Griffith Iron Mine
1968 to 1986
Produced 22.9 million tonnes
Produced 22.9 million tonnes
Origins
Geologist Dr. D.B. Dowling first noted iron mineralization near Bruce Lake (20 km north of Ear Falls) in 1893. The area that would become the Griffith Mine was first staked in 1912 by Tim Crowley and his three sons. The men did some drilling on the site, but work stopped in 1914 as Canada joined the war effort. Work on the claims began again in 1919, but the claims would eventually lapse when the Red Lake gold rush started in 1926. It would be almost 30 years before the area would once again be claimed.
A.C. Mosher, Lorne Dempster and Jack Dempster staked the 24 claims for Calmor Mines Ltd. in 1953. Iron Bay Mines Ltd. was created in 1954 to take over the property and perform exploration. The company completed magnetometer and geological surveys to get an understanding of the ore body as well as 3,981 metres (13,062 feet) of diamond drilling between 1953 and 1960. Stelco Inc. (Steel Company of Canada) optioned the property in 1963, naming it the Griffith Iron Mine, more commonly referred to simply as the Griffith Mine. Picklands Mather and Company was contracted to manage the mine for Stelco.
Production 1968-1986
In 1968 Canadian Bechtel Limited finished building the Griffith Mine pelletizing plant, which went into production that March. By mid-March, the first shipment of iron pellets was on its way to Stelco’s Hamilton steel mill. The Griffith Mine was the region’s only iron producers as well as one of the few open pit mining operations in the Red Lake mining district. The large open-pit mine was active for 18 years and produced 22.9 million tonnes of iron ore pellets before the mine closed on March 31, 1986. Equipment was sold and the mine pit was allowed to flood according to mine closure practices.
Legacy
While the Griffith Mine was not in boundaries of the Municipality of Red Lake, it was very much part of the community. For decades, residents of Red Lake worked at the Griffith Mine, and local company, McLeod’s Transportation transported miners to and from the mine every day. More recently the mine property has been home to a popular hiking trail. Even though the mine closed over 30 years ago, stories of the mine are still heard around the community.
In 2010, the Northern Iron Corporation took over ownership of the Griffith Mine property and performed exploratory drilling. In 2012, Northern Iron began the process of dewatering Griffith’s North Pit, pumping out over four billion litres of water by 2013. There have been no more updates on the progress of Northern Iron’s Griffith Iron Ore Redevelopment Project, so only time will tell if the Griffith Mine will get a new lease on life.
Geologist Dr. D.B. Dowling first noted iron mineralization near Bruce Lake (20 km north of Ear Falls) in 1893. The area that would become the Griffith Mine was first staked in 1912 by Tim Crowley and his three sons. The men did some drilling on the site, but work stopped in 1914 as Canada joined the war effort. Work on the claims began again in 1919, but the claims would eventually lapse when the Red Lake gold rush started in 1926. It would be almost 30 years before the area would once again be claimed.
A.C. Mosher, Lorne Dempster and Jack Dempster staked the 24 claims for Calmor Mines Ltd. in 1953. Iron Bay Mines Ltd. was created in 1954 to take over the property and perform exploration. The company completed magnetometer and geological surveys to get an understanding of the ore body as well as 3,981 metres (13,062 feet) of diamond drilling between 1953 and 1960. Stelco Inc. (Steel Company of Canada) optioned the property in 1963, naming it the Griffith Iron Mine, more commonly referred to simply as the Griffith Mine. Picklands Mather and Company was contracted to manage the mine for Stelco.
Production 1968-1986
In 1968 Canadian Bechtel Limited finished building the Griffith Mine pelletizing plant, which went into production that March. By mid-March, the first shipment of iron pellets was on its way to Stelco’s Hamilton steel mill. The Griffith Mine was the region’s only iron producers as well as one of the few open pit mining operations in the Red Lake mining district. The large open-pit mine was active for 18 years and produced 22.9 million tonnes of iron ore pellets before the mine closed on March 31, 1986. Equipment was sold and the mine pit was allowed to flood according to mine closure practices.
Legacy
While the Griffith Mine was not in boundaries of the Municipality of Red Lake, it was very much part of the community. For decades, residents of Red Lake worked at the Griffith Mine, and local company, McLeod’s Transportation transported miners to and from the mine every day. More recently the mine property has been home to a popular hiking trail. Even though the mine closed over 30 years ago, stories of the mine are still heard around the community.
In 2010, the Northern Iron Corporation took over ownership of the Griffith Mine property and performed exploratory drilling. In 2012, Northern Iron began the process of dewatering Griffith’s North Pit, pumping out over four billion litres of water by 2013. There have been no more updates on the progress of Northern Iron’s Griffith Iron Ore Redevelopment Project, so only time will tell if the Griffith Mine will get a new lease on life.