Mining Hall of Fame grew from an off-the-cuff remark

Back in December, 1987, I received a call from Ray Goldie, vice-president and mining analyst at Richardson Greenshields, who headed the Toronto Geological Discussion Group. Would I address their annual Christmas gathering at the Engineers Club? “Talk on anything you like — but nothing too serious,” he added. I had attended that rather popular affair the previous year, when mining maverick Pat Sheridan was keynote speaker. He was quite entertaining, I recalled, but couldn’t for the life of me recollect what he talked about. So I phoned him. “Gee, Mort, I don’t remember either. Did I have a topic?”

So to keep mine in a light vein, I chose “Saints and Sinners I Have Known,” a topic that drew a pretty fair attendance. But because the gathering was largely professional (geologists and mining engineers), I felt I should top it off with something in a more serious vein. So I concluded with “isn’t it about time we in this industry got together and started a Canadian Mining Hall of Fame?” For in my years at The Northern Miner I had become awed with the remarkable achievements of some of the mine builders in this country, whom I continue to hold in the highest regard and believe should be accorded lasting honors.

That rather off-the-cuff remark was picked up by one of our editorial writers who wrote a small story in our paper which was quickly acted on by The Mining Association of Canada, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and our own company — Northern Miner Press.

They set up an ad hoc committee that met in The Northern Miner’s boardroom Jan. 21, 1988, at which Editor Jim Borland acted as chairman. It was that gathering that led to the formation of The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, sponsored by all four. The Northern Miner’s head at the time, R.C. (Dick) Pearce, was especially enthusiastic and supportive, bearing the giant share of the organizational and operating cost during that formative year.

Advanced plans for the initial dinner and induction ceremony, scheduled for the Ballroom of Toronto’s Royal York Hotel on Nov. 21, turned to turmoil with the snap announcement by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney calling for a general election that day.

Revised plans for that historic occasion to welcome the first 12 inductees came to fruition in early January, 1989. And judging by the enthusiastic and emotional reception accorded our choice of candidates revealed at that black-tie event, it couldn’t have enjoyed a better start.

Speculating on who the initial 12 inductees would be, many of the more than 400 guests made up their own lists which, by and large, were remarkably close to those selected by the Hall’s directors. Indeed, some of the tables were observed forming pools on who could guess the most. The formal induction ceremonies were professionally carried out by Lionel Kilburn, well-known mining personality and former president of the PDAC.

It turned out to be something of a fun-gathering as well, for it was during the heat of the battle being waged between Falconbridge’s Bill James and Noranda’s Alf Powis for control of the prized Kidd Creek mine at Timmins, Ont. Both were at the head table, with James the boisterous keynote speaker who completely ignored his prepared speech, reprints of which were made available at the door.

Organizers of the first Canadian Mining Hall of Fame dinner couldn’t have drawn better if they had lined up a top Las Vegas act, reported The Toronto Star, for the two rock-hard chief executives epitomize the boisterous, backslapping bonhomie that the industry prides itself in.

Noting that “his old buddy James” worked at Noranda until 1982, “we hold him in such high esteem that, as soon as we could afford it, we bought a bit of him back. But Bill doesn’t seem very impressed with the compliment,” Powis joked when called on to thank the speaker.

“Having Alf thank me is like the fox thanking the chicken for coming to dinner — the fox knows what’s for dinner,” James whooped. “There are people out there who are trying to make the falcon (Falconbridge logo) an endangered species.”

Last year’s event was bigger and better and, as it grows and matures, we anticipate increasing recognition on a national scale. M.R. Brown is the chairman of The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.