Matachewan Consolidated mine
1920 geological plan of Sam Otisse's claim
Location
Matachewan Consolidated mine is located in Ontario
Matachewan Consolidated mine
Matachewan Consolidated mine
Locationnear Matachewan, Kirkland Lake area
ProvinceOntario
CountryCanada
Coordinates47°56′42″N 80°40′26″W / 47.94493°N 80.67377°W / 47.94493; -80.67377
Production
ProductsGold
History
DiscoveredEarly 20th century
Closed1954

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

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 2 3 4 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. 1 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. ↑ "Mine contractor fined after worker fall". Northern Ontario Business. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  4. ↑ "Matachewan gears up for gold mine construction". Northern Ontario Business. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 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. 1 2 Abandoned Mine Inventory for Ontario, Abandoned Mine Identifier: 08378 Archived 2022-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, Ontario Government.
  8. ↑ Manore, J. L. (2006). Cross-Currents: Hydroelectricity and the Engineering of Northern Ontario. Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
  9. 1 2 3 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. ↑ "Mine tailings and their environmental legacy". northernnews. Archived from the original on 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
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