Toburn Mine
Located at the east entrance of Kirkland Lake, Toburn Mine is a significant local landmark as it was the first operating mine in Kirkland Lake. Its history begins in 1911, when Harry Oakes arrived at Swastika and inquired about prospecting to the east of that town. He spent the summer and fall prospecting from Goodfish south along Murdock creek, and Swastika east to Victoria Lake. He acquired many mining claims after going to recording offices in Matheson and the Bureau of Mines in Toronto. Doing this, however, he found 5 claims owned by the Burrows brothers that were to be forfeited to the crown. Not having enough money to stake and record these claims, he made a deal with Clem Foster and the Tough brothers. Their first shipment to smelters had 101 tons of ore, bringing them $46,221.00 or $457.00 per ton at $20. This was the beginning of Tough-Oakes Gold Mines and what would become a prosperous Gold Camp. Additionally, wanting to enlarge the property, a deal was made with Swift Burnside to acquire his three claims adjoining the south. An amalgamation was effected between the two companies and the property became the Tough-Oakes Burnside Mine. In 1915, the mine operated a cyanide mill with a capacity of 125 tons per day, employing some 300 men and producing $700,000. The mine continued to produce sporadically until 1929 when it went into liquidation and was purchased by Bunker Hill Extension Mines in 1930. In 1931, it transferred the property for 350,000 shares to Toburn Gold Mines. The Toburn Gold Mine closed in 1953. During its 40 year run the mine produced nearly 1.2 million tons of ore, with a grade of nearly a ½ ounce per ton. It had 4 shafts, and in total 21 levels. The site is now run by a non-profit organization, the Toburn Operating Authority who took it over in 2008 – presenting the site for visitor’s historical and educational displays to showcase Kirkland Lake’s rich mining history.
Sylvanite Mine
The claims for the Sylvanite mine are located immediately north of Kirkland lake in Eastern Teck Township. It first opened in 1913 with 3,300,000 shares – though it only started paying out on those shares in the 1930’s. Visible gold was found early on, showing promise, but initial ore bodies were not visible from the surface and it would take time before real development showed profit. It officially began production around 1927, producing nearly $4 million dollars worth of gold in its first five years. By 1931 the Mine’s mill was processing 275 tons of ore daily. The mine closed operations in 1961, but ended up producing 5,049,536 tons of ore during its lifespan. From that ore, they produced 1,674,808 ounces of gold. The Sylvanite Mine dominated the township of Teck and outlying communities for years along with several other mines including the Kerr Addison Mine, Swastika Mine, Lucky Cross Mine, Macassa Mine, Beaver Mine, Teck Hughes Mine, Lake Shore Mine, Wright-Hargreaves Mine and Tough-Oakes Mine. The Sylvanite Mine was the fourth largest producer in the Kirkland Lake Camp. It covered approximately 208 acres of land east of the Wright Hargreaves Mine. The mine had two main shafts. The No. 2 shaft, the main shaft, reached a depth of 3,642 feet by 1934, eventually reaching a depth of 5550 feet.
Discovery of Gold
William Henry Wright was born in England in 1876. He enlisted as a cavalryman with the British Army in 1897, fighting during the Boer War in South Africa. He received a Veteran’s Lot of land, which brought him to Northern Ontario in 1907. He and his brother-in-law Ed Hargreaves ventured to the Swastika area in 1911 – this journey would change the course of history in Northern Ontario. As the story goes, in July of 1911 Bill Wright & Ed Hargreaves were out prospecting in a wooded area near the east bay of “Kirkland Lake”. While in search of food they inadvertently discovered gold instead. While out hunting for food, Ed Hargreaves became disoriented and lost in the thick bush and was unable to find his way back to camp. The pair of prospectors had an established signal that meant one of them was either lost or in trouble; so when a rifle shot rang out, Wright set out in search of his brother-in-law. As he made his way Wright stumbled upon a quartz outcrop with visible gold. This claim, L-1830, was the first discovery in the Kirkland Lake camp, and would later be known as the Main Break. They put up a quick discovery post and returned to camp. It took several years for the property to develop not seeing any real growth until around 1916. Bill Wright re-enlisted, nearing 40 years old, and returned overseas to serve in France during the First World War. When he returned from the war, Bill became the Vice-President and Director of both the Lake Shore & Wright Hargreaves Mines. He was also widely known for his merging of “The Globe” & “The Mail and the Empire” newspapers in 1936 to form “The Globe & Mail”. Though he never married, and spent much of his time in his Barrie home, Bill Wright was continuously generous to the community who helped him establish his wealth - donating to the local hospital, Royal Canadian Legion, and townspeople. He was inducted into the Mining Hall of Fame in 1996.
Wright Hargreaves Mine
Currently, the Wright Hargreaves Mine Gates are located in the Wright-Hargreaves Park. This park occupies part of the former Wright-Hargreaves mine property. The Wright Hargreaves Mine would become the second-most productive mine in the Kirkland lake Gold Camp – mining 9,934,327 tons of ore, and producing some 4,821,296 ounces of gold. The large gate was situated at the entrance to the mine which stood on Duncan Avenue just south of the park. They were in fact located 500’ south of the road it is currently on. It was donated to the Town of Kirkland Lake by the families of William Wright and Edward Hargreaves. A dedication ceremony was held on July 3rd, 1982 when they were returned to the community after years spent in Barrie. During the 1930’s much of the province, country and world suffered during the Great Depression. While Kirkland Lake did suffer in many ways, the gold industry continued to boom - this brought hundreds of hungry men to the North, desperate for work. These mine gates would mark the area where these men would stand and wait in line during “the hungry thirties” in the hopes of securing employment in the mines.
Cenotaph
November 11th, 1918, marked the cessation of hostilities in the First World War and was known after this as Armistice day. In 1911, however, by act of parliament Armistice Day became Canada’s Remembrance Day. On this day, Canadians pay tribute to more than 10,000 Canadians who gave their lives in the first and second world wars, along with the Korean war. During the 1920s, the people of Kirkland Lake observed Armistice Day with services, the placing of wreaths and the wearing of poppies. The town did not have a cenotaph at the time. The first cenotaph located in Kirkland Lake was unveiled in November of 1929 as a memorial to Kirkland Lake’s war dead. It was temporarily located by the Central School Grounds off of Government Road, at this time. In 1930, however, it was placed on a permanent base there. Kirkland Lake's first cenotaph was designed by David McChesney and made by workers of the Lake Shore Mine. In 1959, a proposed realignment of government road forced the relocation of the Cenotaph next to the old arena across the street. Based on The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 87 committee’s recommendations, David McChesney, one of the members, drew up plans for the cenotaph and the grounds. A portion of the original cenotaph was preserved in the new one. On September 16th, 1962, the new cenotaph was formally dedicated to the memory of those who died for their homelands and the highest traditions. The construction of the Ontario Northland building on Government Road resulted in the need to relocate, once again. This time, it was moved to its current site in the Wright-Hargreaves Park, across the Legion Branch 87. A dedication ceremony took place on October 28th, 1990.
Legion & The Lakeshore Mine
Kirkland Lake’s branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 87, is one of the oldest branches in the province. It was founded in January of 1927 in a meeting attended by 23 local veterans in Kirkland Lake. At the time, the branch was termed “the Post”, and by March 11 that same year, it boasted a membership of 70 veterans. Membership reached an all time high in December of 1956, with 508 paid-up veterans. In July of 1928, a building was erected by Frank “Shorty” Huff, a local contractor, on the corner of Woods Street and Government Road West where Branch 87 operated almost continuously for 42 years. The Building, the “Wright House” was in tribute to Bill Wright who was instrumental in aiding in the development of the local legion and commemorative efforts in the community. The branch also briefly operated out of the basement of the post office, as well as the Finnish Hall before moving to their present location. The present Legion was once the Wright Hargreaves Shaft House, which bordered “Kirkland Lake” to the West. The current legion overlooks what was once Kirkland Lake & the Lake Shore Mine’s property to the West, owned by Sir Harry Oakes, and at the center of the Kirkland Lake camp. The Lake Shore Mine was incorporated in February of 1914, with four claims, four fractionals, and 171 acres. It was built on a theory, as Harry Oakes hypothesized that gold ran under the lake which gave Kirkland Lake its namesake. In the early days of the mine, Harry Oakes was so short on cash that he had to pay his employees with Lake Shore stock. Not everyone was willing to accept this kind of payment, but those who did eventually became very rich. In the short span of 20 years, the Lake Shore Mine went from being one man’s dream to the largest gold mine in the Western Hemisphere. It milled 17,208,323 tons of ore in its lifespan, producing 8,602,791 ounces of gold. Around the same time many mines were experiencing decline, and following several significant rock bursts, and declining profits, the Lake Shore Mine closed in 1965. Still today, Kirkland Lake surrounds its former property, and its memory lives on.
Kirkland Lake
If you look behind the Legion, you will see a portion of what would have once been Kirkland Lake “the Lake”. “The Lake” once covered a large portion of the property behind the Chateau, as well as further North, South and West. The Lake ended at the Wright Hargreaves property, nearing the back door of the former Wright Hargreaves Hoist House (now Royal Canadian Legion). It stretched West towards the Teck Hughes and Macassa Mines. There was also once water where McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s are today. Two surveyors from the then Department of Lands and Forests, Surveys Branch, named “The Lake”, and Winnie Lake after Winifred Kirkland, a Secretary from Toronto. The Township of Teck, officially became the Town of Kirkland Lake in 1972. With seven major mine operations occurring around the same time in the community, three of them were using the lake directly. Harry Oakes’ prosperous Lake Shore Mine was the most prevalent. Harry believer that some of the richest gold deposits would be found beneath the lake, stretching further past the original “Main Break”. By the mid to late 1920’s large portions of the Lake had been drained. Areas of the Lake were also used as tailings ponds – housing the byproducts left over from mining efforts and could include such chemicals as cyanide, arsenic and mercury. The remains of the Lake are owned by Kirkland Lake Gold Inc., who own and operate many of the old mining properties along the former shores of the Lake.
The Strand Theatre
The Strand Theatre was a key fixture of downtown Kirkland Lake from its opening in 1925. The Strand was the first of many theatres owned by the Kaplan brothers, presenting plays, concerts, and movies. The Strand was one of five local theatres that operated in Kirkland Lake throughout its history. Others included the Lasalle, the Capitol, the Uptown, and the Lyric. The Capital and Uptown were also owned by the Kaplans. Brothers Hyman and Max Kaplan also operated a general store located at 29 Government Road West from the time of their arrival in Kirkland Lake until the early 1930s. The first film shown at the Strand was Charlie Chaplin’s Gold Rush in 1925. Local legend states that the infamous Kirkland Lake character Roza Brown was one of the first in line to buy tickets to the show, purchasing nearly an entire row of seats for her and several of her dogs. The colourful Roza was known to frequent the theatre with her furry entourage for years to come, despite the protests of other moviegoers. The brothers refurbished the theatre in 1939, making it the premier theatre in the community, and able to hold 1000 persons. It featured state of the art equipment, and beautiful art deco sculptures at the front of the theatre on either side of the stage. It continued to be a premier establishment in Kirkland Lake until its unfortunate loss when a blaze began late in the evening on July 16, 1986. It required 40 permanent and volunteer firefighters to fight, and it spread through two other buildings on Government Road, that of Joe Dash Men’s Wear and Gordon Stationary. The power to many other businesses downtown had to be cut in the process of fighting the flames. Kirkland Lake’s mayor at the time, Joe Mavrinac, was quoted calling the fire a “blow to the community”. The owners at the time felt incapable of rebuilding given their age, thus was the end of an era.
Charlie's Hotel
Charlie’s Hotel was a hotel owned and operated by Charlie Chow in Kirkland Lake’s early days. Charlie Chow is remembered to this day as one of Kirkland Lake’s most well known figures. He immigrated to Canada in 1900, and opened a small cafe and lunch counter in downtown Kirkland Lake in 1916. Ever innovative and hardworking, as the population in Kirkland Lake expanded, Charlie opened a brand new, larger kitchen in 1924 with a hotel attached. At the time of its grand opening, the hotel had 16 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a sitting room. In the image of the man who ran it, Charlie’s Hotel was quiet and unassuming. As the town continued to develop and fill up with miners from all over the world, Charlie’s remained a constant, good hearted place for Kirkland Lake’s residents to enjoy a hearty meal. Even after becoming a millionaire, Charlie Chow continued to focus on his family and his business, as he continued to work and live at the hotel to better serve his customers. Charlie Chow, rather famously, used to store large amounts of cash within the hotel instead of using banks. This came in handy in a particular instance, when the train carrying in the payroll for local miners was delayed due to a storm. Fearful of public backlash, the manager of the Royal Bank across the street asked Charlie for a loan. On that day, Charlie loaned him $250,000 dollars in small bills, with the entire ordeal going down in Kirkland Lake history. Charlie’s stood tall and proud for over forty years in downtown Kirkland Lake. Unfortunately, due to Charlie’s failing health, the hotel was closed several years prior to his death in 1972. In the 1980s, a member of Charlie’s family re-opened the hotel briefly, but it closed its doors for the last time in 1989. The hotel was torn down in 1992, and Subway restaurant and a parking lot fill the space today.
Kirkland Lake Miners' Memorial
Kirkland Lake owes its existence to the hard work of the many miners who have worked in the community since the discovery of gold here in 1911. In honour of those miners, both living and those who have lost their lives, the Miners’ Memorial was erected on the former property of Sir Harry Oakes in 1994. The project was completed largely thanks to the grassroots fundraising of the Miners’ Memorial Foundation, chaired at the time by Steven Yee. Steven, after reviewing the long list of casualties related to mining in the area, came up with the idea for a monument to recognize their hard work. Two Northern artists, Bob Moir and Sally Lawrence, were hired to create the monument. Their task was not only to honour the dead, but capture the work lives of all miners. Creating the monument involved moving and etching tons of black granite, and sculpting five life-size miners. Every physical component of the monument is local. The rock for the monument was taken from the nearby French River, and the machinery and equipment were all donated from local mines. The project took five years to complete, and the total cost of the project was roughly $170,000, $40,000 of which was supplied by the Steelworkers. The people of Kirkland Lake further backed the project with fundraisers like bingos and raffles. Also displayed at the memorial are the names of those who lost their lives in mining accidents in local mines. The memorial inspired the book Lamps Forever Lit - A Memorial to Kirkland Lake Area Miners written by local resident Bernie Jaworsky.
Chateau
Harry Oakes came to the Kirkland Lake area in 1911, virtually penniless. Following his gold discoveries with the Tough Oakes and Lake Shore mines, his modest home was built in 1920, a log construction on a solid rock outcrop on Lake Shore property. After being partially destroyed by a fire in 1929, it was rebuilt in its current location and expanded to its current size today. Henceforth, it was referred to as The Chateau. The first floor included Sir Harry Oakes’ mining office, the kitchen, the dining area, and a large pool room. The second floor was considered the main floor, which had higher ceilings and included the Oakes’ private rooms. The third floor contained the attic, which today has been converted to archival space for the museum. Following the moving of the Oakes family to Niagara Falls and later the Bahamas, the Chateau became a guest house for the Lake Shore mine until its closure in 1965. In 1967, the building was altered to accommodate a nursing home. Minor changes were made to the interior to bring it up to modern code requirements, but the exterior saw major changes. The building was stuccoed, and the windows were replaced with traditional double hung wood windows. The nursing home continued to operate out of the Chateau until 1976. The Chateau was officially designated as a heritage site in 1980 by the Ontario Heritage Trust. Between 1981 and 1982, the building underwent more renovations to restore the exterior to its original appearance. The interior was then renovated to accommodate the Museum of Northern History, which would relocate from the former Wright Hargreaves Mine assay office (where the OPP station is currently located). The grand opening of the Museum of Northern History inside the Chateau was July 2, 1985, and the museum continues to operate out of this location today. The expansive home of Harry Oakes was centrally located on the Lake Shore Mine property, which at one time would have included the “Kirkland Lake” body of water to the North of the home.
