In 1949, production at the Kerr Addison gold mine in Ontario surpassed that of Canada’s largest gold producer, the Hollinger mine, near Timmins, Ont. The mine produced 286,000 oz. worth $10.7 million in 1949, up over 166,000 oz. worth $5.8 million in 1948. In the first months of 1950, reserves at Kerr Addison were calculated as 8 million tons grading 0.2 oz. gold per ton.
Production at the mine could have been higher were it not for a shortage of skilled miners, said company officials. Extensive diamond drilling in the deepest part of the mine partially delineated the No. 6 and No. 21 orebodies.
Falconbridge announced the expansion of both its namesake nickel mine in Sudbury, Ont., and a refinery in Norway. In Sudbury, the shaft at the company’s copper-nickel mine was deepened to 4,000 ft. to provide access to five new levels. Stations were established at 175-ft. intervals, and loading pockets were built.
In addition, development production at the McKim mine, also near Sudbury, wound down in anticipation of commercial production. Falconbridge mined 16,000 tons of development ore.
In 1949, reserves throughout Falconbrige’s stable of mines increased substantially to 14.8 million tons, compared with 14 million tons in 1948.
About 150 miners, most from the Porcupine and Kirkland Lake camps, were hired by the Toronto Transit Commission for construction of a new subway line between Front and Carlton Streets, beneath Yonge Street. Hard-rock miners were found to be indispensable, as much of the work involved drilling and blasting shale and erecting support pillars beneath building foundations. The miners were also vital for their knowledge of ground support and of working in confined spaces.
In mining terms, excavation beneath the city produced 1,500 tonnes of material, mainly shale and clay, per day. The TTC expected to remove 35,000 cubic yards of clay and 60,000 cubic yards of shale.
About 1,600 members of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum gathered in Toronto for its 52nd annual general meeting, its largest ever. More than 70 papers were presented during the 3-day event on topics related to exploration, mining and processing. The meeting also marked the introduction of a new technical division for petroleum and natural gas.
Uranium was high on the agenda, with the U.S. government using the convention as a platform from which to announce new scale prices for uranium oxide.
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