Richard Geren, largely responsible for the development of the iron ore industry in the Schefferville region of Quebec in the 1950s, has died. He was 85.
After graduating from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in geology, Geren went to work in the Timmins area in northern Ontario. His stint in Timmins was cut short by the outbreak of the Second World War. Geren left Canada to join the conflict as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Geren returned after the war and participated in the early days of mineral exploration near Schefferville.
Geren soon became the manager of the Iron Ore Co. of Canada, the first major mining development in the region. He eventually left that position for a spell to work as a consultant for a number of projects situated around the world.
In 1974, Geren returned to Canada to become executive vice-president of the Iron Ore Co. of Canada, responsible for mining operations in Schefferville and Sept Iles, Que. as well as in Labrador and Newfoundland.
Geren retired in Oromocto, N.B., and co-authored Cain’s Legacy: The building of the Iron Ore Company of Canada, which chronicled the rise of the Canada’s largest iron producer.
He later received the Order of Canada and was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2001.
Geren is survived by his wife, Grace, and children, Richard and Wendy.
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