Timmins’ founding.