Sherritt-Gordon Mine
| Location | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Location | Sherridon |
| Province | Manitoba |
| Country | Canada |
| Coordinates | 55°08′06″N 101°06′12″W / 55.135074°N 101.103339°W |
| Production | |
| Products | zinc, copper, gold and silver |
| History | |
| Discovered | 1899 |
| Opened | 1931 |
| Closed | 1951 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Sherritt International |
| Local impacts | |
| Pollution | acid, metals, sulphide |
| Impacted | Kississing Lake |
Sherritt-Gordon Mine is a defunct zinc and copper mine in Sherridon, Manitoba, Canada, on the shore of Kississing Lake.[1]
Situated near Flin Flon, the mine is located about 800 kilometres (500 mi) northwest of the provincial capital city of Winnipeg.[2][3]
Pollution from the mine contaminated Kississing Lake in what has been described as "one of the worst cases of acidic mine drainage in the world." In 1947, workers staged a months-long strike at the mine.
History
[edit]Geological exploration of the area began in 1899, followed by prospectors from the Flin Flon area who were guided by local Métis. In 1923, deposits of copper-zinc sulphides were staked on the east shore of Kississing Lake, which were developed into the Sherritt-Gordon Mine.[1][4]
The mine operated from 1931 to 1951 producing zinc and copper with low amounts of gold and silver.[2]
On August 13, 1947, workers at the mine went on strike after pay negotiations with Sherritt International failed to make progress.[5] The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation political party objected to the influx of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police during the stroke[5] By November, the strike was ongoing, with striking workers blocking non-striking workers on November 5.[5] Courts passed an injunction in the second week of November against the strike.[5]
The mine and produced 7.7 mega tons of ore[2] which were dumped over an area covering 47 hectares[6] including next to Camp Lake.[6] Water from the contaminated Camp Lake has since leached into Kississing Lake.[7] Weathering of the mine's tailings has released sulphate, metals and acid into surface and ground water for over 50 years since the mine has closed.[2] In 2009, The Winnipeg Free Press described the pollution around the mine as "one of the worst cases of acidic mine drainage in the world".[7]
The Government of Manitoba started remediation of the pollution from the mine in 2009.[6] In 2017, unhappy with the progress of the remediation, members of the local community briefly blockaded the local highway, preventing access.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Georgetown University, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (1956). Canadian North. United States: Technical Assistant to Chief of Naval Operations for Polar Projects (OP-O3A3). pp. 222–223. Archived from the original on 6 July 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d Moncur, Michael C.; Ptacek, Carol J.; Hayashi, Masaki; Blowes, David W.; Birks, S. Jean (2014-02-01). "Seasonal cycling and mass-loading of dissolved metals and sulfate discharging from an abandoned mine site in northern Canada". Applied Geochemistry. 41: 176–188. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.12.007. ISSN 0883-2927.
- ^ Owen, Bruce (2009-10-29). "Province spending $42M on mine cleanup". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived from the original on 2023-08-21. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
- ^ Lawrence Barkwell (2018). "Historic Métis Settlements in Manitoba and Geographical Place Names" (PDF). www.metismuseum.ca. Louis Riel Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Sokalski, Alexander (2003). "Manitoba History: The Sheritt-Gordon Mine Strike of 1947". Manitoba Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
- ^ a b c d "'No trust whatsoever': Northern Manitoba community wants consultation, not action, on mine rehabilitation". CBC. 7 Aug 2017. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ a b "$34.5M to clean up Sherridon tailings". The Reminder (Flin Flon). 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
