ODDS’N’SODS — Geco’s canoe-barge service

The Peterborough freight canoe served many purposes over the years and was a sturdy, adaptable craft used by mining operations throughout Canada.

The Geco mine in Ontario was isolated in the early exploratory stages and depended upon aircraft for delivery of personnel and supplies — a system that entailed numerous delays.

Eventually, the mine owner decided to provide interim site residences for key personnel and this involved, of course, bringing in household furniture along with the families.

Slim Summerfeldt was the site foreman, and a most enterprising person in all situations. He was given the task of setting up the houses and he immediately set to work to achieve the most satisfactory results for all concerned. Numerous fishing forays using company canoes had revealed to him, in addition to much cherished fishing lakes, a means of connecting logging company roads to the south of the mine using a water route. He proposed, therefore, to approach the pulp companies for an access permit over their roads, and by connecting the mine to an ideal transfer point on the extensive lake-river system, to develop a waterway system to supply the mine site. After receiving approvals from all concerned, Slim proceeded to join two sturdy Peterborough canoes with a common freight deck and, equipped with outboard motors on each stern, began a daily freight service to the mine. I was first alerted to the potential of the new system when Slim came and told me, “You can send for your family now, your furniture is due on the canoe-barge service tomorrow.”

I was delighted, to say the least, and I was at the landing when my household effects arrived with Slim’s tall, young son Dick commandeering the transport with his partner, Lindy. He beamed at me and said, “All ship-shape and no visible damage — you’ll be set up at home tonight. Here is your invoice from the trucker, I even signed for it.”

The Peterborough canoes transported a great deal of freight supplies into the mine prior to the arrival of the road and the railway. The early families and pioneers owe much credit for their comforts and convenience to the reliable, effective water-borne traffic provided by the canoe services. — S.J. Hunter, a retired mining engineer and regular contributor, resides in Vancouver, B.C.

LPublic participants in the environmental assessment of the Cigar Lake uranium mining development in northern Saskatchewan are eligible for funding worth up to $75,000.

The funds will enable the participants to review the environmental impact statement (EIS) and prepare for public hearings. An EIS is a document prepared by the proponent which describes the project and its potential environmental, social and economic benefits.

Cameco and Cogema Resources are the major owners of the project. The deadline for applications is Aug. 24.

The funds will be provided by the Federal Environmental Assessment Review Office (FEARO) and Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management, with FEARO administering the funding program.

Cameco, Cogema and Uranerz Exploration are currently seeking community reactions to plans to store uranium tailings in a mined-out pit at Key Lake and to transport ore 115 km from their McArthur River project to Key Lake to replace open-pit production. If no serious concerns arise during this public consultation, public hearings will not be required.