Continued history of Mining in Canuckistan -- the declining years.
1979
• Discoveries of McClean North and South uranium deposits, Athabaska region, northern Saskatchewan.
• Production begins, Canada Wide Mines, Gays River, Nova Scotia.
• Opening of Gays River zinc-lead mine, Gays River, Nova Scotia.
• Production begins, Yava mine, Salmon River area, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
• Discovery of large low-grade tin deposit, East Kemptville, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.
• Production begins, Bousquet Number 1 gold mine, Bousquet Township, Quebec.
• Re-opening of barite mine by Nystone Chemicals, Brookfield, Nova Scotia.
• Milling begins, Snow Lake, Manitoba.
• End of coal mining, Canmore, Alberta (began 1886).
• Closing of Star Key Colliery, Edmonton area, Alberta (opened 1945).
• Centennial mine closes because of bulkhead failure, Manitoba.
• Reclamation of coal begins from waste banks at Summit Colliery, New Waterford, and Princess Colliery, Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
• Completion of Long Spruce 1008-MW power station, Nelson River, northern Manitoba. This was the fourth station to be built on the river.
• Closing of ASARCO’s lead-zinc mine, Buchans, Newfoundland.
• Production begins, Chadbourne gold mine, Noranda area, Quebec.
• Closing of Steep Rock and Caland iron mining operations, Atikokan, Ontario.
• Opening of Doyon gold mine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, Quebec.
• Federal government enacts Energy Supplies Emergency Bill.
• Drilling of Hibernia P-15, the discovery well, on the northeast Grand Banks, about 320 km east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Drilling, to define the size of the field, took place from 1980 to 1985. Development began in 1988.
• Discovery of gas at Mobil Oil’s Venture D-23 well, Sable Island area, Nova Scotia.
• Discovery of oil at Chevron et al’s Hibernia P-15 well, northeast Grand Banks, about 320 km east of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
• Explosion at Number 26 Colliery, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, kills 12.
• First interprovincial movement of major quantities of thermal coal from western Canada to Ontario, via the Thunder Bay terminal.
• Re-staking for gold in the Hemlo area, Lake Superior, Ontario. Earlier discoveries in the area had been made in 1869 and 1944.
• Suncor Incorporated formed from merger of Sun Company Incorporated and Great Canadian Oil Sands.
1980
• Mining begins, Doyon gold mine, Cadillac area, Quebec.
• Closing of River Hebert/Cochrane coal mine, Nova Scotia.
• Mining begins, Cluff Lake uranium mine, northern Saskatchewan.
• Opening of Equity Silver mine, Houston, British Columbia.
• Resumption of production, Centennial mine, Manitoba.
• Opening of Point Aconi Colliery, Nova Scotia.
• Successful recompletion of a producing well in Manitoba’s Waskada Field. This was the first production recorded in Canada from the Jurassic Aramanth, or Spearfish, formation. This triggered Manitoba’s second oil boom.
• Development of Highmont copper mine, Highland Valley, British Columbia.
• Closing of Coleman Collieries, Coleman, Alberta.
• Production begins, Poplar River coal mine, Coronach, Saskatchewan.
• Mining resumes, Les Mine Gallen, Lac Dufault, Quebec.
• Production begins at Iron Ore Company of Canada pelletizing plant to treat ores from Schefferville, Sept-Îles, Quebec.
• Opening of Cluff Lake uranium mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The original D pit was mined from 1980 to 1983. This was followed by underground mining beneath it from 1984 to 1985.
• Opening of Canadian Arrow gold mine, Hislop Township, Ontario (it closed in 1983).
• Completion of Lingan Two, the second of four coal-fired electrical generating units, New Waterford,
Cape Breton, Nova. Scotia.
• Federal government introduces National Energy Program. Designed as a tax grab and to make oil cheaper to eastern Canadians it has the opposite effect of reducing oil exploration and ulitimately making gas and oil more expensive to CDNS.
• Federal government introduces Canada Oil and Gas Act to put in place a legal framework governing oil and gas development on all Canada lands.
• Federal government introduces the Petroleum Administration Act to establish a new pricing system.
• Formation of CANERTECH, an alternative energy corporation, subsidiary of Petro-Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• Federal government forms National Advisory Committee on the Mining Industry (NACOMI). Comittee is designed to reduce the dependence of CDN's on mining.
1981
• Production begins, Kiena gold mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Open-pit mining begins, Owl Creek gold mine, Timmins, Ontario.
• Production begins, Fraser mine, Onaping area, Ontario.
• Discovery of Ansil copper-zinc-silver-gold orebody, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Opening of Dumont gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Opening of Baker mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of Paintearth coal mine, Forestburg, Alberta.
• Operations closed, Canada Wide Mines, Gays River, Nova Scotia.
• Production ends, Yava mine, Salmon River area, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
• Opening of Federber gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Discovery of Gondor zinc-silver-copper-lead deposit, Lupin mine area, Northwest Territories.
• Re-opening of Granduc mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of Highland Valley Copper mine, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Malartic/Barrick gold mine (down-dip extension of Camflo mine), Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Mining begins, Cullaton Lake/Shear Lake gold mines, Northwest Territories.
• Discovery of uranium orebody, Cigar Lake, Athabaska region, northern Saskatchewan.
• Mining begins, Kitsault molybdenum mine, Alice Arm, British Columbia.
• Development of Genessee coal mine, Edmonton area, Alberta.
• Closing of Consolidated Durham Mines and Resources antimony mine, Lake George, New Brunswick. It was redeveloped in 1984.
• Production begins, Polaris mine, Little Cornwallis Island, Northwest Territories.
• First use of the Canadarm from the Space Shuttle Columbia.
• Mining begins at Buffonta gold mine, Garrison Township, Ontario (it closed the same year, was mined again from 1991 to 1992 and during 1993).
• Construction of natural gas pipeline to provide increased capacity to eastern markets and to bring natural gas to the Upper Ottawa Valley, known as "the North Bay Shortcut." It extends from North Bay to Morrisburg, Ontario.
• Federal government introduces Canadian Oil Substitution Program (COSP) to reduce dependance on oil.
• For the first time, Canada becomes a net exporter of coal.
• Opening of Selbaie gold mine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, Quebec. The mine closed in 2004.
• Formation of Canadian Institute for Radiation Safety (CAIRS), Elliot Lake, Ontario. 1982
• Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights.
• Mining begins, Trout Lake mine, Flin Flon, Manitoba.
• Initial tunneling into Donkin-Morien coal mine, Sydney area, Nova Scotia.
• Suspension of mining, Bernic Lake tantalum mine, Manitoba.
• Opening of Fording Coal’s Greenhills Mine, British Columbia.
• Discovery of George Lake gold deposit, Lupin mine area, Northwest Territories.
• Closing of Jersey Pit, Bethlehem Copper, Highland Valley, British Columbia.
• Opening of Ladner Creek mine, British Columbia.
• Closing of Gays River zinc-lead mine, Gays River, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Northair mine, British Columbia.
• Closing of Iron Ore Company of Canada operations at Schefferville, Quebec.
• Closing of Craigmont mine, Merritt, British Columbia.
• Construction of heap leach plant to treat gold and silver-bearing gossan, Caribou mine, New Brunswick. Production ceased in 1983. This was the first heap leaching operation for gold in Canada.
• Closing of Bell Copper mine, Granisle, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Polaris mine, Little Cornwallis Island, Northwest Territories.
• Opening of Gregg River coal mine near Hinton, Alberta.
• Closing of Boss Mountain mine, British Columbia.
• Closing of Endako mine, British Columbia (re-opened 1986).
• Closing of Highland Valley Copper mine, British Columbia.
• Closing of Kitsault molybdenum mine, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Ming gold-copper mine, Baie Verte, Newfoundland.
• Production begins, Lupin mine, Contwoyto Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Closing of Canadian Gypsum operations, Hillsborough, New Brunswick.
• Milling begins, San Antonio mine, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Spruce Point and Lotus mines, Manitoba.
• Mining begins, Line Creek coal mine, East Kootenays, British Columbia.
• Closing of White Lake mine, Manitoba.
• Closing of Osborne Lake mine, Manitoba.
• Opening of Bachelor Lake gold mine, Desmaraisville, Quebec.
• Closing of Lotus mine, Manitoba.
• Stripping begins, Cominco’s Valley mine, Highland Valley, British Columbia.
• Discovery of indicator minerals for kimberlite, Franklin Mountains, Mackenzie River area, Northwest Territories.
• Construction of Shell Canada’s Fort Saskatchewan refinery.
• Re-opening of Lake Shore gold mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario. It was first mined from 1918 to 1965; it closed in 1987.
• Mining of gossan ore for gold and silver, Caribou, New Brunswick (ceased in 1983).
• On February 15, the Ocean Ranger, the largest semi-submersible self-propelled drill rig in the world,
capsizes off Newfoundland and Labrador. Eighty-four lives were lost in the worst offshore drilling accident in Canadian history.
• Launching of LANDSAT-4 (July) to provide colour images of the earth.
• Esso Resources Canada drills offshore wells in the Beaufort Sea and in the offshore area of the Mackenzie Delta.
• Tramline accident (November 30) forces temporary closure of Cassiar open-pit asbestos mine, British Columbia.
• Suspension of work, Alsands synthetic oil project, Alberta.
• Production begins, Goldstream copper-zinc mine, near Revelstoke, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Mount Pleasant tungsten mine, New Brunswick.
1983
• Production begins, Langis mine, Casey and Harris townships, Ontario.
• Opening of Point Aconi power station, Nova Scotia.
• Production begins, Stanleigh uranium mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario.
• Production begins at Potash Company of America’s (PCA) mine, later purchased by Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (1993), Sussex, New Brunswick.
• Production begins, Detour Lake gold mine, northeast of Timmins, Ontario.
• Closing of Baker mine, British Columbia.
• Production begins at Novex Mining and Exploration Company’s barite mine at Pine Brook, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
• Mining begins, McConkey and Frame pits, Quintette Coal, Peach River coal fields, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Bullmoose coal mine, Chetwynd, British Columbia.
• Completion of Ridley Island coal terminal, Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
• Completion of railway line from Anzac to Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
• Opening of Abcourt-Barvue mine, Evian, Quebec.
• Opening of Quintette Coal mine near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Key Lake uranium mine, northern Saskatchewan.
• Production begins, Greenhills coal mine, Sparwood area, British Columbia.
• Closing of Westfrob mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of Lac Shortt gold mine, Desmaraisville, Quebec.
• Opening of the Goldstream copper-zinc mine, Revelstoke, British Columbia.
• Closing of Heath Steele mine, Bathurst area, New Brunswick.
• Suspension of operations at Centennial and San Antonio mines, Manitoba.
• Mining begins, Eagle Mountain pit, Fording Coal, Sparwood, British Columbia.
• Production ends, Brunswick Number 6 mine, Bathurst area, New Brunswick.
• Closing of Canadian Arrow gold mine, Hislop Township, Ontario (it opened in 1980).
• Mining of gossan ore for gold and silver at Heath Steele mine, New Brunswick (ceased in 1984).
• Production of gold from Salmita mine, Courageous Lake area, Northwest Territories.
• Search for oil and gas off Canada’s coasts accelerates, with exploration taking place to the north of Prince Edward Island, to the east of Newfoundland, in the Labrador Sea, and to the east of Sable Island, off Nova Scotia.
• Mining ends, Tasu iron-copper mine, Moresby Island, British Columbia. The mine opened in 1967.
• Opening of Kiena gold mine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, Quebec. The mine closed in 2002.
• Opening of Point Lepreau nuclear power plant, New Brunswick.
• Announcement of Cold Lake Oil Sands Project by Esso Resources Canada.
• Opening of Kiena gold mine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, Quebec. The mine closed in 2002.
• Announcement of heavy oil upgrader project, Consumer’s Cooperative Refineries Limited, Regina, Saskatchewan.
• Announcement of Wolf Lake Oil Sands Project by BP Exploration and Petro-Canada. Production scheduled for 1985.
• Modernization of Evans Coal mine, Inverness County, Nova Scotia.
• Production ends, Agnew Lake uranium mine, near Espanola, Ontario.
• Opening of several parts of the natural gas distribution system in the Eastern Townships, Québec City, Mauricie, and Saguenay regions of Quebec.
• Signing of Mineral Development Agreement between governments of Canada and Manitoba. This was followed by similar agreements with many of the other provinces and territories. More cutbacks planned for the mining industry.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to ban key products containing asbestos, resulting in a staged end to the uses of asbestos in manufacturing.
• Mining of Claude Pit begins, Cluff Lake uranium mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The pit was closed in 1988.
• Mining of Dominique Peter underground uranium mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The mine closed in 1999.
• Formation of IOGEN Corporation, of Ottawa, to develop technology for making ethanol fuel from woody biomass. The world’s first such plant was completed in 2003 and production began in 2004.
1984
• Production begins, Mount Pleasant tungsten mine, Fredericton area, New Brunswick (the deposit was mined during 1984-85).
• Production begins, Telbel mine, Joutel, Quebec.
• Closing of Osborne Lake mine, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Rod mine, Snow Lake area, Manitoba.
• Discovery of Namew Lake orebody, Manitoba.
• Production ends, Pipe No. 2 open pit, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Closing of the Goldstream mine, Revelstoke, British Columbia.
• Launching of LANDSAT satellite for remote sensing.
• Development of Lingan-Phalen Colliery, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
• Opening of Hoyle Pond gold mine, Schumacher, Ontario.
• Closing of Drummond Colliery, Westville, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Granduc mine, British Columbia.
• Fire results in closing of Number 26 Colliery, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia.
• Development of Donkin Colliery, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Brenda mine, British Columbia (re-opened in 1985).
• Rio Algom constructing plant for tin mine, near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Highmont mine, British Columbia.
• Closing of Fire Lake mine and town of Gagnon, Quebec.
• Waskada Gas Plant begins operations, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Sigma Number 2 open-pit mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Mining of spodumene begins, Bernic Lake tantalum mine, Manitoba.
• Redevelopment of Durham Resources antimony mine, Lake George, New Brunswick.
• Production begins, McBean gold mine, Gauthier Township, Ontario (it closed in 1986).
• Establishment of the Asbestos Institute in Montréal, Quebec.
• Modernization of Evans Coal mine, Inverness County, Nova Scotia.
• Announcement of Husky Oil heavy oil upgrader at Lloydminster on Saskatchewan-Alberta border.
• Announcement of Shell Canada’s Peace River Oil Sands Project. Production was to begin in 1986.
• Opening of Annapolis Tidal Power Plant, at Annapolis Royal, on the lower reaches of the Annapolis River into the Bay of Fundy. This was the first such plant in North America.
• Discovery of oil, Gulf Resources Canada Amauligak J-44 well, Beaufort Sea.
• Discovery of Terra Nova oil field, about 340 km from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Petro-Canada announced development in 1987.
1985
• Discovery of oil in the Mississippian Bakken formation, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Rio Algom tin mine, East Kemptville, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.
• Production begins, Imperial Oil heavy oil plant, Cold Lake, Alberta.
• Development of the Craig mine orebody, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Opening of Golden Giant gold mine, Hemlo, Ontario.
• Opening of David Bell gold mine, Hemlo, Ontario.
• Resumption of mining, Centennial mine, Manitoba.
• Closing of Fox mine, Manitoba.
• Opening of Potacan potash mine, Sussex, New Brunswick.
• Québec Cartier becomes operator of Sidbec-Normines pellet plant at Port-Cartier.
• Re-opening of Bell copper mine, Granisle, British Columbia.
• Closing of Scottie mine, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Brenda mine, British Columbia.
• Production ceases, Goldlund mine, Sioux Lookout area, Ontario.
• Rehabilitation begins, Astoria gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
• Closing of Cullaton Lake/Shear Lake gold mines, Northwest Territories.
• Production begins, HW mine, Myra Falls, near Campbell River, British Columbia.
• Nearing completion of Phase 1 of the James Bay Project, the Quebec government announces its intention to double capacity by commencing Phase 2.
• Completion of three-year major expansion of Imperial Oil’s operations, Norman Wells, Northwest Territories.
• Opening of Wolf Lake Oil Sands Project, Wolf Lake, Alberta.
• Expansion of Syncrude operations, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
• First commercial shipment of crude oil from the Canadian Arctic. The shipment was from the Bent Horn project, on Cameron Island, through the Northwest Passage, to Montréal.
• Completion of natural gas pipelines to St-Hyacinthe, Drummondville, Acton-Vale, and Notre-Damedu- Bon-Conseil, Eastern Townships, Quebec.
1986
• Production suspended, Cantung tungsten mines, Yukon/Northwest Territories border area.
• Opening of Williams gold mine, Hemlo, Ontario.
• Closing of the Garson nickel-copper mine, Garson, Ontario, after a rockburst damaged much of the shaft. It opened in 1907. It was re-opened in 1994.
• Opening of Blackdome mine, British Columbia.
• Development of Beacon gold mine, Louvicourt Township, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Highland Valley Copper mine, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Endako mine, British Columbia.
• Production begins, East Zone mine, Murdochville, Quebec.
• Opening of HB mine, Myra Falls, British Columbia.
• Closing of Cantung tungsten mine, Flat River area, Northwest Territories.
• Opening of Chimo gold mine, Quebec.
• Closing of Ladner Creek mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of Wrightbar gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Development begins, Magnacon gold mine, Mishibishu Lake, Hemlo area, Ontario.
• Milling of spodumene begins, Bernic Lake mine, Manitoba.
• Panning of gold at Meliadine River, Rankin Inlet area, Northwest Territories.
• Production begins, Sage Creek coal mine, southeastern British Columbia.
• Cominco purchases Valley Copper and Bethlehem interests in the Highland Valley and partners with Lornex, British Columbia.
• Closing of McBean gold mine, Gauthier Township, Ontario (it opened in 1984).
• Production begins, INCO Ltd.’s Thompson open pit, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Mining begins, Mount Wright iron ore Deposit B, Mount Wright, Quebec.
• Opening of Holt-McDermott gold mine, Harker-Holloway area, Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
• Closing of CanTung tungsten deposit, Flat River area, Yukon/Northwest Territories border. The deposit was discovered in 1954 and mining began in 1962.
1987
• Mining begins, Star Lake gold mine, east of La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Opening of Nickel Plate mine, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Ptarmigan mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
• Production begins, Mobrun copper-zinc mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Mining begins, MacLellan mine, Manitoba.
• Resumption of mining, Joe Mann copper-gold mine, Chibougamau area, Quebec.
• Mining begins, Tartan mine, Manitoba.
• Staking of Sunrise zinc-silver-lead-gold-copper deposit, northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
• Mining begins, Puffy Lake mine, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Orofino (Scadding) gold mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Production begins, O.B. silver-gold mine, Greenwood, British Columbia.
• Discovery of Brewery Creek placer gold deposits, Dawson area, Yukon.
• Discovery of Meadowbank gold deposit, Baker Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Development begins, Donkin Colliery, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
• Mining of tailings begins at Macassa mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario (it opened in 1933, closed in 1999 after severe rockbursts, and was subsequently re-opened).
• Closing of the Lake Shore gold mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario. It was mined from 1918 to 1965 and from 1982.
• Creation of Mining Industry Technical Council of Canada (MITEC).
• Canada becomes the largest hydro-electric producer in the world.
• Construction of Canada’s first wind farm, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut (four 25-kW, horizontal-axis wind turbines)..
• Imperial Oil announces expansion of Cold Lake, Alberta, facilities.
• Suncor announces expansion of Fort McMurray, Alberta, oil sands operations.
• First plasma produced by Varennes Takamak (a highly developed magnetic confinement fusion research machine), Varennes, Quebec.
• Formation of Reform Association of Canada - the predecessor of the Reform Party.
• Studies to determine the feasibility of recovering magnesium from asbestos tailings, Thetford Mines, Quebec.
• Government of Canada introduces the Canadian Exploration and Development Incentive Program (CEDIP) to encourage exploration for oil and gas.
• Opening of Sleeping Giant mine, north of Amos, Quebec. The mine closed in 1991 and subsequently re-opened in 1992.
• Re-opening of Joe Mann mine, Chibougamau, Quebec. The mine operated from 1956 to 1959, reopened in 1974, and closed again in 1975.
• First horizontal oil well drilled in Saskatchewan, Tangle Flags North, northeast of Lloydminster.
1988
• Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.
• Resumption of production, Bernic Lake tantalum mine, Bernic Lake, Manitoba.
• Opening of Whistle open-pit nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Opening of Johnny Mountain copper-gold mine, Terrace, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Golden Patricia gold mine, Pickle Lake area, Ontario.
• Opening of Jolu gold mine, north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Production begins, Donald J. LaRonde mine, Cadillac, Quebec.
• Closing of Ghost Lake mine, Manitoba.
• Mining suspended, Beaver-Temiskaming mine, Cobalt area, Ontario.
• Closing of Anderson Lake mine, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Magino gold mine, Wawa area, Ontario.
• Closing of Centennial mine, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Winston Lake zinc-copper mine, near Schreiber, Ontario.
• Opening of Namew Lake nickel-copper mine, south of Flin Flon, Manitoba.
• Staking of Ulu gold deposit, Coronation Gulf area, Northwest Territories.
• Closing of Wrightbar gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Opening of Casa Berardi copper-gold mine, north of La Sarre, Quebec.
• Production begins, Holt-McDermott mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Beacon gold mine, Louvicourt Township, Quebec.
• Opening of Francoeur gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Operations begin to rework tailings from former gold operations, Lake Shore mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario (ended in 1991).
• Production begins, Ketza River gold mine, Yukon.
• Production begins, Krezmar gold mine, Wawa area, Ontario.
• Production begins, Casa Berardi East mine, north of La Sarre, Quebec.
• Production begins, Isle Dieu zinc-copper mine, Isle Dieu Township, Quebec.
• Rehabilitation begins, Cochenour-Willans gold mine, Dome Township, Ontario.
• Mining ends, Pine Point lead-zinc mine, Hay River area, Northwest Territories.
• Production of gold, Barber Larder mine, McGarry Township, Ontario (it closed the same year).
• Mining of lead-zinc ore at Caribou, New Brunswick (ceased in 1990).
• Sinking of shaft at Fat deposit, Courageous Lake area, Northwest Territories (the site closed in 1989).
• Mining of tailings at Eastmaque mine, Teck Township, Ontario. Mining ceased in 1991.
• Development begins, Hibernia oil field, northeast Grand Banks, off Newfoundland.
• Opening of LaRonde gold mine, Dumagami, Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, Quebec.
• Suspension of drilling on Georgia Bank, off Nova Scotia, to permit a "cooling-off" period between fishermen and the oil company that had acquired the exploration rights.
• Opening of energy-from-waste plant, the Greater Vancouver Regional District Incineration Plant, Burnaby, British Columbia.
• Installation of heat recovery plant at Macassa mine, Lac Minerals, Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
• Building of Northland Power wood-waste co-generation plant, Cochrane area, Ontario.
• Construction of wind farm demonstration project by Newfoundland Light and Power Company, Bell Island, Conception Bay, Newfoundland.
• Opening of HydrogenAl Société en Commandite liquid hydrogen plant, Bécancour, Quebec.
• Opening of Golden Pond East mine, Casa Berardi Township, Quebec.
• Inauguration of solar heating facility, municipal pool complex, St. Leonard, Quebec.
1989
• Operations suspended, United Keno Hill silver mines, Mayo district, Yukon.
• Milling begins, Ptarmigan gold mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
• Production begins, Murray Brook gold-silver-copper mine, Restigouche County, New Brunswick.
• Mining ends, Star Lake gold mine, east of La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Production begins, Lawyers gold-silver mine, Omineca district, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Bachelor Lake gold mine, Desmaraisville, Quebec.
• Short-term production, Peel-Elder gold mine, Beauchastel Township, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Opening of Samatosum silver-base-metal open-pit mine, Adams Lake, British Columbia.
• Opening of Ansil copper-zinc-gold-silver mine, Duprat Township, Quebec.
• Production begins, Stock and Hislop mines, Matheson, Ontario.
• Discovery of Louvicourt copper-zinc-gold orebody, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Production begins, Kierens gold mine, Malartic Township, Quebec.
• Opening of Lucien C. Beliveau gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Opening of Stratmat Boundary and Heath Steele N-5 copper-lead-zinc-silver mines, Bathurst, New Brunswick.
• Opening of Chisel Lake mine, Snow Lake, Manitoba.
• Resumption of production, Birchtree mine, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Opening of Dona Lake gold mine, Pickle Lake, Ontario.
• Production begins, Stratmin graphite mine, Lac-des-Îles, Quebec.
• Closing of Erickson mine, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Craig mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Suspension of operations, Tartan Lake gold mine, Flin Flon, Manitoba.
• Closing of MacLellan mine, Manitoba.
• Opening of Pierre Beauchemin gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Heath Steele mine, Newcastle, New Brunswick.
• Mining begins, Chimo gold mine, Vauquelin and Pershing townships, Quebec.
• Production begins, Dona Lake gold mine, Pickle Lake area, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Erickson gold mine, Cassiar area, British Columbia.
• Mining ends, Cooke (Opemiska) mine, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Production begins, Stock Township gold mine, Timmins, Ontario.
• Production suspended, O.B. gold-silver mine, Greenwood, British Columbia.
• Mining begins, Premier Gold Project (Big Missouri and Silbak Premier), Stewart, British Columbia.
• Mining begins, Magnacon gold mine, Mishibishu Lake area, Ontario.
• Discovery gold deposit located, Meliadine River, Rankin Inlet area, Northwest Territories.
• Mining ends, Ross gold mine, Hislop Township, Ontario (it opened in 1936).
• Collapse of the Soviet Union. Within months, about 25 new nations were created.
• Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the United States of America.
• Environmental Protection Agency bans the use of asbestos in the United States of America.
• Opening of Dominique-Janine open-pit uranium mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The mine closed in 1991.
• Closing of Pine Point lead-zinc mine, Hay River area, south of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories. Mining began in 1964.
• Closing of Shebandowan mine, Lake Shebandowan, 60 km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The mine closed in 1969. It was re-opened in 1995 by a new owner.
1990
• Closing of Sherman iron mine, Temagami area, Ontario.
• Milling begins, Lac-des-Îles graphite mine, Mont-Laurier area, Quebec.
• Opening of Golden Bear gold mine, Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.
• Closing of Abcourt-Barvue mine, Evian, Quebec.
• Production begins, Sillidor mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Milling ends, Orofino (Scadding) gold mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Closing of Brenda mine, Peachland, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Francoeur gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Suspension of mining, Ketza River gold mine, Yukon.
• Closing of Montauban mine, Quebec.
• CIM becomes the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
• Production begins, Callinan mine, Flin Flon area, Manitoba.
• Re-opening of Gays River zinc-lead mine, Gays River, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Johnny Mountain gold-copper mine, Terrace, British Columbia.
• Development suspended, Magnacon gold mine, Hemlo area, Ontario.
• Closing of Blackdome mine, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Bousquet Number 2 gold mine, Malartic, Quebec.
• Closing of Johnny Mountain mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of Colomac gold mine, Indin Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Production begins Thompson South open-pit mine, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Production begins, Estrades copper-zinc mine, Casa Berardi area, Quebec.
• Milling begins, Cal graphite mine, Burk’s Falls, Ontario.
• Production begins, Sillidor gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
• Mining begins, Jasper gold mine, northern Saskatchewan.
• Suspension of mining, Krezmar gold mine, Wawa area, Ontario.
• Production begins, Casa Berardi West mine, northwestern Quebec.
• Mining ends, Newfoundland Zinc mine, Daniel’s Harbour, Newfoundland (the mine produced for 15 years).
• Closing of the Adams iron mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario (it opened in 1965).
• Production begins, Hislop gold mine (Hislop East), Hislop Township, Ontario (it closed in 1991 and re-opened during 1993-94).
• Completion of 1347-MW Limestone power generating station, 260 km south of Churchill, Nelson River, northern Manitoba. Construction began in 1985.
• Opening of Bousquet 2 gold mine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, Quebec. The mine closed in 2002.
• Closing of Quirke Lake Number 2 (also known as New Quirke) mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario. The mine opened in 1968.
• Closing of Quirke Lake Number 1 mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario. The mine operated during the periods 1956-1961 and 1968-1990.
• Closing of Panel uranium mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario. The mine operated during the periods 1958- 1961 and 1978-1990.
• Work begins on the Hibernia project.
• Iraq invades Kuwait. Subsequent embargo on oil from the two countries results in losses of 4.1 million barrels per day.
• Introduction of Canada’s first methanol-powered articulated bus, built by New Flyer Industries, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1991
• Opening of Caledonia Number 3 gypsum mine, Caledonia, Ontario. Number 1 opened in 1906 and Number 2 in 1952.
• Mining ends, Jasper gold mine, northern Saskatchewan.
• Closing of Colomac gold mine, Indin Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Opening of Samatosum underground silver-lead-zinc-copper mine, Adams Lake, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining at Gays River zinc-lead mine, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Lyon Lake copper-lead-zinc mine, Ignace, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Estrades zinc-copper-gold mine, Joutel, Quebec.
• Closing of Perry (Opemiska) copper-gold mine, Chapais, Quebec.
• Closing of Springer (Opemiska) copper-gold mine, Chapais, Quebec.
• Opening of Mouska gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Closing of the Shasta gold mine, Smithers, British Columbia.
• Closing of the Renabie gold mine, Wawa, Ontario.
• Closing of the Jasper gold mine, La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Discovery of Point Lake diamond pipes, Lac de Gras area, Northwest Territories.
• Opening of Snip gold-copper mine, Iskut River, British Columbia.
• Closing of Hislop East gold mine, Timmins, Ontario.
• Opening of Westray coal mine, Plymouth, Nova Scotia.
• Suspension of mining, Afton-Ajax copper-gold mines, Kamloops, British Columbia.
• Closing of the Rod copper-zinc mine, Snow Lake area, Manitoba.
• Closing of the Falconbridge mine, Falconbridge, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Creighton No. 3 mine, Lively, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Whistle mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Production begins, Francoeur mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Suspension of mining, Hinckley silver-lead mine, Slocan area, British Columbia.
• Opening of Cheminis gold mine, Larder Lake, Ontario.
• Opening of Duvay-Obalski gold mine, Amos, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Simkar gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Opening of Dome Mountain gold mine, Smithers, British Columbia.
• Opening of Seabee gold mine, La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Re-opening of New Privateer gold mine, Zeballos, British Columbia. First produced 1937-48.
• Production begins, Lower Coleman nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Closing of Blackdome gold mine, Clinton, British Columbia.
• Closing of Beaverdell silver-lead-zinc mine, Beaverdell, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of the Goldstream copper-zinc mine, Revelstoke, British Columbia. Last produced 1983-84.
• Opening of Sa Dena Hes zinc-lead-silver mine, Watson Lake area, Yukon.
• Suspension of mining, Buffonta gold mine, Virginiatown, Ontario.
• Opening of Norlartic gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Closing of Baie Verte asbestos mine, Baie Verte, Newfoundland.
• Opening of Captain North Extension (CNE) zinc-lead-silver mine, Newcastle, New Brunswick.
• Closing of the Alsask sodium sulphate mine, Alsask, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of the Cabri sodium sulphate mine, Cabri, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of the Metiskow sodium sulphate mine, Provost, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of Afton mine, British Columbia (re-opened 1994).
• Opening of SB gold mine, Stewart, British Columbia.
• Closing of SB gold mine, Stewart, British Columbia.
• Closing of Normetmar zinc-silver mine, La Sarre, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Francoeur gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Suspension of mining, Golden Bear gold mine, Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Hope Brook gold mine, Chetwynd, Newfoundland.
• Closing of Jolu gold mine, north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of Sleeping Giant gold mine, Amos, Quebec.
• Closing of the Collins Bay B-Zone open-pit uranium mine, Rabbit Lake, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of the Diotte graphite mine, Lac-des-Îles, Quebec.
• Suspension of mining, Estrades copper-zinc mine, Casa Berardi area, Quebec.
• Development of Eagle Point test mine, uranium, northern Saskatchewan.
• End of mining, Dominique-Janine open-pit uranium mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The mine opened in 1989.
• Mining begins, Vangorda lead-zinc-silver open pit, Vangorda Creek, Yukon.
• Development of Joubi gold mine, near Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Production begins, Potacan potash mine, Sussex, New Brunswick.
• Mining begins, Langmuir Number 1 nickel mine, Porcupine area, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Gays River lead-zinc mine, Gays River, Nova Scotia.
• Discovery of the Boston gold deposit, Northwest Territories.
• Discoveries of 7 kimberlite pipes, Diavik property, Lac de Gras area, Northwest Territories.
• Production of gold begins, Cheminis mine, McVittie Township, Ontario.
• War in the Balkans as Slovenia and Croatia separate and Yugoslavia intervenes.
• Closing of Sleeping Giant mine, north of Amos, Quebec. The mine opened in 1987. It re-opened in 1992.
• Due to low enrolment in mining engineering, the University of Alberta proposes to terminate the program. The program was initiated in 1914. The peak of enrolment, when mining was the largest of the branches of engineering at the university, was during the 1930s. A Mining Industry Advisory Committee was formed and, through its efforts, a new school was formed in 1996.
• Closing of Beaverdell silver mine, Beaverdell, British Columbia. The mine, opened in 1898, was acquired by Teck Cominco in 1991.
1992
• Demise of the cod fishery, east coast. Cod gone it.
• Mining suspended, Langmuir Number 1 nickel mine, Porcupine area, Ontario.
• Mining suspended, Redstone nickel mine, Timmins area, Ontario.
• Closing of Samatosum mine, Adams Lake, British Columbia.
• Opening of Thayer Lindsley copper-nickel mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Closing of Lingan Colliery, New Waterford, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Malartic Hygrade gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Mining completed at Malartic/Barrick gold mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Suspension of mining, Cheminis gold mine, Larder Lake, Ontario.
• Discovery of Damoti Lake gold deposit, Northwest Territories.
• Closing of Cheminis gold mine, Virginiatown, Ontario.
• Closing of Samatosum silver-copper-lead-zinc-gold mine, Adams Lake, British Columbia.
• Closing of Mobrun copper-zinc mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Suspension of mining, Magino gold mine, Wawa, Ontario.
• Closing of Lac Shortt gold mine, Desmaraisville, Quebec.
• Production begins, Norita mine, Matagami, Quebec.
• Closing of Kierens gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Closing of Bell mine, British Columbia.
• Closing of Camflo gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Opening of Norita East zinc-copper mine, Matagami, Quebec.
• CIM’s Mineral Economics Committee becomes the Mineral Economics Society.
• Opening of Murray Brook copper mine, Bathurst, New Brunswick.
• Opening of Shand coal mine, Estevan, Saskatchewan.
• May 9 explosion at Westray Colliery kills 26 miners and destroys the mine, Pictou, Nova Scotia.
• Opening of Glen Morrison limestone quarry, Sydney, Nova Scotia.
• Re-opening of Hope Brook gold mine, Couteau Bay, Newfoundland.
• Suspension of mining, Vangorda mine, Faro, Yukon.
• Closing of Casa Berardi copper-gold mine due to ground control problems, La Sarre, Quebec.
• Closing of Bell copper mine, Granisle, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Novicourt zinc-copper mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Closing of Spruce Point copper-zinc mine, Reed Lake, Manitoba.
• Closing of East Kemptville tin mine, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Greenhills coal mine, Sparwood, British Columbia.
• Closing of Elkview (Balmer) coal mine, Sparwood, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Shebandowan mine, Thunder Bay area, Ontario.
• Closing of Lawyers gold-silver mine, Smithers, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Redstone cobalt-nickel mine, Timmins area, Ontario.
• Closing of Cassiar asbestos mine, Cassiar, British Columbia.
• Closing of Copper Rand and Portage mines, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Closing of Denison uranium mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario.
• Closing of Evans coal mine, Inveress, Nova Scotia.
• Production begins, Lower Coleman nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Beginning of staking rush for diamonds, Lac de Gras area, Northwest Territories.
• Production begins, Sormany limestone deposit, New Brunswick.
• Energy Efficiency Act receives Royal Assent.
• Opening of Bi-Provincial Upgrader, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of Denison uranium mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario. The mine was opened in 1957.
1993
• Discovery of oil in the Jurassic Melita formation, St. Lazare, Manitoba.
• Re-opening of Copper Rand and Portage mines, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Closing of Lucien C. Beliveau gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Cheminis gold mine, Virginiatown, Ontario.
• Closing of Pierre Beauchemin gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Greenhills coal mine, Sparwood, British Columbia.
• Closing of Ansil mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Elkview (Balmer) coal mine, Sparwood, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Sleeping Giant gold mine, Amos, Quebec.
• Opening of Astoria gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Re-working of tailings, Mascot gold mine, Hedley, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Gibraltar mine, McLeese Lake, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Hislop East gold mine, Timmins, Ontario.
• Closing of Stratmat mine, Bathurst, New Brunswick.
• Re-opening of Kerr mine, Virginiatown, Ontario.
• Closing of Namew Lake nickel-copper mine, Flin Flon area, Manitoba.
• Re-opening of Casa Berardi copper-gold mine, La Sarre, Quebec.
• Opening of BT (Keystone) gold mine, Lynn Lake, Manitoba.
• Re-opening of Buffonta gold mine, Virginiatown, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Heath Steele mine, Newcastle, New Brunswick.
• Production begins, Brewery Creek mine, Dawson City, Yukon.
• Suspension of mining due to a rockburst, Macassa mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
• Re-opening of Johnny Mountain gold-copper mine, Terrace, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Levack mine, Levack, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Similco copper mine, Princeton, British Columbia.
• Opening of Lac-des-Îles palladium-gold-platinum mine, Thunder Bay area, Ontario. This was North America’s second primary palladium mine.
• Closing of Norlartic gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Granada gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec. Previously operated 1930-35.
• Suspension of mining, H-W and Lynx mines, Buttle Lake, British Columbia.
• Production begins at Shell Canada’s Caroline project near Calgary, Alberta. This was the largest gas field discovered in 20 years.
• Discovery of mineralization at Voisey’s Bay, Labrador.
• Mining of limestone, as smelter flux for Brunswick Mining and Smelting, at Sormany deposit, New Brunswick.
• Operation of world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell powered transit bus, Vancouver, British Columbia.
• Opening of New Brunswick Power Commission’s Belledune Generating plant on Chaleur Bay.
1994
• Discovery of Jericho diamond pipes, Contwoyto Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Resumption of mining, H-W and Lynx mines, Buttle Lake, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Similco copper mine, Princeton, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Golden Bear gold mine, Muddy Lake, British Columbia.
• Resumption of mining, Gibraltar mine, McLeese Lake, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Heath Steele mine, Newcastle, New Brunswick.
• Closing of Equity Silver mine, Houston, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Macassa mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
• Re-opening of Afton mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of Louvicourt copper-zinc-gold mine near Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Opening of Eagle Point uranium mine, Rabbit Lake, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of Dona Lake gold mine, Pickle Lake, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Flat Bay gypsum mine, St. George’s, Newfoundland.
• Mining begins, 1-D mine, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Closing of Federber gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Donalda gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Garson mine, Garson, Ontario. It operated previously from 1907 to 1986, and had been
closed due to a rockburst that destroyed much of the shaft.
• Closing of Dumont gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Colomac gold mine, Indin Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Resumption of mining, Afton-Ajax copper-gold mines, Kamloops, British Columbia.
• Closing of Stall Lake mine, Snow Lake, Manitoba.
• Closing of Chisel Lake mine, Snow Lake, Manitoba.
• Suspension of mining, Lockerby nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Re-opening of Whistle open-pit nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario. It operated previously from 1988 to 1991.
• Discovery of major copper-nickel deposits, Voisey’s Bay, Labrador.
• Closing of Island Copper mine, Port Hardy, British Columbia.
• Closing of Geco mine, Manitouwadge, Ontario.
• Closing of Hislop gold mine (Hislop East), Hislop Township, Ontario (it operated from 1990 to 1991 and from 1993).
• Production of ferroniobium begins at new plant, Niobec mine, Saint-Honoré, Quebec, about 15 km northwest of Chicoutimi. Production at the mine began in 1976.
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), between Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico.
• Opening of Dominique-Janine Extension open-pit uranium mine and the Dominique-Janine underground mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The pit closed in 1997 while the mine closed in 2002.
• Formation of Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development (CONRAD) by government, industry, and academia. A Froth Treatment Facility was established at CANMET’s Western Research Centre in Devon, Alberta, the following year.
1995
• Re-opening of Flat Bay gypsum mine, St. George’s, Newfoundland.
• Opening of Eagle River gold mine, Wawa, Ontario.
• Opening of Contact Lake gold mine, La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Opening of Eskay Creek gold-silver mine, Stewart, British Columbia.
• Opening of QR gold mine, Quesnel, British Columbia.
• Opening of Bouchard-Hébert mine, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
• Opening of Cobaltec operations, Cobalt, Ontario. This is the world’s first exclusive primary producer of cobalt.
• Opening of Photo Lake copper-zinc mine, Snow Lake, Manitoba.
• Opening of Grum zinc-lead-silver mine, Faro, Yukon.
• Opening of Street Township garnet mine, Sudbury district, Ontario.
• Opening of Sheerness coal mine, Hanna, Alberta.
• Re-opening of Table Mountain gold mine, Cassiar, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Wrightbar gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Closing of Drumbo gypsum mine, Clarkson, Ontario.
• Re-opening of New Britannia gold mine (formerly Nor-Acme mine), Snow Lake, Manitoba.
• Re-opening of Ming gold-copper mine, Baie Verte, Newfoundland.
• Re-opening of Vangorda mine, Faro, Yukon.
• Re-opening of Lockerby mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Re-opening of Shebandowan mine, Thunder Bay area, Ontario.
• Re-opening of Redstone cobalt-nickel mine, Timmins area, Ontario.
• Closing of Golden Bear mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of the Dome mine "Super Pit," South Porcupine, Ontario.
• Opening of the Craig mine, Onaping area, Ontario.
• Opening of the Nighthawk gold mine, Timmins, Ontario.
• Discovery of AK kimberlite pipe, Lac de Gras area, Northwest Territories.
• Bulk sampling at Armistice gold property, McGarry Township, Ontario.
• Mining of development ore at Holloway Joint Venture gold mine, Holloway Township, Ontario.
• Launching of Radarsat, Canada’s first remote-sensing satellite.
• Creation of the World Trade Organization.
• Re-opening of the Capelton copper mine as a tourist mine, Eastern Townships, Quebec. The mine operated from 1865 to 1939.
• Opening of the Night Hawk Lake gold mine, Cody Township, near Timmins, Ontario. Full production was reached in 1996.
• Re-opening of Shebandowan mine, Lake Shebandowan, 60 km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The mine first operated from 1969 to 1989.
1996
• Re-opening of the Evening Star gold mine, Rossland area, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Elsa mine, central Yukon.
• Radarsat satellite becomes operational, Canadian Space Agency.
• Closing of Nickel Plate mine, Hedley, British Columbia.
• Inco completes acquisition of Voisey’s Bay deposits, Labrador.
• Suspension of mining, Ming Copper mine (formerly Rambler), Baie Verte, Newfoundland.
• Opening of Stog’er Tight/Ming gold mine, Baie Verte area, Newfoundland (the Ming mine, a copper producer, closed in 1996).
• Opening of Fischells Brook gypsum mine, Flat Bay, Newfoundland.
• Closing of Chimo gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec (mining began in 1986).
• Processing begins, Rambler mine gold tailings, Baie Verte area, Newfoundland.
• Suspension of mining, Redstone nickel mine, Timmins area, Ontario.
• Re-opening of Lake George antimony mine, New Brunswick (mining was from 1972 to 1989).
• Re-opening of Lower Cove limestone-dolomite mine, Stephenville, Newfoundland.
• Opening of Stellarton coal mine, Nova Scotia.
• Opening of Brewery Creek gold mine, Dawson Creek, Yukon.
• Re-opening of Beaufor gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec. The deposit was first mined from 1933 to 1951.
• Closing of Stanleigh uranium mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario (the last of the Elliot Lake uranium mines to close; production was from 1958 to 1960 and from 1983 to 1996).
• Closing of Premier mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of McCreedy East nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Re-opening British Canadian asbestos mine, Thetford Mines, Quebec.
• Closing of the Goldstream mine, Revelstoke, British Columbia (production began in 1991).
• Production begins Gonzague Langlois (formerly Grevet) zinc-copper-silver mine, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec (production was suspended late that year).
• Opening of Farley gold mine, Lynn Lake area, Manitoba.
• Opening of the Keystone gold mine, Manitoba.
• Opening of the Komis gold mine, La Ronge area, Saskatchewan.
• Opening of the Holloway gold mine, Matheson, Ontario.
• Re-opening of the Nighthawk gold mine, Timmins area, Ontario.
• Re-opening of the Evening Star gold mine, British Columbia.
• Opening of the Pick Lake zinc-copper mine, Pays Plat Lake, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Red Lake mine, Balmerton, Ontario.
• Suspension of mining, Evening Star gold mine, Rossland area, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of the Mount Nansen gold mine, Carmacks area, Yukon.
• Closing of Similco copper-gold-silver mine, Princeton, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, Premier Gold, Stewart, British Columbia.
• Closing of the Kerr (Kerr-Addison) gold mine, Virginiatown, Ontario. It produced from 1938.
• Closing of Faro lead-zinc mine, Mayo, Yukon.
• Suspension of mining, Armstrong pyrophyllite mine, Manuels, Newfoundland.
• Mining of test sample, Jericho diamond pipe, Contwoyto Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Opening of Mt. Meager pumice mine, Pemberton area, British Columbia (this was Canada’s first pumice mine).
• Closing of BT (Keystone Joint Venture) gold mine, Lynn Lake area, Manitoba.
• End of processing, Hedley and Mascot mines tailings, Hedley, Britsh Columbia.
• Consolidation of Bousquet Nos. 1 and 2 gold mines, Malartic, Quebec.
• Development of Beaufor gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec.
• Closing of the Stanleigh uranium mine, Elliot Lake, Ontario. The mine operated during the periods 1956-1960 and 1978-1996.
• Discovery of a deposit of white alabaster, Victoria Island, Nunavut.
• Introduction of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act to replace the Atomic Energy and Control Act of 1946.
• As the result of strong support from the industry, a new School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering is formed at the University of Alberta, Edmonton.
• Government of France announces a ban on the use of asbestos.
• Introduction of The Minerals and Metals Policy of the Government of Canada: Partnerships for Sustainable Development.
• Mining begins, Holloway gold mine, Matheson, Ontario.
1997
• Production begins, Nugget Pond gold mine, Baie Verte area, Newfoundland.
• Closing of Potacan potash mine, Sussex, New Brunswick (production was during 1985-97).
• Production begins, Huckleberry copper-molybdenum mine, Kemano, British Columbia.
• Closing of British Canadian asbestos mine, Black Lake, Quebec (production was during 1885-95 and 1996-97).
• Suspension of mining, Casa Berardi East and West gold mines, Casa Berardi, Quebec.
• Production begins, Mount Polley gold-copper mine, Williams Lake, British Columbia.
• Closing of Isle Dieu zinc-copper-lead mine, Matagami Lake, Quebec (production was during 1989-97).
• Production begins, St. Onge wollastonite mine, Lac St-Jean area, Quebec.
• Closing of Norita East zinc-copper-lead mine, Matagami Lake, Quebec (production was during 1992-97).
• Suspension of mining, Copper Rand gold-copper mine, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Production begins, Glimmer gold mine, Matheson area, Ontario.
• Production begins, Edwards gold mine, Wawa area, Ontario.
• Closing of Portage gold-copper mine, Chibougamau, Quebec (production was from 1960 to 1997).
• Opening of Musselwhite gold mine, Thunder Bay area, Ontario.
• Production begins, Beaver Brook antimony mine, Glenwood, Newfoundland.
• Closing of Silidor gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec (production began in 1960).
• Re-opening of Madsen gold mine, Red Lake area, Ontario.
• Closing of Golden Patricia mine, Pickle Lake, Ontario (mining began in 1988).
• Re-opening of Bissett (formerly San Antonio) gold mine, Manitoba (mining was suspended later that year).
• Closing of Westarm zinc-copper mine, Flin Flon area, Manitoba (production began in 1995).
• Re-opening of Golden Bear gold mine, Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.
• Closing of Afton-Ajax mine, Kamloops, British Columbia (the Ajax mine operated from 1994 to 1997; the Afton mine closed in 1988).
• Re-opening of Hannador placer gold mine, Quesnel, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Gallen zinc-silver-gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Suspension of mining, Komis gold mine, La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Suspension of mining, Ptarmigan and Tom gold mines, Yellowknife area, Northwest Territories.
• Re-opening of Langlois (formerly Grevet) zinc-copper-silver mine, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Caribou zinc-lead-silver-gold mine, Bathurst area, New Brunswick.
• Opening of Restigouche base-metal mine, Bathurst area, New Brunswick.
• Closing of Hope Brook Gold mine, Couteau Bay, Newfoundland (the mine had produced from 1987-91 and 1992-97).
• Opening of Raglan nickel-copper mine, Deception Bay area, Ungava, Quebec.
• Production resumes at Gonzague Langlois gold mine, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Grum and Vangorda lead-zinc mines, Faro, Yukon.
• Suspension of production at Casa Berardi gold mine, La Sarre, Quebec.
• Announcement of Syncrude’s new billion-dollar Aurora mine project, northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta.
• Announcement of Shell Canada’s Lease $13 billion mine project, northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta.
• Hibernia platform towed to its location from Sunnyside, Newfoundland.
• Production begins from Hibernia field, Jeanne d’Arc Basin, Grand Banks, Newfoundland.
• Production begins, Troilus gold mine, northeastern Quebec.
• Closing of Colomac mine, Indin Lake, Northwest Territories (production started in 1990).
• Full production begins, Brewery Creek placer gold deposits, Dawson area, Yukon.
• Re-opening of Seleine salt mine, ÎIes-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec.
• Production begins at Syncrude Canada’s North mine, Fort McMurray area, Alberta.
• Completion of the 12.9-km Confederation Bridge linking New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
It is the longest bridge in the world over ice-covered waters.
• Major restructuring of INCO Ltd., with closure of several Canadian mines and a New York office.
• Mining and extraction begins, Syncrude’s North mine, Fort McMurray area, Alberta. This would be followed by the opening of the Aurora North mine in 2000.
• Asian Finacial Crisis precipitates declines in the prices of metals and oil, and similar crises (at later dates) in other countries.
• Closing of Centre for Resource Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.
1998
• Production begins, Kemess gold-copper mine, north-central British Columbia.
• Production begins, Konuto Lake (Denare Beach) copper-zinc mine, Creighton, Saskatchewan.
• Re-opening of Madsen gold mine, Red Lake, Ontario (first mined from 1938 to 1976).
• Suspension of production, Lupin gold mine, Contwoyto Lake, Northwest Territories.
• Re-opening of Bissett gold mine, Manitoba (formerly San Antonio, it was mined briefly in 1997).
• Mining begins, Collier Point barite mine, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland.
• Construction begins, Magnola magnesium refinery, Asbestos, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Blackdome gold mine, Clinton, British Columbia (first mined during 1986-90).
• Re-opening of Costello coal mine, Estevan, Saskatchewan.
• Suspension of mining, Con gold mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
• Production and reprocessing begins, Cassiar asbestos mine tailings, Cassiar, British Columbia.
• Production begins, Panda pit, Ekati diamond mine, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories. This was Canada’s first diamond mine.
• Construction begins, Shell Canada Lease 13 project, northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta.
• Beginning of Terra Nova project, Jeanne d’Arc Basin, Grand Banks, Newfoundland.
• Suspension of mining, Beaver Brook antimony mine, Glenwood, Newfoundland (mining began in 1997).
• Suspension of mining, Caribou and Restigouche Zinc-lead-silver-gold mines, Bathurst area, New Brunswick.
• Suspension of mining, Grum and Vangorda pits, Faro, Yukon.
• Suspension of mining, Myra Falls zinc-copper mine, Campbell River area, British Columbia.
• Suspension of mining, St. Onge wollastonite mine, Lac-Saint-Jean area, Quebec (this was Canada’s
first wollastonite mine. Mining began in 1997).
• Closing of Contact Lake gold mine, La Ronge, Saskatchewan (production was from 1995).
• Closing of QR gold mine, Quesnel area, British Columbia (production began in 1995).
• Closing of the Klondike placer mine, Dawson City, Yukon (production began in 1980).
• Closing of the Shebandowan copper-nickel mine, Thunder Bay area, Ontario (production was from 1972 to 1992 and from 1995).
• Closing of the Whistle nickel-copper mine, Copper Cliff, Ontario (production was from 1988 to 1991 and from 1994).
• Closing of the Winston Lake zinc-copper mine, Schreiber area, Ontario (mining began in 1988).
• Closing of the Photo Lake copper-zinc-gold-silver mine, Snow Lake area, Manitoba (mining began in 1995).
• Closing of the George MacLeod iron mine, Wawa, Ontario.
• Creation of Petroleum Technology Research Centre, adjacent to the University of Regina, Saskatchewan.
• Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) announces termination of nuclear research activities at its Whiteshell Laboratories, near Pinawa, Manitoba, by the end of 2001.
• Opening of Suncor’s Steepbank mine, Fort McMurray area, Alberta. 1999
• Birth of Nunavut, the home of Canada’s Inuit people.
• Production begins, East Amphi Gold mine, Malartic, Quebec (the mine closed in August).
• Production begins, Bell Allard zinc-copper mine, Matagami, Quebec.
• Closing of Horseshoe Lake sodium sulphate brine operation, Ormiston, Saskatchewan.
• Suspension of production, Mount Nansen gold mine, Carmack, Yukon.
• Suspension of production, Gibraltar copper-molybdenum mine, McLeese Lake, British Columbia.
• Closing of Key Lake uranium mine, Key Lake, Saskatchewan (mining was from 1981 to 1997).
• Suspension of operations, INCO, Thompson, Manitoba (subsequently resumed).
• Mining begins, Currie Rose gold mine, La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
• Major expansion, to develop ore reserves between the 7400 and 8180 levels, at the Creighton nickelcopper mine, Lively, Ontario
• Major expansion, McCreedy East nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Suspension of production, Blackdome gold mine, Clinton, British Columbia (the mine previously operated between 1986 and 1990 and from 1998).
• Closing of the Snip gold mine at Stewart, British Columbia (mining began in 1991).
• Production begins, McClean Lake uranium mine, McMahon Lake, Saskatchewan.
• Major expansion begins at the Lac-des-Îles palladium (and other metals) mine, Thunder Bay, Ontario.
• Re-opening of the Con gold mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (after a year-long strike that began in May 1998).
• Completion of 1820-m Reid shaft, Campbell mine, Balmertown, Ontario.
• Suspension of production, Macassa gold mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
• Suspension of production, Madsen gold mine, Red Lake, Ontario.
• Closing of the Detour Lake gold mine, Matheson, Ontario (mining began in 1983).
• Production begins, Shabogamo quartz mine, Smoky Mountain, Newfoundland.
• Mining begins, Kapuskasing open-pit phosphate mine, Kapuskasing, Ontario.
• Mining begins, Hislop West gold mine, Matheson Ontario (the Hislop mine previously operated between 1991 and 1994).
• Closing of the Levack nickel-copper mine, Levack, Ontario (mining began in 1913).
• Closing of the McCreedy West nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario (mining began in 1974).
• Closing of the Little Stobie nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario (mining began in 1971).
• Closing of Devco’s Phalen Colliery, New Waterford, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
• Suspension of production, Francoeur gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Suspension of production, Joe Mann gold-copper mine, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Closing of the Nighthawk gold mine, Timmins area, Ontario.
Closing of the Pamour gold mine, Timmins, Ontario.
• Closing of the Heath Steele base-metal mine, Newcastle area, New Brunswick (mining began in 1957).
• Closing of the Joubi gold mine, Val-d’Or area, Quebec (production began in 1989).
• Production ceases, Lakeshore mine tailings, Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
• Underground mining ceases, Mines Gaspé copper mines, Murdochville, Quebec (mining began in 1955).
• Production begins, McArthur River uranium mine, McArthur River, Saskatchewan.
• Retirement of dragline No. 2, "Discovery," Syncrude Canada, Mildred Lake, Alberta.
• Construction begins at Suncor Energy’s "Project Millennium," Fort McMurray area, Alberta.
• Production of first commercial gas from Canada’s East Coast offshore region, Sable Offshore Energy Project, Nova Scotia.
• Closing of Dominique Peter underground uranium mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The mine opened in 1983.
• Construction begins, Petroleum Technology Research Centre, Regina Research Park, Saskatchewan.
• Re-opening of Highland Valley copper-molybdenum-gold mine, British Columbia.
• Re-opening of Myra Falls copper-zinc-gold-silver mine, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
• Foundation of COREM, a not-for-profit minerals research organization, upon the privatization of Quebec’s mining research centre.
2000
• Re-opening of Giant gold mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
• Completion of combination of Mouska and Doyon mines, Cadillac, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Francoeur gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
• Suspension of production, Smoky River coal mine, Grande Cache, Alberta.
• Re-opening of Lupin gold mine, Contwoyto Lake, Nunavut.
• Closing of Keystone gold mine, Lynn Lake, Manitoba.
• Production resumes and is later suspended at St. Onge (Orleans) wollastonite mine, Lac St. Jean, Quebec.
• Closure of Gregg River coal mine, Gregg River, Alberta (opened 1983).
• Closure of Quintette coal mine, Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia (opened 1984).
• Suspension of production, Beaufor gold mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Opening of Chisel North zinc mine, Snow Lake, Manitoba.
• Opening of Syncrude’s Aurora tar sands mine, Fort McMurray area, Alberta.
• Re-opening of Red Lake gold mine, Balmertown, Ontario (production suspended in 1996).
• Opening of Magnola magnesium recovery plant, Asbestos, Quebec.
• Expansion of LaRonde mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Expansion of Lac des Îles palladium mine, Thunder Bay, Ontario (began 1998).
• Expansion of Niobec niobium mine, Chicoutimi, Quebec (began 1998).
• Development begins, Mine D, Kidd Creek copper-zinc mine, Timmins, Ontario.
• Deep development program at Creighton mine, Lively, Ontario.
• Development of new deposit, McCreedy East mine, Sudbury area, Ontario.
• Development of low-grade component, Stobie mine, Sudbury, Ontario.
• Deepening begins, Birchtree mine, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Expansion of Carol Lake iron mine, Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador (began 1998).
• Reactivation of Iron Ore Company of Canada pellet plant, Sept-Îles, Quebec (mothballed 1982).
• Re-opening and suspension of production, Joe Mann gold mine, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Re-opening and suspension of production, Stock gold mine, Stock Township, Ontario (closed 1999).
• Suspension of production, Langlois zinc-copper mine, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec.
• Suspension of production, Cassiar asbestos mine, Cassiar, British Columbia.
• Closure of Hislop West gold mine, Matheson, Ontario (produced between 1991 and 1994, re-opened 1999).
• Closure of Gallen zinc mine, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec (produced 1981-1982, 1984-1985, redeveloped 1996-1997, re-opened 1997).
• Opening of Hurley slate mine, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Plans to deepen INCO Ltd.’s Birchtree mine, Thompson area, Manitoba.
• Negotiations between INCO Ltd. and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on development of Voisey’s Bay deposits break down.
2001
• Suspension of mining, Sigma-Lamaque mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Closure of Luzenac talc-soapstone mine, Saint-Pierre-de-Broughton, Quebec.
• Suspension of production, Glimmer gold mine, Matheson, Ontario.
• Suspension of production, Rabbit Lake uranium mine, Rabbit Lake, Saskatchewan.
• Closure of Edwards gold mine, Wawa, Ontario.
• Opening of Hammerdown gold mine, Baie Verte, Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Opening of Ashcroft basalt mine (for roofing granules), Ashcroft, British Columbia.
• Suspension of production, Bissett gold mine, north of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• Closing of Coal Creek coal mine, Minto, New Brunswick.
• Suspension of production, Mount Polley gold-copper mine, Williams Lake, British Columbia.
• Suspension of production, Myra Falls zinc-copper-gold mine, Campbell River area, British Columbia.
• Closure of Prince coal mine, Sydney, Nova Scotia.
• Closure of Sullivan zinc-lead-silver mine, Kimberley, British Columbia. (This was one of Canada’s world-class mines. It was reportedly the largest underground lead-zinc mine in the world. The claims were staked in 1892 and production began in 1895.)
• Closure of Francoeur gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
• Closure of Nugget Pond gold mine, Baie Verte, Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Production begins at Suncor’s “Project Millennium,” Fort McMurray area, Alberta.
• Centennial of mining, Creighton nickel-copper mine, Lively, Ontario.
• Production begins at Misery pit, Ekati diamond operations, Lac de Gras area, Northwest Territories.
• Negotiations between INCO Ltd. and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on development of Voisey’s Bay deposits resume.
• Production begins, Misery diamond pipe, Ekati operations, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories.
• Discovery of Fraser Morgan deposit east of the Fraser mine, Onaping area, Ontario.
• Creation of Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology to address climate change and air quality issues.
• Construction begins, Sunbridge (Suncor Energy and Enbridge) wind power project, the first major supply of "Green Power" in Saskatchewan, southeast of Gull Lake.
• Government of Canada introduces An Act Respecting the Long-Term Management of Nuclear Fuel Waste.
• Establishment of Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance (CTFCA).
2002
• Production begins, Mishi gold mine, Wawa, Ontario.
• Closing of Bousquet No. 2 gold-copper mine, Malartic, Quebec (production began in 1990).
• Closing of Crean Hill nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario (it opened in 1905).
• Closing of Cluff Lake uranium mine, Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan (it opened in 1980).
• Closing of Ruttan copper-zinc mine, Leaf Rapids, Manitoba (it opened in 1973).
• Closing of Nanisivik zinc-silver mine, Strathcona Sound, Baffin Island, Nunavut (it opened in 1976).
• Closing of Polaris zinc-lead mine, Little Cornwallis Island, Nunavut (it opened in 1981 and was the northernmost base-metal mine in the world).
• Suspension of production, Hurley slate mine, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Suspension of production, Kiena gold mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec (it was developed in 1936).
• Suspension of production, McClean Lake uranium mine, McClean Lake, Saskatchewan (production began in 1999).
• Re-opening of Beaufor gold mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec (it was developed in 1996 and production was suspended in 2000).
• Re-opening of Sigma-Lamaque gold mine complex, Val-d’Or, Quebec (it opened in 1937 and had closed in 2001).
• Re-opening of Joe Mann gold mine, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Macassa gold mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario (production had been suspended in 1999).
• Re-opening of Gertrude nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario (it opened in 1997, was shut down in 1998 and 1999, re-opened in 2000, and production was suspended again in 2001).
• Re-opening of Myra Falls operations, near Campbell River, British Columbia.
• Mining resumed, Eagle Point uranium mine, Rabbit Lake, Saskatchewan.
• Mining resumed, CanTung tungsten mine, Northwest Territories (it opened in 1962 and closed in 1986).
• Completion of expansion, LaRonde gold mine, Cadillac, Quebec (the largest gold mine in Canada).
• Expansion of Troilus gold mine, Chibougamau, Quebec.
• Completion of expansion of Lac des Iles palladium mine, northwestern Ontario.
• Expansion of Musselwhite gold mine, Opapimiskan Lake, northwestern Ontario (it opened in 1997).
• Expansion of Red Lake gold mine, Balmertown, Ontario.
• Expansion of Niobec niobium mine, Chicoutimi, Quebec.
• Deepening of Garson nickel-copper mine, Garson, Ontario (it operated between 1907 and 1986 and it re-opened in 1993-1994).
• Expansion of McCreedy East nickel-copper mine, Sudbury, Ontario.
• Completion of expansion, Birchtree nickel-copper mine, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Development of Koala North underground diamond mine, Ekati operations, Lac de Gras area, Northwest Territories.
• Production begins, Muskeg River oil sands mine, Fort McMurray area, Alberta.
• Production begins, Koala North underground mine, Ekati operations, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories.
• Completion of expansion, LaRonde gold mine, Cadillac, Quebec.
• Completion of expansion, Birchtree nickel-copper mine, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Formation of Porcupine Joint Venture (by Placer Dome Inc. and Kinross Gold Corporation) to include several gold properties in the Timmins area of Ontario, including the Pamour, Dome, Hoyle Pond, Bell Creek, Nighthawk Lake, Hollinger, McIntyre, Hallnor, Preston and Paymaster properties.
• Complete closing of mining operations, Gaspé Copper, Murdochville, Quebec.
• Discovery of diamondiferous kimberlite triggers staking rush near Lac Bienville, Otish Mountains area, Quebec.
• Discovery of kimberlites, Temiskaming area, Ontario.
• Drilling of test well, by a consortium of international partners, at the Mallik gas hydrate field, Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories. The field was discovered by Imperial Oil during 1971-1972.
2003
• Closing of Sigma-Lamaque mining complex after mining of surface crown pillars, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Production begins, Diavik diamond mine, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories.
• Integrated start-up of Muskeg River oil sands mine, Fort McMurray, Alberta, and Scotford upgrader, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta (operations, which began in late 2002, were suspended until early 2003 due to a fire in the extraction plant).
• After five years of mining diamonds in the Lac de Gras area, Northwest Territories, Canada becomes the third most important diamond-producing country in the world (after Botswana and Russia).
• Formation of the Elk Valley Coal Partnership (by Teck Cominco, Fording Canadian Coal Trust, and the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan) to include Canada’s senior metallurgical coal mining properties and to become the world’s second largest exporter of metallurgical coal.
• Suspension of production to permit shaft deepening at the Mouska gold mine, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Teck Cominco Limited acquires BHP Billiton’s interests in Highland Valley Copper, thus acquiring nearly complete ownership.
• Production begins, Melford gypsum mine, Bestwall, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
• Production suspended, Magnola asbestos tailings reprocessing operation, Danville, Quebec. Production began in 2000.
• Canadian National Railway purchases B.C. Rail.
• Production suspended, Bell asbestos mine, Thetford Mines, Quebec. Open-pit mining began in 1878
and the underground mine opened in 1951.
• Production suspended, Jeffrey asbestos mine, Asbestos, Quebec. Mining began in 1880.
• Re-opening of McCreedy West nickel-copper mine,, Levack area, Sudbury Basin, Ontario.
• Closing of Con gold mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Production began in 1938.
• Suspension of production, Obed Mountain coal mine, Hinton, Alberta. Production began in 1984.
• Closing of Bullmoose coal mine, Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Production began in 1983.
• Production suspended, Lupin gold mine, Contwoyto Lake, Northwest Territories. The mine opened in
1982. Production was suspended between 1998 and 2000.
• Deepening of Campbell gold mine, Balmertown, Ontario.
• Major expansion to depth, Red Lake gold mine, Balmertown, Ontario.
• Development of Kidd Mine D copper-zinc-silver mine, Timmins, Ontario. The project began in 2000 and will be completed in 2006.
• Deepening of Creighton nickel-copper mine, Lively, Ontario.
• Expansion of McCreedy East nickel-copper mine, Sudbury Basin, Ontario.
• Doubling of production, Birchtree nickel-copper mine, Thompson, Manitoba.
• Closing of Sigma-Lamaque mining complex, Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Deep development project begins, Deep Campbell (DC) zone, Campbell gold mine, Balmertown, Ontario.
• Completion of Panda pipe open-pit diamond mine, Ekati operations, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories.
• Closing of CanTung tungsten mine, Flat River area, Yukon/Northwest Territories border. The deposit was discovered in 1954 and mined from 1962 to 1986 and again in 2002-03.
• IOGEN Corporation of Ottawa completes the world’s first demonstration plant for the production of bioethanol. Production began in 2004.
• Opening of International Test Centre for Carbon Dioxide Capture, Regina, Saskatchewan.
• Worst blackout in North American history, on August 14, in Ontario and eight American states due to the failure of a power line in Ohio. Fifty million people were without power, some for several days. It was estimated that 26 million hours of work were lost in Canada.
2004
• Expansion of Rocanville potash mine, Rocanville, Saskatchewan.
• Closing of Selbaie mine, Matagami region, Quebec.
• Closing of Bell-Allard mine, Matagami, Quebec.
• Re-opening of the Copper Rand mine, Chibougamau, Quebec. The mine first opened in 1959. It closed in 1992 and was re-opened for the period 1933-97.
• Development of Beartooth and Fox open-pit diamond mines, Ekati operations, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories.
• Production ceases Koala North underground test diamond mine, Ekati operations, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories.
• Suspension of production, Black Lake chrysotile asbestos mine, Black Lake, Quebec.
• Exploratory drilling of Fraser Morgan deposit, Onaping area, Ontario. The drilling continued into 2005.
• Closing of Hammerdown gold mine, King’s Point, Baie Verte Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador. Production began in 2001.
• Completion of development, Main and West orebodies, McCreedy East mine, Sudbury area, Ontario. The development began in 2000.
• Closing of Dome underground gold mine, Timmins, Ontario. Production began in 1910. The Dome open-pit mine opened in 1995.
• Closing of the Holt-McDermott gold mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Production began in 1988.
• Productions ends, Mishi open-pit gold mine, near Wawa, Ontario.
• Sinking of new shaft to 7150 ft at Red Lake gold mine, Balmertown, Ontario.
• Planning for the development of the Onaping Depth orebody, beneath that at the Craig nickel-copper mine, Onaping area, Ontario.
• Expansion of Raglan nickel-copper mine, Nunavik, Quebec.
• Opening of the Croinor gold mine near Val-d’Or, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Mouska gold mine after one year of suspension of production to enable deep
development, Rouyn-Noranda area, Quebec.
• Closing of the New Britannia gold mine, Snow Lake area, Manitoba. Production began in 1995.
• Closing of the Giant gold mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Production began in 1948.
• Opening of the Montcalm nickel mine, 70 km north of Timmins, Ontario.
• Resumption of production after an eight-month shut-down, Lupin gold mine, Contwoyto Lake, Nunavut.
• Closing of Bell-Allard zinc-copper mine, Matagami, Quebec. Mining began in 1999.
• Closing of Les Mine Selbaie, 180 km north of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. Production began in 1981.
• Production begins, 777 copper-zinc mine, near Flin Flon, Manitoba.
• Resumption of production after five years of suspension, Gibraltar copper mine, Williams Lake, British Columbia.
• Deepening continues to develop Mine D, Kidd Creek copper-zinc-silver mine, near Timmins, Ontario. With the shaft below the 8800-ft level, the mine becomes one of the deepest in North America.
• Deepening of the Creighton mine, Lively, Ontario. The orebody was discovered in 1856 and the mine
opened in 1901. The deepening project began in 2001.
• Closing of the Lockerby nickel-copper mine, Sudbury area, Ontario. Production began in 1974 and was suspended from 1994 to 1995.
• HudBay Minerals Inc. completes the acquisition of Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company Limited from Anglo American.
• Closing of Georgia-Pacific No. 3 (Caledonia) gypsum mine, Caledonia, Ontario.
• Re-opening of Hurley slate quarry, after a two-year shut-down, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Production begins, White Rock silica mine, Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
• Re-opening of Bell chrysotile asbestos mine after a six-month suspension of production, Black Lake, Quebec.
• Opening of Cheviot Creek open-pit coal mine, Hinton, Alberta.
• Resumption of production, Jeffrey asbestos mine, Asbestos, Quebec.
• Opening of Dillon open-pit coal mine, Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
• Resumption of production after redevelopment, Grande Cache coal mine, Grande Cache, Alberta.
• Closing of Luscar coal mine, Hinton Alberta. The mine was opened in 1969.
• Opening of Willow Creek open-pit coal mine, 45 km west of Chetwynd, British Columbia.
• Completion of deepening project, begun in 1997, LaRonde gold mine, Preissac, Quebec. At about 2300 m in depth, the mine became the deepest gold mine oustide of South Africa.
• Suncor opens second wind power project with 20 wind turbines (30 megawatts) at Magrith, Alberta.
• Opening of Suncor’s Firebag steam-assisted gravity drainage facility to extract bitumen from depths not accessible by truck and shovel.
• Opening of Oil Sands Tailing Research Facility, Devon, Alberta.
• Commissioning of Summerview Wind Farm, 68.4 megawatts capacity, near Pincher Creek, Alberta.
• Government of Canada’s vehicle fleet becomes the first in the world to use cellulose ethanol on a continuing basis.
2005
• Closing of Bouchard-Hébert mine, Cléricy, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec.
• Closing of Louvicourt mine, Louvicourt, Quebec.
• Re-opening of Sigma mine for the extraction of surface crown pillars, Val-d’Or, Quebec. The mine opened in 1937 and closed in 2001. It was then mined from 2002 to 2003.
• Completion of expansion, PCS Rocanville potash mine, Rocanville, Saskatchewan. The expansion began in 2003.
• Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan announces major capital projects at it Lanigan, Allan, Cory, and Patience Lake operations.
• Breaking of ground for Suncor’s St. Clair ethanol plant, Sarnia-Lambton area, Ontario.
• Opening of Syncrude’s Aurora North mine, Fort McMurray area, Alberta.
• Announcement of installation of 60 wind turbines at Mount Miller and Mount Copper, Murdochville, Quebec. Through this, Canada’s total wind energy would be increased by 25% to 550 megawatts.
• Construction begins, Melancthon Grey Wind Project, in Melancthon and Amaranth Townships, Shelburne County, in southern Ontario. When completed, the 45 turbines would add 67.5 megawatts of additional capacity to Canada’s production of wind energy.
• Closing of Golden Giant gold mine, Hemlo area, Ontario. The mine opened in 1985.
References
ANONYMOUS, 1957, Canadian Mineral Statistics 1886-1956 and Mining Events 1604-1956, Reference Paper No. 68, Mineral Statistics Division, Industry and Merchandising Division, Dominion Bureau of Statistics, 6502-644-126, Queen’s Printer and Controller of Stationery, Ottawa, Ontario, 120 pp.
ANONYMOUS, 1972. Ontario Department of Mines and Northern Affairs Review, 1971, Toronto, Ontario.
ANONYMOUS, 1973. Here is Canada’s Minerals HISTORY, from 1604. CIM Directory, 75th Anniversary Issue, pp. 39-65.
ANONYMOUS, 1973-1975. Ontario Mineral Review, 1972-1974. Department of Natural Resources, Toronto, Ontario.
ANONYMOUS, 1992. Canadian Mines Handbook. Southam Business Communications, Don Mills, Ontario.
ANONYMOUS, 1997. A Guide to Mineral Deposits of the Northwest Territories. Edited by Adrienne Jones. Minerals, Oil and Gas Division, Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, 126 pp.
BAMBURAK, J.D., 1990. Metallic Mines and Mineral Deposits of Manitoba. Open File Report OF90-2, Manitoba Energy and Mines, Winnipeg, Manitoba, pp. 76-105.
BARTLEY, C.M., 1961. Fluorspar. Mines Branch Information Circular IC 127, Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa, Ontario, 55 pp.
COLLINGS, R.K., 1959. The Canadian Gypsum Industry. Mines Branch Information Circular IC 114, Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa, Ontario, 41 pp.
DONOHOE, H.V., 1984. Mining in Nova Scotia — Past and Present, CIM Directory, Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, pp. 67-89.
GEREN, R. and McCULLOGH, B., undated. Cain’s Legacy — The Building of the Iron Ore Company of Canada. Iron Ore Company of Canada, Sept-Îles, Quebec, 351 pp.
JEN, L.S., 1991–1998. Canadian Mine Openings, Re-Openings, Expansions, Suspensions and Closures (and variations on the title). Canadian Minerals Yearbooks, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
JONES, L.F. and LONN, G., 1973. Historical Highlights of Canadian Mining. Pitt Publishing Company, Toronto, Ontario. pp. 261-272.
LUFF, W.M., 1995. A History of Mining in the Bathurst Area, Northern New Brunswick, Canada. CIM Bulletin, 994, pp. 63-68.
MUSÉE RÉGIONAL DE LA CÔTE-NORD. Exhibits viewed on August 14, 1998, Sept-Îles, Québec.
PATCHING, T. (Editor), 1985. Coal in Canada. Special Volume 31, Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 327 pp.
"Portrait des ressources minières," Les portraits de la région, Observatoire de L’Abtibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, November 2005, 56 pp. (PDF file may be downloaded from observat.qc.ca
POTTER, R.R., 1985. New Brunswick’s Mineral Industry — Past, Present, and Future. CIM Directory, pp. 81-108.
ROSS, J.S., 1960. The Barium Minerals Industry in Canada. Mines Branch Information Circular IC 126,
Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa, Ontario, 60 pp.
SMITH, P., 1986. Harvest from the Rock — A History of Mining in Ontario. Macmillan of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, 346 pp.
"Welcome to Cobalt" cobalt.ca
"A Brief History of Teck & Cominco" ( teckcominco.com
Ontario Mining and Exploration Directory, 1997, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Stock Number 7986, Sudbury, Ontario, 49 pp.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful for the many suggestions he has received for inclusion in the listing. In particular, he wishes to express his thanks and appreciation to: (1) Bill Luff, of Canzinco’s Caribou Mine, for his extensive list of key dates in New Brunswick mining history; (2) the staff of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources for their wonderful publication A History of Coal in Nova Scotia (Information Series Number 2); (3) Patrick R. Chapin, for his contributions on gold mining in northwestern Ontario; (4) Lo-Sun Jen, a colleague at Natural Resources Canada, for providing annual summaries of mine
openings, closings, and significant changes in operations during the most recent years; and (5) Evelyn Godin, Carmen Durand and Sylvie Ellyson, also of Natural Resources Canada, for their work in updating the chronology on the departmental web site. |
