Open Pit - Flin Flon, Manitoba & Saskatchewan

OPEN PIT – FLIN FLON, MANITOBA & SASKATCHEWAN

1927

Dams to Killarney Island were built 6-10 feet above water level – 1927. This was taken prior to the commencing removal of the water and the overburden of Flin Flon Lake so that they could get to the ore body to start open pit mining.

This photo shows after water and overburden had been removed, Hydraulic Morris dredging pump discharged mud and water through wood stave pipeline – 1930.

Eight No. 29 Armstrong caterpillar-mounted electric churn-drills were used in the Open Pit – 1930.

This shows the drills drilling holes to be loaded with powder to commence the blasting for what became the Flin Flon Open Pit. The Flin Flon property was held by, or was under option to, several mining concerns from 1915–1925, before it was finally optioned to the Harry Payne Whitney interests of New York.

Under this agreement, a series of metallurgical tests were carried out and the option taken up in December 1927, following which Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd., was formed to take over to develop and operate the property.

The actual development of the mine and the construction of the concentrator, zinc recovery plant and copper smelter as well as the hydro-electric plant at Island Falls, Saskatchewan, started in 1928. In this same year, the CN Railroad was extended from The Pas, Manitoba to Flin Flon, a distance of about 140 kms. The actual operation of the mine commenced in the latter part of 1930.

OPEN PIT MINING – was undertaken in 3 locations – Flin Flon Open Pit, Chisel Lake Open Pit which was an extremely high zinc content and Leaf Rapids Mine Open Pit once owned by Sherritt Gordon Mines which was taken over by HBM&S and operated for a good number of years until its closure in the late 90's.

Open Pit methods were used to remove the surface ore while the underground portion was being developed. To get at the ore body, in Flin Flon, which was overlain by water and sediments, the lake had to be dammed off and pumped out and over one million tons of mud and clay removed before mining began. For the first five years, over two thirds of the total production came from the open pit, but by 1936, North Main shaft production surpassed the pit production as the pit reached its maximum depth. During the last few years of the pit's operation, the ore from the pit was hoisted to surface from the 390 foot level of the North Main mine.

This shows a large blast being set off in the early stages of the Open Pit. The process of drilling and blasting went on from 1927-1936 which took the pit down to a depth of 390 ft.

Electrical equipment used in Open Pit excavation consisted of Marion Type 4160 - 4yd. shovels, 22 yd. side-dump cars, on 85 ton locomotive #99, and a 20 ton locomotive – 1930. They hauled the ore from the pit to the crusher.

This shows the pit after it had been well established and it was well on its way moving the ore out of the pit by dump cars pulled by electric locomotives.

As time progressed, the pit was becoming deeper, and the haul and the challenges became greater.

Tracks for the locomotives entered the Open Pit at north end, along the wall to the floor – 1940's. When I look at the above photograph, I recall stories told to me by a man who worked in the pit, and on the walls of the pit, scaling down loose rock. When you look at this operation which took place in the late 20's and early 30's, this created valuable jobs for a good many people who had been hungry and unemployed.

This photo has been used in many publications of articles on Flin Flon and Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. This photo shows Tom Creighton picking mineralized rocks, as The Pas Board of Trade and provincial legislators, look on, Sept. 5, 1920. One has to appreciate the pioneer spirit that these individuals had, in the development of a mining project of this magnitude which has lasted over 85 years.