Matachewan_Consolidated_mine

Matachewan Consolidated mine

Matachewan Consolidated mine

Canadian gold mine

The Matachewan Consolidated mine is a former gold mine near Matachewan, Ontario, Canada, in the Kirkland Lake area.

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The site is adjacent to the Young-Davidson mine and was owned by Matachewan Consolidated Mine Ltd.

Location and description

The site of the mine is borders the Young-Davidson mine on the east.[1] It is located near the settlements of Dubreuilville,[2] three kilometres west of Matachewan,[3][4] sixty kilometres west of Kirkland Lake, Ontario,[2] and approximately 100 kilometres southeast of Timmins.[5] The mine is within the district of Timiskaping[6] and is close to the Montreal River and 23 miles northeast of Elk Lake.[1]

It is located at longitude -80.67377 and latitude 47.94493.[7]

History and ownership

Gold prospecting started near Matachewan since silver was discovered near Elk Lake in 1906.[6] Jake Davidson found gold in Davidson Creek in 1916 in what would later become the Young-Davidson mine.[6] Soon afterwards, Sam Otisse discovered gold while prospecting claims on land what later became the Matachewan Consolidated Mine, and owned by Matachewan Consolidated Mine Ltd.[6]

The mine was initially explored by Colorado-Ontario Development Company Limited.[6] Matachewan Canadian Gold Limited became Matachewan Canadian Mines Limited in 1919.[6] By 1920, 40 men were working at the mine under the management of T. J. Flynn.[1] Equipment on site included two boilers, a 3-drill compressor and a hoist, servicing a 168 and a 37 feet deep shaft.[1]

Nothing significant occurred at the mines from 1924 until January 1934 when the price of gold started to rise.[6] Also in 1934, the mine was connected to the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario's electrical grid.[8]

The Matchewan Consolidated Mines Ltd and Young-Davidson Mines Ltd produced a total of 956,117 ounces of gold and 165,598 ounces of silver between 1934 and 1957 worth $34,688,256 at the time.[6] The Matachewan Consolidated mine mine closed in 1954.[7]

On October 17, 1990 after water levels in the Otisse Lake rose, the mine's tailings dam failed.[9] 150,000 cubic metres of tailings flowed into the Montreal River, increasing lead levels to unsafe levels.[10][9] Drinking water between Elk Lake and Lachford was declared unfit for human consumption.[9]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Twenety-ninth Annual Report of the Ontario. Department of Mines. Vol. XXIX, Part 1. Gerstein - University of Toronto. A. T. Wilgress. 1920.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. [2]
    "Another northern Ontario mining worker has died on the job, the second this month". Northern Ontario. 2022-11-29. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  3. [3]
    "Mine contractor fined after worker fall". Northern Ontario Business. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  4. [4]
    "Matachewan gears up for gold mine construction". Northern Ontario Business. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  5. [5]
    "Orders issued to Alamos Gold after death at mine". www.thesafetymag.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  6. [6]
    H. L. Lovell, Geology of the Matachewan Area District of Timisaking Archived 2022-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, Ontario Department of Mines, 1967
  7. [7]
    Abandoned Mine Inventory for Ontario, Abandoned Mine Identifier: 08378 Archived 2022-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, Ontario Government.
  8. [8]
    Manore, J. L. (2006). Cross-Currents: Hydroelectricity and the Engineering of Northern Ontario. Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
  9. [9]
    Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy: Spills Action Centre (1990). Matachewan Mine Tailings Spill - Update. Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy.
  10. [10]
    "Mine tailings and their environmental legacy". northernnews. Archived from the original on 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
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