{{good article}} {{Short description|Decommissioned mine in Ontario, Canada}} {{Infobox mine | name = Coldstream Copper Mine | image = | width = | caption = | pushpin_map = Ontario | pushpin_label = Coldstream Mine | pushpin_map_caption = Location near Kashabowie, Ontario | coordinates = {{coord|48.603|N|90.592|W|region:CA-ON|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | place = Burchell Lake | subdivision_type = Province | state/province = Ontario | country = Canada | owner =Ovintiv | official website = | acquisition year = | products = Copper, Silver, Gold | financial year = | amount = | opening year = 1957 | active years = 1960-1967 | closing year = 1967 }} '''Coldstream Copper Mine''', sometimes called the '''North Coldstream Copper Mine,''' the '''Coldstream Mine,''' or the '''North Coldstream Mine''' is a decommissioned former copper, silver and gold mine adjacent to Burchell Lake. It is located 11km south of Kashabowie, in Northern Ontario, Canada.

The mine produced $28 million worth of metals, mostly copper but also silver and gold.

Production started in 1957 and ceased in 1967, leaving 2.2 million tons of tailings on site, 500,000 tons deposited in Halet Lake.

== Location == The mine is located at the end of a small road off of Ontario Highway 802 11 kilometres south of Kashabowie,<ref name=":1"/> in Northern Ontario, Canada.<ref name="ronbrown">Ron Brown, ''Ontario's Ghost Town Heritage''. Boston Mills Press, 2007. {{ISBN|9781550464672}}.</ref> Adjacent to the mine is the ghost town of Burchell Lake.<ref name="ronbrown" />

As of 1961, the site included 81 mineral claims including those that were previously held by the former Tip Top Mine.<ref name=":3"/>

== Mining history == Copper was first discovered in 1870, and 6,000 tonnes of ore were extracted during World War One.<ref name=":1"/> Between 1951 and 1957 Coldstream Copper Mines Limited undertook exploration of the site, starting production in 1957.<ref name=":1" /> The 1,000-tons-per-day concentrator was built in 1959.<ref name="ronbrown" /> By 1961, four shafts had been sunk, three vertically and one at 80° at depths of 20, 50, 200, and 1,596 feet.<ref name=":3"/> Production paused in 1958.<ref name=":2" />

Between 1960 and 1967, the mine produced 2.5 million tons of ore that was 1.97% copper and which produced silver at 0.22 ounces per ton and gold at 0.012 ounces per ton.<ref name=":2" /> In 1961, the mine employed 92 staff underground, and 102 staff on the surface.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Kelly|first=T. J.|date=1962|title=Statistical Review of the Mineral Industry for 1960|url=http://www.geologyontario.mndmf.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/ARV70/ARV70.pdf|url-status=live|website=Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122184709/http://www.geologyontario.mndmf.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/ARV70/ARV70.pdf |archive-date=2022-01-22 }}</ref> The mine was managed by L. R. Redford who organized the construction of Burchell Lake township to accommodate the staff.<ref name="ronbrown" /><ref name=":3" /> The housing included 11 log homes for management, plus 24 bungalows and 17 mobile homes for staff.<ref name="ronbrown" /> The town, which accommodated 400 residents in its peak, also had four bunkhouses, a gas station, an ice rink, a general store, a pump house, and a two-room school.<ref name="ronbrown" />

The mine closed in 1967, leaving 2.7 million tonnes of sulphide tailings on site in two locations.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Burns|first=R. Cecil|last2=Orava|first2=David A.|last3=Zurowski|first3=Michael|last4=Mellow|first4=Robert J.|title=A Case Study of the Rehabilitation of Sulphide Tailings at the Coldstream Mine Tailings Management Area No. 2|url=http://pdf.library.laurentian.ca/medb/conf/Sudbury99/AcidicDrainage/AD32.PDF|url-status=live|website=Laurentian University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122143803/http://pdf.library.laurentian.ca/medb/conf/Sudbury99/AcidicDrainage/AD32.PDF |archive-date=2022-01-22 }}</ref> In the years it was operation, the mine produced $28 million worth of copper, silver and gold.<ref name="ronbrown" /> Activities restarted in 1990, but did not find underground resources worth extracting.<ref name="ronbrown" />

Goldshore Resources company undertook drilling at the mine site in 2022, finding copper, cobalt and gold at a depths around 63 metres.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Scales |first1=Marilyn |title=Goldshore drills 0.88% CuEq plus Co at North Coldstream |url=https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/news/goldshore-drills-0-88-cueq-plus-co-at-north-coldstream/ |work=Canadian Mining Journal |date=4 October 2022 }}</ref>

== Ownership == Coldsteam Copper Mines Limited became incorporated in November 1951, in August 1959 the company changed its name to North Coldsteam Mines Limited.<ref name=":3"/> Their registered office was 44 King Street West, Toronto.<ref name=":3"/> At that time the president was W. S. Row, the board secretary and treasurer was R. D. Stewart. the assistant secretary and treasurer was B. C. Bone, other directors were E. T. Donaldson, L. J. Moreaux, R. V. Porritt, H. L. Roscoe, N. C. Urquhart, and R. D. Stewart.<ref name=":3"/>

In 1968, the mining rights were sold to Nelson Machinery.<ref name=":2" /> In 1971, North Coldstream Mines changed its name to Coldstream Mines, before going into receivership in 1976.<ref name=":2" /> In 1977, International Mogul bought the mining rights from Nelson Machinery, which transferred to Conwest due to corporate mergers.<ref name=":2" /> Nelson Machinery went into receivership in 1991.<ref name=":2" />

Between 1992 and 1995, the Ontario Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines ordered Nelson Machinery and Conwest to submit closure plans. After a court challenge to this, the Office of the Mining & Lands Commissioner ruled that Nelson Machinery was responsible for the rehabilitation of the buildings and Conwest was responsible for the tailings and mines.<ref name=":2" />

As the successor of Conwest Exploration Company Limited, AEC West Limited took ownership of the site<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=AEC Report to Shareholders 1996 |url=https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/hrcorpreports/pdfs/A/Alberta_Energy_Co_Ltd_1996.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122150219/https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/hrcorpreports/pdfs/A/Alberta_Energy_Co_Ltd_1996.pdf |archive-date=2022-01-22 |website=McGill University}}</ref> before it fell under the management of Ovintiv subsidiary EWL Management Limited.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=EWL Legacy Mine Properties Perpetual Management Strategy |date=May 2014 |publisher=EnCanada |url=https://gnssn.iaea.org/RTWS/rsls-public/Shared%20Documents/Meetings/2nd%20Workshop%2C%202014%2C%20Canada/Presentations/David%20Lye%2C%20CNSC%20EWL%20-%20May%201%2C%202014.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010230426/https://gnssn.iaea.org/RTWS/rsls-public/Shared%20Documents/Meetings/2nd%20Workshop,%202014,%20Canada/Presentations/David%20Lye,%20CNSC%20EWL%20-%20May%201,%202014.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2021 }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> EWL dissolved into Ovintiv in February 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-05-19 |title=Regulatory Action – Ovintiv Canada ULC |url=http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/acts-and-regulations/regulatory-action/ovintiv-canada-ulc.cfm |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623163610/http://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/acts-and-regulations/regulatory-action/ovintiv-canada-ulc.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Buildings and tailings == The mine building and above ground structures were demolished in 2000 by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, drawing from their Abandoned Mines Fund.<ref name=":2" />

Initially the tailings were discharged into a natural valley. The valley was filled after the discharge of 2.2 million tons of sulphide tailings, which are now held in place behind a dam, using natural rock and tailings.<ref name=":1" /> This area is referred to as "tailings management area one".<ref name=":1"/>

After the valley was filled, the Ontario Department of Lands and Forest permitted the mine owners to deposit tailings into Halet Lake.<ref name=":1"/><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2012|title=Institute on Lake Superior Geology: Proceedings, 2012|url=https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/exhibits/show/ilsg/item/2935|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-22|website=Lakehead University|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506224300/https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/exhibits/show/ilsg/item/2935 |archive-date=2021-05-06 }}</ref> This area is referred to as "tailings management area two".<ref name=":1"/> Approximately half a million tons of sulphide tailings were dumped into Halet Lake, covering the bottom of the lake with tailings and creating three hectares of beaches.<ref name=":1"/>

Tailings management area two generated acids and metal contamination in Halet Lake, which then flowed downstream into Background Lake and then on to Wawiag River and into Burchell Lake.<ref name=":2" />

Between 1998 and 2000, the 4,000 tons of tailings, representing a majority of what was on the beach, were submerged into Halet Lake in order to reduce oxidisation and associated pollution.<ref name=":2" /> After analysis by Golder Associates,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.greenstonegoldmines.com/upload/documents/final-eis-ea-2020/hp-mg003-ev-136-0004-78_0_f13.2_monte_ca001.pdf|title=Monte Carlo Analysis of Arsenic Concentrations in Kenogamisis Lake, Geraldton, Ontario|year=2018|location=Greenstone Gold Mines website|pages=121|access-date=2022-01-22|archive-date=2022-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122195044/https://www.greenstonegoldmines.com/upload/documents/final-eis-ea-2020/hp-mg003-ev-136-0004-78_0_f13.2_monte_ca001.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> a temporary dam was constructed to stop downstream pollution.<ref name=":2" /> Because some of the tailings were submerged by less than two meters, their protection from air oxidisation relies on water levels being high, which is reliant on the presence of a beaver dam.<ref name=":2" />

== Environmental legacy == In 1999, the Government of Ontario launched a program to rehabilitate former mines, and improved the environment at 37 mines, including Coldstream mine.<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|243364849}} |title=Ontario invests millions to rehabilitate former mine sites |newspaper=The Northern Miner |location=Toronto |date=11 September 2000 |page=B4 }}</ref>

In 2015, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario criticized the provincial government for the lack of financial assurances from the owner of the mine, EWL Management Limited, who were among a group of mine owners that had not put aside funds for environmental clean up fees, leaving the Government of Ontario at risk of covering any remediation costs.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hale|first=Alan S.|date=6 Nov 2015|title=2 local derelict mine sites among those cited in ECO report|work=Timmins Daily Press|url=http://www.timminspress.com/2015/11/05/2-local-derelict-mine-sites-among-those-cited-in-eco-report|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122195047/https://mineconnect.com/timmins-2-local-derelict-mine-sites-among-those-cited-in-eco-report/ |archive-date=2022-01-22}}</ref>

== See also ==

* List of copper mines in Canada

== References ==

{{reflist}} {{Authority control}}{{Portal bar|Ontario|Business|Environment}} Category:Underground mines in Canada Category:Former mines in Canada Category:Mines in Ontario Category:Copper mines in Ontario Category:Silver mines in Canada Category:Gold mines in Ontario Category:Former mines in Ontario Category:EWL Management Limited Category:Ovintiv Category:Mine closures in the 1960s