The Mining Town
Kerr-Addison Mine
A gold mine that was
once Canada's largest gold producer, produced more than 11 million ounces from 1938 to 1996
mined down to a depth of 4,500 feet and over a strike length of 3,200 feet.
As a child this town I live in was booming. It perhaps had about 1000 people that populated this town and consisted of 2 bars, a grocery store, gas station, about 6 restaurants some being chip stands and a couple having a few arcade games in them, a hair salon, clinic and police station, 2 schools, library and a community center including an ice rink and there was even a curling club. Even a Tourist Center/museum giving good history about this little mining town.
Everyone worked at the mine. My grandfather, my uncles, my older cousins, friends, neighbours... everyone. The senior citizens looked fragile and pained from when they once worked at that mine. Loss of hearing, of feeling in their hands back pains because the awfully heavy jack leg machines.
It had the jobs and the pay that people needed. Kept families living close. It was great! Such a small town meant everyone knew everyone, there were no problems for the kids to go play on their own at the parcs. There was always a helpful and watchful neighbour.
The mine went bankrupt in 1989 and was purchased by 2 other companies until it finally shut down in 1996. That's when the town almost became a ghost town. Some people were not able to sell their houses and buildings, leaving them behind to rot. Today there are still some building to be torn down, restaurants and houses just falling apart.
We now have a population of about 300 people. Mostly seniors still living here. We are left with 1 restaurant, a gas station, clinic, one school and the library is now in the community center. The ice rink being used for people to store boats. The Tourist Center being open 2 months out of a year.
They made a little trail in the woods behind the center placing a few mining items for us to see and enjoy. So today I brought Frankie with me, took a walk down memory lane visiting the ghosts of the miners that touched these equipments long ago.
The trail starts with the cage. The old cage they had to squeeze as many people as they could to send them down far deep underground where they would work with the only light coming from their head lamps attached on their hard hats and carrying batteries to keep it going. Pick axe in one hand, metal lunch box in the other.
Imagine being put in here stuck shoulder to shoulder, feeling another man's breath upon your neck as you breathe upon another's, going down a deep dark bumpy tunnel. Hoping to God that cable holds the weight of all the men.
They would use a bell system that consisted of number of rings that would tell them when to stop the cage to let them off, on and when to go up and down. In some mines that system is still used today thinking that technology would have brought a new (and safer) way to work the cage, just my thoughts.
The trail then leads us up some stairs.
And to a spot that had 3 odd pieces of machinery equipment.
The back/middle piece is a motor powered by air to move the cables A.K.A some sort of pulley system. I am asking my husband what most of these things are. Some of them he doesn't know because they are no longer used in the mines I believe.
Frankie is always trying to climb something. She has quite the imaginative adventures, she is so much fun to have with me wherever I go.
We then stumbled upon this.
When was the last time you have seen one of these? Let alone rode one. I do not know how long this has been sitting here, what I do know is I love the eeriness of it. The moss growing on it gives the sense of age and loneliness, missing the children's fun and laughter, feeling the emptiness and sorrow never to be seen again.
TILL NOW!
Go Frankie go! :p
And just beside we see this:
A man carrier pulled by the trams (underground trains)
A metal cart to carry the ore by tram as well. Danny explained to me that there's a machine that would tilt it up to help dump it. I can't imagine the weight of this thing, having to be pushed up to dump it.
Another one that Frankie is trying to brave the climb :)
And this thing that Frankie thinks is a skidoo.
A big claw thing. As a kid I felt a bit scared of it. I used to watch a lot of horror movies when I was young and this played right into that kind of imagination.
Towards the end of the trail meeting up to the museum we are greeted with some sort of miners tower showing multiple faces of miner things. This was something that also creeped me out. Made me think of that one movie Hellraiser with Pinheads face.
We are also shown a replica of the first minted gold coin in Canada using the gold from the Kerr Addison mine, weighing at 2.5 tons and 10 feet tall. A proud achievement for the Kerr Addison miners.
And two final pieces as we exit the area.
This last one portrays a miner scaling the walls for loose rocks.
To finish this little miner towns story, another company has recently purchased the mine. They drained the tunnels and checked for gold. There is enough gold down there, they have said, to reopen the mine again but at a great cost. It will no longer be an underground mine but an open pit. The company has stated that they will open in the north side of town which would pretty much mean that we lose the library and the community center and half of the towns houses. It will be devastating for what it will do to the earth, separate families, and I know for one that I don't think it will reach where I live but it will be enough for me to move. The earth will be so poisoned that I will not be able to grow my food and my family's health will be at risk.
The only thing it seems that we can do is wait, and hope that when the time comes that the mine will buy out our houses so that we can afford to move.... again...
Edited I wanted to post some links that give a little bit of information to those that want to know more about this mine. Here they are:
https://www.ontarioexplorations101.com/larder-lake-ontario-mines/kerr-addison-gold-mine
Wow, Great Article! The personal Touch is so much better than the canned info a visitor's center has to offer, I think. Both my dad and grandfather were miner's, and my maternal grandfather was on the railroad. Industry provides so many jobs, which is great, but the costs can be huge as well. I predict that GOLD and Silver will be going up pretty soon, and when it does that mine will really be reopened fast. I'd say U have maybe 3 to 5 years there? hmmm...
Gold will rise unless we are able to mine Gold from space cheaply when that happens, the gold supply will be increased 1000 folds.... but we are safe for now/a while aka a long time(don't quote me on that).
You are right on the money. They are predicting the same time frame as well. Not looking forward to it. Not sure where I will live when that happens :/
I tried to get a crossover of the Gold Price Projections versus industrial start-up costs and timing, and came up with that. 3 to 5 years, or longer, depending on things like increased price suppression (very possible) and issuance of permits. The latter is less likely to be an issue I would imagine. In the U$A, it is always an issue!
Actually, when we had a town meeting with the mine's owners, they left out very little detail. The plans left us with many questions they did not want to answer. So it is all to be seen when it happens. I think that because we are a small town they think they can run us over. And well, with the reeve that we have it is most likely possible. A lot is unknown and the corruption is there.
What is a reeve? Like a town council?
Like a mayor but smaller. Less status or something.
I also have my doubts about "negative impact" on the water table, except that a large, deep hole right on the edge of town would tend to fill up with the available ground water and cause a possible shortage. Making them put in deep wells and a water tower is a reasonable request, IMO. But if they plan on processing right there too, then it's a different game. They will likely wash out the gold on site, but after that I have no clue.
They will be digging right where the towns water tower is lol.
After that, well this town is damaged goods right... I dunno, not too happy with it anyways, I know it will create work for people, but since when working at a mine has ever been healthy for... well everyone in and around it?
I enjoyed the read. It is too bad they are going to reopen the mine. A massive hole in the ground does not sound great. If it does transpire I sure hope you get a decent price for your home. It was good to see Frankie in the pictures. She is looks so happy. Ah to be young.
I will be asking them a great amount! This home has no monetary value and to ask me to leave my home comes at a great price. This home is everything to me, to my family. It will not be a good thing at all.
Frankie is a very happy child. My own personal sunshine! <3 Thanks for dropping by and reading my post. Knowing you have such a busy life makes me very grateful that you spent some of your time here :)
I really hope when the time comes it all works out in your favor. Moving is hard especially when there are so many memories. I hope you are able to spend the next number of years in your home and create fantastic memories.
Frankies seems very happy. Children are wonderful beings, so free and loving.
I try to get around on Steemit. Some days i am able to do more than others. The winter time will be the real time for blogging. I enjoy reading your posts. Seeing pictures of other places and lifestyles is facinating for me. I just wish I could travel to see them all.
Well, I hope I can continue to bring you joy through my posts ^_^
Thank you for showing you care with all this mining chaos happening. Through your words I can tell that you understand and see how destructive it is. I hope things turn out for the better as well <3 xx
Your most welcome. It is hard to watch the destruction happen and not be able to do anything about it. These are the reasons why Rob and I live the way we do. It is to set an example. It doesn't matter if it is destruction of the earth, a community, a family or a soul. It is all wrong. Living in harmony with all is the goal. There is always a better way to solve conflict and create a better solution for all involved.
I agree with you there. You have said it all and how it needs to be. Yet money makes the world go round and can make people get really ugly. :(
Yes money has that ability. It is weird that people get so crazy when they have it. Really it is just another tool to assist us in doing what we need to do. I view it like a hammer.
It is crazy we come in with nothing, we leave with nothing yet we spend our whole lives trying to accumulate items, money being the biggest. I am not sure where this mentality came from but it is running rampid.
Has someone ever told you how awesome you are?
I agree with you 100%!! There is nothing more I could add t o that statement, perfectly said.
You know what they should do? Open a bitcoin mine use the heat from the asics to melt the gold and boom $$$$. ;)
Anyways great article :)
Always better than having an open pit :D
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my post. Much appreciated ^_^