The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.
TIMMINS – The mining world is mourning the loss of an icon and Timmins has lost a dear friend. Famed prospector Don McKinnon died Thursday at Timmins and District Hospital, surrounded by his family. He was 83.
McKinnon earned success and fame with the majority of his vast knowledge being self-taught. Despite dropping out of high school, McKinnon set a goal of becoming a millionaire by age 40. He went on to become one of the most successful prospectors in the history of The Porcupine Camp.
Born in Cochrane in 1929, McKinnon enjoyed playing hockey as a youth, often with his childhood friend Tim Horton. But McKinnon also had a talent for art and acting. After dropping out of high school, he found work in construction in Iroquois Falls.
As a forest superintendent for paper-producing company Kimberly-Clark, he started studying rocks while in the bush. That’s when he took an interest in prospecting. He would spend hours studying geological reports and surveys, always watchful for promising claims, before heading out into the bush.
In 1964, he earned $900,000 from claims he made in Kidd Township. He discovered rich deposits of copper and zinc, which was developed into the Kidd Creek Mine Site.
Because of his extensive research, McKinnon was aware of reports of gold mineralization near Marathon, Ont.
When a dozen promising claims expired in 1979, he rushed to the bush to stake his own. There he bumped into fellow prospector John Larche. They agreed to become partners in the hunt for gold.
The duo hit the jackpot in 1981. Their claims led to the discovery of the Hemlo Gold Mine — one of the most successful gold operations in the history of Canada.
McKinnon and Larche became millionaires.
After the big discovery, McKinnon remained active in prospecting. He also developed an interest in politics and served a term on Timmins council.
He also made an unsuccessful bid to run for Member of Provincial Parliament.
Always outspoken about the treatment the North receives from the powers that be in Queen’s Park, McKinnon spent $30,000 on a study accessing Northern Ontario’s potential to become a separate province.
He also lobbied for support of a project to establish a seaport on the James Bay Coast. He said it would shorten the distance from existing ports to China by 4,000 kilometres.
Over the years, McKinnon has made numerous financial donations to support Timmins and District Hospital.
He received the Order of Canada in 1995 as well as the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002..
McKinnon is survived by his wife Stephanie McKinnon-Townsend. He is also survived by three sons and two daughters.
Previous Articles About Don McKinnon:
1982 PDAC Prospector of the Year Award Winners – David R. Bell, John P. Larche and Donald McKinnon: http://republicofmining.com/2008/09/09/1982-prospector-of-the-year-award-winners-david-r-bell-john-p-larche-and-donald-mckinnon/
Don McKinnon: quintessential prospector – Norm Tollinsky (September/2006): http://republicofmining.com/2011/02/22/don-mckinnon-quintessential-prospector-norm-tollinsky-september2006/
[Ontario Mining] Losing Ground – Karen Mazurkewich (Originally published in Financial Post Magazine, April 2010 issue): http://republicofmining.com/2010/12/12/ontario-mining-losing-ground-%e2%80%93-karen-mazurkewich-originally-published-in-financial-post-magazine-april-2010-issue/