Big ore find saved Timmins 50 years ago – by Jeff Labine (Timmins Daily Press – April 15, 2014)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Half a century ago, the Timmins economy faced possible collapse. The Hollinger gold mine, which had been operating since 1910, was on its last legs and there didn’t seem to be any suitable replacement to keep the economy flowing in the city.

Rumours started to spread about a possible ore discovery in the area, but few facts were known at the time. Texas Gulf Sulfur Company had made a discovery of a lifetime in November 1963 but the company kept that fact quiet for months.

The American-based company didn’t make the discovery public until April 16 1964. The Daily Press ran the news that the company had discovered more than 23 million tons of ore.

The Kidd Creek mine would become world-famous for its copper, zinc and silver deposits and also earn the distinction of being the deepest base metal mine in the world reaching depths as far down as 10,000 feet.

But trying to break that story was a difficult task for Gregory Reynolds, a reporter at the time for The Daily Press. He and a fellow reporter dogged miners and the higher-ups at Texas Gulf, trying to find someone who could confirm their suspicions that something big was going to happen.

Reynolds said he worked on the story for two months and had top members of Texas Gulf lie to him in order to keep a lid on the story. The company took great lengths to keep the story hidden, even going so far as to cover the drilling holes with trees, he said.

“They weren’t even looking for base metals – they were looking for sulfur,” the 77-year-old explained. “This saved the economy of the city. We had just lost two saw mills, Hollinger was on its last legs … so the economy in Timmins was in trouble.”

Reynolds said since the company wasn’t unionized, they offered top dollar to miners in order to attract the best workers. This forced other local mines to match or beat what Texas Gulf was offering. It was a positive change for Timmins workers who saw better wages and benefits, he said.

Because of the well-paying jobs and the company’s emphasis on safety first, Texas Gulf had around 3,300 employees within a few years.

Reynolds pointed out that the Texas Gulf workforce was larger than all the local gold mines.

At the time, then mayor Leo Del Villano said Texas Gulf saved Timmins. That’s a sentiment Victor Power, another former Timmins mayor, agrees.

For the rest of this article, click here: http://www.timminspress.com/2014/04/15/big-ore-find-saved-timmins-50-years-ago