The community name was based on a nearby lake which in turn was named after Winnifred Kirkland, a secretary of the Ontario Department of Mines in Toronto. The lake was named by surveyor Louis Rorke in 1907.[2] Miss Kirkland never visited the town, and the lake that bore her name did not exist as it dried because of minetailings, but recently due to floodings of the mineshafts has come back up to about half of its initial deepness. The community comprises Kirkland Lake (Teck Township), as well as Swastika, Chaput Hughes, Bernhardt, and Morrisette Township.
Kirkland Lake was built on gold, but is also notable for its hockey players. As well, hockey broadcaster Foster Hewitt called Kirkland Lake "the town that made the NHL."[2]:212 The town celebrated this via Hockey Heritage North, which was renamed Heritage North.
Until January 1, 1972, the town was known as Township of Teck. A by-law was introduced, on July 20, 1971, to change the municipality's name to Town of Kirkland Lake, effective January 1, 1972.[3]
History
Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway station in Kirkland Lake, 1920Government Road, c.1920Wood Kirkland Gold Mine, Kirkland Lake, 1928Toburn Mines (Tough-Oakes Burnside Mine) 1931
Gold in the Kirkland Lake region was originally reported in the late 1800s by Chief Ignace Tonené of the Temagami First Nation. In fact, he staked a claim near the north arm of Larder Lake but stated it was jumped (stolen). No action was taken on his report. Chief Tonene Lake was named in his honour. Chief Ignace Tonené would go on to help form Beaverhouse First Nation.
Chief Tonene (1840–1916) Reported the first gold find in the Kirkland Lake area in the late 1800s. (Photo 1909, Haileybury, Ontario).
Later, Tom Price discovered a boulder containing gold on a visit to the Kirkland Lake area in 1906.[4]:8
In 1911, important claims were made along the Main Break. John Hunton staked claims on February 18, 1911, which were incorporated as the Hunton Gold Mines Ltd. in April 1914, eventually becoming part of the Amalgamated Kirkland. Stephen Orr filed claims on February 22, 1911, the basis for the Teck-Hughes Mine and the Orr Gold Mines Ltd, which was incorporated in June 1913. George Minaker staked claims on February 23, 1911, part of which he sold to (Sir) Harry Oakes in September 1912, becoming part of the Lake Shore Mine. John Reamsbottom filed claims on April 18, 1911, which became part of the Teck-Hughes Mine.
It was at Teck-Hughes mine that miners and engineers developed Teck cable for sturdy electrical transmission. That type of cable is now used on electrical projects around the world.
C.A. McKane staked claims on April 20, 1911, which became the Kirkland Lake Gold Mine. A. Maracle staked claims on June 5, 1911, which became part of the Townsite claims. Melville McDougall staked claims on June 27, 1911, which he transferred to Oakes on September 6, 1912, and became the part of the Lake Shore Mine. Jack Matchett staked a claim on July 7, 1911, later acquired by Oakes, which became part of the Townsite Mine. On July 10, 1911, Dave Elliott staked claims which became the Macassa Mine. "Swift" Burnside staked claims on July 26–28, 1911, which became part of the Tough-Oakes Burnside Mine. Bill Wright filed claims on July 27–29, 1911, and on September 16, 1911, with his brother-in-law Ed. Hargreaves, which became part of the Sylvanite Mine. This claim extended into the lake's southeastern portion. More importantly, Wright found free gold near the future site of the Discovery Shaft. Ed. Horne staked a claim on October 12, 1911, which became part of the Townsite Mine, and the incorporation of Kirkland Townsite Gold Mines Ltd. in 1917. On January 8, 1912, Harry Oakes partnered with the Tough brothers plus Clem. Foster, who owned the Foster Silver Mine in Cobalt, staked claims which incorporated the No. 2 Vein and eventually led to the incorporation of Tough-Oakes Gold Mines Ltd. in 1913. Oakes filed additional claims on July 30, 1912, and Wright on August 26, 1912, both within the lake and eventually becoming parts of the Lake Shore Mine.[4]:14–17,21–27
By 1914, there was one mine in operation, the Tough-Oakes, which included electric power transmitted from Charlton. A settlement had formed at the southwest arm of the lake, which included a post office, stores and a hotel.[4]:31–32
In order to maximize taxation revenue from existing and potential mines in the area, the six square mile Municipal Corporation of the Township of Teck was formed with Wellington J. McLeod as the first reeve in 1919.[4] Their first task was the establishment of public utilities, including roads and water pipes, in the rapidly growing area.[5] Kirkland Lake had numerous mines, in the early years, including the Teck-Hughes (1917–1968), Lake Shore (1918–1968), Kirkland Minerals (1919–1960), Wright-Hargreaves (1921–1965), Sylvanite (1927–1961), Tough-Oakes-Burnside (later Toburn) (1913–1953), and Macassa Mine (1933–1999).
The Kirkland Lake camp produced $636,667 worth of gold in 1918 and that rose to a value of $17,000,000 in 1930. As Pain points out, "Kirkland Lake camp came to occupy a position of real importance in the mining world." By 1934, the production had reached $34,000,000 and 2,000,000 tons were being milled annually. Peak employment of 4,761 wage earners occurred in 1939, but that dropped to 2,064 by 1944. The 1939 population was 24,200.[2]:212[4]:50,76,78,81
Early in the Second World War gold production in the area decreased due to personnel being lost to more essential war industries. In 1942, gold mining was declared a non-essential industry to the war effort which resulted in gold mines across the country being at a lower priority for personnel and supplies relative to producers of base metals. After the war, local soldiers returned to the newly created Federal area in the northern section of the town.[6] The Kirkland Lake Cemetery is a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is the location of the graves of 12 soldiers, and 3 airmen of the Canadian forces who died during the Second World War.[7]
Kirkland Lake's first fire hall was established in 1935 and the second fire hall in 1955.
In 1963 the open-pitAdams Mine began developing its iron ore resources. The mine would stay in production until 1990.
The Kirkland Lake Community Complex, now the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex, opened in 1979. Home of the Kirkland Lake Aquatic Club (KLAC) which has been the starting point for Dominique Bouchard - Olympic Swimmer, Rodney Thomas - Canada Games Double Gold medalist and numerous other university Varsity level scholarship swimmers.
In the early 1980s, LAC Minerals reopened the main shaft of the Lake Shore Mine and worked it from 1982 to 1987 to extract pockets of gold that had been left behind. Between 1987 and 1991 Vancouver based Eastmaque Gold Mines reprocessed tailings, or "slimes", from early inefficient mill operations, extracting 70,000 ounces of gold.[8]
On the morning of Sunday, May 20, 2012, a forest fire was discovered about 3km (1.9mi) north of Kirkland Lake, which grew to 2,757ha (6,810 acres) by the afternoon of May 21, causing a state of emergency to be declared. Residential and cottage areas on Goodfish Lake and Nettie Lakes and one street in Chaput Hughes were evacuated that afternoon. Kirkland Lake Gold and AuRico Gold suspended operations due to fire damage to power lines and local schools were closed.[10] On May 29, the state of emergency was lifted, as the fire was determined to be no longer a threat to Kirkland Lake, although it was not yet under control.[11]
On December 18, 2012, the town council voted to have fluoride removed from the local water treatment facility, after a breakdown left the town with a bill of $360,000.[12]
Kirkland Lake is located in the resource-rich Precambrian Shield, an ancient geological core of the North American continent. Nearby is the Arctic Watershed, a drainage divide at an elevation of 318m (1,043ft). Rivers south of that elevation flow into a drainage basin which includes Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River, while rivers north of the watershed flow into Hudson Bay.
Noticeable local landmarks include Mount Cheminis, rising 500m (1,600ft) above sea level, and many small kettle lakes, scraped out of the rock during the last Ice Age and filled with clear water.
Kirkland Lake is located within the Abitibi greenstone belt and the Abitibi gold belt. The main geologic feature in the Kirkland Lake Camp is the Kirkland Lake Break, or Main Break. This Break is a vein located along a thrust fault extending east to west and dipping steeply to the south. The area mine shafts are all located along this Break. Gold occurs in quartz veins in spatial relationship to this fault.[15] The major mines in 1960, trending east to west, included Toburn, Sylvanite, Wright-Hargreaves, Lake Shore, Teck Hughes, Kirkland Minerals, and Macassa.[4]:overleaf[16]
In the early days of staking claims, most prospectors tried to understand the lateral extent of this east–west trending vein defining the Main Break, as well as the associated veins paralleling it, e.g. South Vein, No. 2 Vein, No. 6 Vein, No. 7 Vein, etc. Most importantly, prospecting was extensive in the hopes the vein extended under the southern portion of Kirkland Lake.[4]:29–31
Telluride minerals were present in the Tough-Oakes ore. They are also present in the Sylvanite Mine, though sylvanite is not one of them. The Sylvanite Mine started a 200-ton mill in 1927 and shafts reached 2,000 feet (610m) by 1930.[4]:25,29,50
Kirkland Lake Gold Mines Ltd. was incorporated in 1913 before the property was taken over by Cobalt's Beaver Consolidated Mines Ltd. after a shaft was sunk 80 feet (24m). They formed the Kirkland Lake Gold Mining Company in 1915 and the main shaft was sunk 800 feet (240m), which prompted the building on a mill in 1919. Shafts reached a depth of 1,600 feet (490m) before the mine closed in 1924. Operations restarted in 1926 with new financing organized by Dr. J.B. Tyrrell, and high-grade ore was found at 2,475 feet (754m). By 1930, the mine had reached a depth of 4,000 feet (1,200m) and had acquired the Chaput-Highes claim to the south. The property was acquired by the Kirkland Minerals Corporation in 1956.[4]:44,52–53
Tough-Oakes produced 213 tons of high-grade ore in 1914. Operations included a five-stamp mill for amalgamation plus a cyanide plant. However, the presence of high-grade ore in the vein terminated at the 300-foot (91m) level and the mine shut down in 1918. This property was consolidated with Burnside's to form Tough-Oakes Burnside Gold Mines Ltd. in 1923 and the Burnside No. 3 shaft was deepened to 1,000 feet (300m). The operation went bankrupt in 1928. Operations restarted as the Toburn in 1932, as a subsidiary of the American Smelting and Refining Company.[4]:37–38,49,78–79
Lake Shore Mines Ltd. was incorporated in February 1914. Oakes proceeded with sending a crosscut from his shaft on the South Vein towards the anticipated Main Break under the lake to the north. This crosscut encountered high-grade ore and a 100-ton mill was in operation by March 1918. Their No. 1 shaft reached a depth of 1,600 feet (490m) and their No. shaft a depth of 1,000 feet (300m) by 1930 and was considered "the wonder mine" by Pain. There was 1,600 feet of high-grade ore at the 1,000-foot level and 2,400 feet (730m) at the 2,400-foot level.[4]:40–42,50,76
Wright-Hargreaves Mines Ltd. was incorporated in 1916. The Wright-Hargreaves Mine had a 100-ton a day mill operating by 1921 and shafts reached a depth of 2,000 feet (610m) by 1930. Almost 900 feet (270m) of high-grade ore was found between the 500-foot (150m) level down to 1,750 feet (530m).[4]:40,43,50,76
In 1916, the Teck-Hughes Mine built a 50-ton cyanide mill after the No. 1 shaft reached a depth of 500 feet (150m). In 1923, the company was reorganized as Teck-Highes Gold Mines Ltd, which included the Orr claim to the south. The central shaft reached a depth of 2,980 feet (910m) and a south shaft was sunk in 1928 to reach a depth of 3,600 feet (1,100m). A 1000-ton per day mill was in operation by 1930. High-grade ore of up to 1,000 feet (300m) was found on six levels.[4]:43,51–52,76
Macassa Mines Ltd. was organized in 1926, which included the Elliott claims. Mill operations started in 1933 and acquired the United Kirkland Gold Mines Ltd. claims to the south.[4]:54–55
The lake itself was gradually filled in by mill tailings, such that the water had disappeared by 1930. By 1960, 1,500 miles (2,400km) of underground workings were in the Kirkland Lake camp and 12 miles (19km) of direct hoisting shafts. The Lake Shore and Wright-Hargreaves mines had the deepest working depths in the world, at 8,200 feet (2,500m) below the surface.[4]:98–99
Climate
Kirkland Lake enjoys four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn offer a mix of warm sunny days and crisp, cool nights. Summers are comfortably warm, with dry air and temperatures reaching into the mid-20-degree Celsius range (mid-70s Fahrenheit). Winter temperatures may seem brisk, but high winds and high humidity are rare, allowing residents to take full advantage of outside recreational activities.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kirkland Lake had a population of 7,750 living in 3,775 of its 4,353 total private dwellings, a change of -2.9% from its 2016 population of 7,981. With a land area of 261.29km2 (100.88sqmi), it had a population density of 29.7/km2 (76.8/sqmi) in 2021.[18]
The town experienced an economic decline in the late 1900s, with the closing of the original mines. That ended in 2001, when Foxpoint Resources (now Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. or KLG) bought five of the mining claims in the town and began intensive exploration work. KLG successfully resuscitated the local mining scene, finding new zones of mineralization that, combined with the steadily increasing price of gold, turned the town around.[citation needed] Today, Kirkland Lake is probably one of the most successful communities of its size in Northern Ontario. Some of the more recent developments include:
Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. continues to expand its operations. Since December 2002, the company's confirmed gold reserves have increased by 160% to 2,022,000 tons with an average grade of 0.46 ounces per ton containing a total of 927,000 ounces of gold. In 2003, the Company started a $21 million, 3-year exploration program targeted at adding 15,000,000 tons of ore to reserves and resources. Currently, over 500 personnel are directly or indirectly employed at the mine site. Based on today's resources, the mine has a 12-15 year life span. A recently[when?] announced $16 million expansion in its exploration activities is already paying dividends. The mine recently[when?] announced the discovery of the richest ore veins ever found in the history of the Kirkland Lake camp, a move which will significantly increase the mine's life span.
While the forestry industry has been hard hit across Canada, the impact on Kirkland Lake has been mitigated by the conversion of the existing Tembec Forest Products Group's Kenogami sawmill into a value-added centre for the manufacturing of finger-jointed lumber. The new centre, located on the outskirts of KL, opened in July 2006. It will employ between 70 and 92 workers. Under an innovative Public-Private partnership, the municipality is working with Rosko Forestry Operations to establish a specialty sawmill in the Archer Drive Industrial Park that will sell into the Canadian market.
The local tourism industry has provided a much needed depth to the local economy. Star attractions include the Museum of Northern History at the Sir Harry Oakes Chateau, the Miners' Memorial,[20] and Heritage North[21] (an 18,000-square-foot (1,700m2) interactive facility telling the story of hockey in the north). Upcoming attractions include a refurbishment of the historical Toburn Headframe. Event based tourism is also strong. Some of the most popular draws include a drag racing event in the summer and a national snow cross racing event in the winter.
Through the 1990s, one of the town's dominant political and economic controversies surrounded a proposal to ship Toronto's garbage to the Adams Mine, an abandoned open pit mine in Boston Township just outside Kirkland Lake.
Kirkland Lake is also self-sufficient when it comes to power production with a generator that produces up to 117MW.
The Kirkland Lake area continues to support a strong tourist industry throughout the year. The summers are met with a number of anglers, hunters, and campers looking for adventure. Winters are especially popular as a result of the well maintained snow mobile trails in the area. There are also a number of tourist destinations in the area, including the recently developed Hockey Heritage North. It also has a strong community built on music. Local attractions include:
The Kirkland Lake Festivals Committee hosts an annual homecoming week. Many former residents return home for the celebrations. The 2019 homecoming week will be a celebration of the community's 100th anniversary.
Homecoming events included free kids events, Shakespeare in the Park, a BMX, skateboard and scooter extreme park competition, a local food fair, free kids matinees, splash park events, golf tournaments, A day in the park at the Toburn Mine site, fireworks and more. The Festivals Committee also hosts free Canada Day celebrations with fireworks.
The Kirkland Lake Festivals Committee hosts an annual winter carnival beginning in mid-February. With 18 days of events each year, Kirkland Lake's Winter Carnival is one of Canada's longest winter carnivals. Festivals and Events Ontario has honoured the event with multiple Top 100 Festival awards.
The 2018 Kirkland Lake Winter Carnival featured 18 days of events between February 15–March 4 including: the Alamos Gold $50,000 Ice Fishing Derby, Hockey Tournament, Kids Winter Jam Party featuring the Stars of Pop, 3 nights of Kabaret, Kirkland Lake Skating Club's Ice Show, fireworks, free sleigh rides, a comedy night, free skating parties, a magic show, free kids matinees and the NorthernTel Kids Carnival on the Family Day holiday.
Kirkland Lake has two secondary schools, each catering to a different language group: the École secondaire catholique l'Envolée du Nord, a French Catholic school; and the Kirkland Lake District Composite School, an English secondary school also featuring French immersion instruction (opened in 2006; from 1923 - 2006 students attended Kirkland Lake Collegiate and Vocational Institute, also known as KLCVI).
The community is also home to a campus of the Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology.
Northern College offers one-, two- and three-year programs in the fields of technology, business, human services, health and emergency services and veterinary sciences. Northern also offers post-diploma, apprenticeship, skills and job re-entry programs funded by the federal and provincial governments. The college also provides job related training. This includes providing the facilities for the delivery of third party programs, or the development of courses to meet the needs of a company.
Swastika is a small community founded around a mine site in Northern Ontario, Canada in 1908. Today it is within the municipal boundaries of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.
Greenstone is an amalgamated town in the Canadian province of Ontario with a population of 4,636 according to the 2016 Canadian census. It stretches along Highway 11 from Lake Nipigon to Longlac and covers 2,767.19 km2 (1,068.42 sq mi).
Sylvanite or silver gold telluride, chemical formula (Ag,Au)Te2, is the most common telluride of gold.
William Henry Wright was a Canadian prospector.
The Hollinger Gold Mine was discovered on October 9, 1909, by Benny Hollinger, who found the gold-bearing quartz dike that later became known as Hollinger Mines. With his friend, professional prospector Alex Gillies, Hollinger had travelled to the Porcupine region in the wake of the Wilson expedition, which had recently discovered the future Dome Mine site. Hollinger and Gillies staked three claims each, and one for their former partner, Bernard "Barney" P. McEnaney, who had been unable to join them due to severe sciatica.
The McIntyre mine is an abandoned underground gold mine in Schumacher, Ontario, Canada, which has earned a place in Canadian mining history as one of the nation's most important mines. Its iconic headframe, located near downtown Timmins, has come to represent the entire Porcupine Gold Rush. The McIntyre also yielded a considerable amount of copper over its life.
Matachewan is a township in Timiskaming, Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located at the end of Ontario Highway 66 along the Montreal River. The name is derived from the Cree word for "meeting of the currents".
The Porcupine Gold Rush was a gold rush that took place in Northern Ontario starting in 1909 and developing fully by 1911. A combination of the hard rock of the Canadian Shield and the rapid capitalization of mining meant that smaller companies and single-man operations could not effectively mine the area, as opposed to earlier rushes where the gold could be extracted through placer mining techniques. Although a number of prospectors made their fortune, operations in the area are marked largely by the development of larger mining companies, and most people involved in the mining operations were their employees.
The Kirkland Lake Miners' Memorial is a memorial in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, dedicated to the city's mining labourers.
The Cobalt silver rush was a silver rush in Ontario, Canada that began in 1903 when huge veins of silver were discovered by workers on the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (T&NO) near the Mile 103 post. By 1905 a full-scale silver rush was underway, and the town of Cobalt, Ontario sprang up to serve as its hub. By 1908 Cobalt produced 9% of the world's silver, and in 1911 produced 31,507,791 ounces of silver. However, the good ore ran out fairly rapidly, and most of the mines were closed by the 1930s. There were several small revivals over the years, notably in World War II and again in the 1950s, but both petered out and today there is no active mining in the area. In total, the Cobalt area mines produced 460 million ounces of silver.
The Pronto Mine is an historical uranium mine located approximately 20 km south of Elliot Lake, Ontario near Spragge. The site is owned and operated by Rio Algom Ltd, has been rehabilitated and is currently undergoing environmental monitoring.
Beanland Mine, also known as Clenor Mine, is an abandoned surface and underground mine in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located about 1 km (0.62 mi) west of Arsenic Lake and 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the town of Temagami in central Strathy Township. It is named after Sydney Beanland, who first claimed the mine site in the 1920s and was a director for the mine from 1937 to 1938.
Big Dan Mine is an abandoned underground mine in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located about 1 km (0.62 mi) southwest of Net Lake and just west of the Ontario Northland Railway in east-central Strathy Township. It is named after Dan O'Connor, who first claimed the site in the 1890s.
The Lake Shore Mine is a gold mine located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. In July 1912, Harry Oakes staked claims L-2605-6 which were in the lake itself and had reverted for non-performance of work. On September 6, 1912, he registered the transfer of claim L-1557 that Melville McDougall had staked for Oakes previously. On September 23, 1911, Harry Oakes registered the transfer of claim T-16635 from George Minaker and named the property Lake Shore. In production from 1918 to 1965, the mine produced almost 8.5 million ounces of gold and represented over a third of the gold produced in the entire camp. The closure of the mine once known as the 'Jewel box of North America' in 1965 was the result of a number of factors including a declining ore reserve picture, unfruitful exploration, increased water inflow into the workings from other closed mines exceeding pump capacity and unstable workings at depth, The mill operated until 1968 re-milling historic tailings. The surface plant was demolished in 1969. The mine reopened in 1981 by new owners LAC Minerals and operated intermittently as an exploration project along with pillar recovery and tailings processing with material processed at the nearby Macassa Mill. Activity ceased in 1987 and the property has followed the chain of ownership of the Macassa mine.
The Wright-Hargreaves Mine is a gold mine located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. In late July 1911, Bill Wright and his brother-in-law Ed Hargreaves discovered the first visible gold in what would later become the Kirkland Lake camp. In 1913 the No. 1 shaft was sunk to a depth of 85 feet. By the end of its production, the Wright-Hargreaves was the deepest mine in the Kirkland Lake camp with workings at the 8,200-foot (2,500-meter) level. The mine was in regular production between 1921 and 1964. Production ceased following a serious rock burst underground in August 1964. The processing plant was previously shutdown in 1957 and production was transported to the Lake Shore mine for processing. Final salvage activities and clean up were completed in 1965, with a total production of 4,821,296 ounces of gold at an average grade of 0.49 ounces per ton.
Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. was a Canadian gold mining company, based in Toronto, that owned and operated several gold mines in Canada and Australia.
Kerr Addison Mines Ltd was a Toronto-based mining and gas company that owned various mines throughout Canada, including the Agnew Lake Mine, the Kerr-Addison Mine and Chesterville gold mine.
Uranium mining in the Elliot Lake area represents one of two major uranium-producing areas in Ontario, and one of seven in Canada.
The Kerr–Addison Mine is an abandoned Canadian gold mine in the Kearns area of McGarry, Ontario. In 1960, the mine was the largest producer of gold in North America. The mine produced the second most gold overall in North America, with the Homestake Mine being the leader.
↑ Cater, D.F. (1991). "Macassa Mine Geology". Society of Economic Geologists. Archean Gold Deposits of the Matachewan-Kirkland Lake-Larder Lake Area, Ontario, Canada (Guidebook Series Vol. II): 9, 12, 15.
↑ Barnes, Michael (1986). Fortunes in the Ground. Erin, Ontario: The Boston Mills Press. p.177. ISBN091978352X.
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