Hollinger Mines

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A mining company called Hollinger Gold Mine was founded by Benny Hollinger in Timmins, Ontario and in 1910 the company was incorporated by Noah Timmins and partners.

Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines was later acquired by Canadian tycoon E. P. Taylor's Argus Corporation. Argus was later acquired by Conrad Black in 1978 and it would become today's Hollinger Incorporated.

• Founded 1910 as Hollinger Gold Mine
• Changed to Hollinger Mines
• Changed to Hollinger Argus Limited 1978
• Changed to Hollinger Inc. in 1985

Hollinger Mine

Benny Hollinger and Alec Gillies discovered the now famous Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mine in 1910, and Noah Timmins put it into production. The main Hollinger Mine operated from 1910 until 1968, during that period 65,778,234 tons were milled, producing 19,327,691 ounces of gold, indicating an overall grade of 0.29

By the end of the "Roaring Twenties" the Hollinger was the largest gold mine in the British Empire and paid annual dividends of more than $5 million.

On February 10, 1928 smoke began to curl up from the main shaft house. At first no one could understand how fire could take place in a hard-rock mine. Hundreds of miners escaped to surface, but the news soon spread that others had been trapped on the 550-foot level.

The Hollinger had its own safety inspector, in addition to the government official, but they had not visited all of the more than 100 miles of underground workings. (The mine was so big by the 1960s it had almost 600 miles of tunnels)

At that time mined-out stopes were not backfilled with waste rock, but one on the 550-foot level had been filled over the years with mining debris such as powder boxes, sawdust and wooden crates. It's believed that the fire started as a result of spontaneous combustion in this area.

There were accounts of individual heroism, and the Department of Mines, the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway, many others, and the community itself put forth a stellar effort to battle the disaster and alleviate the suffering. (A relief train was sent up from Pennsylvania with rescue personnel experienced in coal-mine fires)

In the end, 39 miners succumbed to the smoke and carbon monoxide poisoning. Out of suffering often comes some good, an inquiry into the disaster recommended that mine rescue stations be set up in major mining camps. In 1929 the Porcupine Camp received the first mine rescue station in the province.

Stompin' Tom Connors, the famous Canadian patriot, troubadour, and recipient of the Order of Canada, composed and recorded a ballet about the disaster with Lord Thomson's "CKGB Recording" entitled "Fire in the Mine".

In the 1930s Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines built 250 houses which were located in one area of the Town of Timmins. These houses remained in place right up until the late 1970s. The three room homes were designed and built identical to each other in ever respect with the exception of the impregnated tar paper the covered them. Every second home was green with a red roof and the other was red with a green roof. Many a miner on a Saturday night made it into the wrong house and bed because of this colour combination.

[edit] References

• Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association
• City of Timmins web site
• Hollinger Incorporated
• The Northern Miner Glossary of Mining Terms
• Natural Resources Canada Posters on the Mining Industry
• Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
• Porcupine Mining Area

In reference to Stompin' Tom Conner's recording of " Fire in the Mine " This song was regarding the fire underground in the MacIntyre Mine in February 8, 1965. My Father was one of the local mine rescue members fighting the fire.