Sudbury

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The building of the railway through the Sudbury area in 1883 led to the discovery of copper. This was followed by a staking rush. Five years later it was realized that nickel was also present in the copper ores.

In 1888 the world consumption of nickel was 1,000 tons, all supplied by the French Company Le Société Anonyme le Nickel whose mines were located in New Caledonia, an island in the South West Pacific. The Ontario Government formed the Ontario Bureau of Mines in 1893 to aid the development of mining in Ontario. Coleman started working for the O.B.M. in the Sudbury area in 1900. His Sudbury experience was intensive and significant and his contribution provided a better understanding of the ores, their location and formation.

The collection at Victoria University Library includes Coleman's original field notebooks of his Sudbury research for the years 1900, 1902, 1903 and 1904. A characteristic notebook entry describing the ore at Minnie Mine, shows a combination of geological and business concerns with the mine.

Thursday, July 9 Minnie M. [sic Minnie Mine near Sudbury]

Helen [mine] Ore runs .59 - .60 dry = abt. .55 wet. Sold to Hamilton & Cleveland = ore sold to Hamilton @ $2.50 on the dock – at Cleveland $3.60 delivered, not so profitable. Midland not taking ore now. Physical character of ore makes it good mixture.

Photograph. A.P. Coleman. Log Barge Preparing to Shoot Rapids, Northland Ontario. ca 1912 ROM Archives. A.P. Coleman Collection
Notebook. A.P. Coleman. Thursday, July 9 , Minnie M[ine], in Notebook 37 1903, [page 24]
Drawing / Illustration. A.P. Coleman. "Michipicoton Falls", in Notebook 37 1903, [page 34]
Drawing / Illustration. A.P. Coleman. "Soo [sic Sault] Ontario looking West, late evening", in Notebook 37 1903, page 44
Notebook. A.P. Coleman. Untitled[Coleman’s Expense Accounts July 11 to August 4, 1904 in the Sudbury Region], in Notebook 38 1904, [pg 195]
Photograph. A.P. Coleman. Ontario, Copper Cliff, No. 2 Mine. n.d. ROM Archives. A.P. Coleman Collection.
Photograph. A.P. Coleman. Carufil, Panning. 1912 ROM Archives. A.P. Coleman Collection.
Photograph. A.P. Coleman. Cobalt Conglomerate, Kirkland Lake. 1936 ROM Archives. A.P. Coleman Collection.
Photograph. A.P. Coleman. Moose Mountain. n.d. ROM Archives. A.P. Coleman Collection.

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Thursday, July 9 (1903) in Notebook 37, 1903,
pages 24 - 26


Thursday, July 9 Minnie M. [sic Minnie Mine near Sudbury]

Helen [mine] Ore runs .59 - .60 dry = abt. .55 wet. Sold to Hamilton & Cleveland = ore sold to Hamilton @ $2.50 on the dock – at Cleveland $3.60 delivered, not so profitable. Midland not taking ore now. Physical character of ore makes it good mixture.

Boyer lake pumped nearly dry. Hole extraordinary, very steep walled

Notebook. A.P. Coleman. Thursday, July 9, Minnie M[ine]. in Notebook 37, [page 24]

ore N. side. Mud about 40-60 feet on part of floor of lake toward ore. A band of yellow ocher crossing the pit following the dike discovered by Willmott. Ore seems mostly all to E of dike. Pocket of granular pyrite in lake bottom to W of dike but good ore too. Abt. 8 or 900,000 tons shipped. Taking out 1400 tons per day in June.

80 ft. 2nd. level 168 below the Ry [railway] track which was 3 ft. above old lake level 75 ft. below diamond drill shows ore over 60-64 Feet. Only ore pt. pyrites. 70 ft. pyritons. Now down 100 ft. in same character of ore Contact of ore & country rock on S. side dips somewhat to the S. but less on 2nd. than on 1st. level

Notebook. A.P. Coleman. Thursday, July 9, Minnie M[ine]. in Notebook 37, [page 26]