Kirkland Lake, Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada

Notes:
Kirkland Lake is a town and municipality in Timiskaming District of Northeastern Ontario. The 2016 population, according to Statistics Canada, was 7,981.[2]



The community name was based on a nearby lake which in turn was named after Winnifred Kirkland, a secretary of the Ontario Department of Mines in Toronto. The lake was named by surveyor Louis Rorke in 1907.[3] Miss Kirkland never visited the town, and the lake that bore her name no longer exists because of mine tailings. The community comprises Kirkland Lake (Teck Township), as well as Swastika, Chaput Hughes, Bernhardt, and Morrisette Twp.



Kirkland Lake was built on gold, but it is equally well known for producing world-famous hockey players. Indeed, legendary hockey broadcaster Foster Hewitt called Kirkland Lake "the town that made the NHL."[3]: 212 The town celebrated this via Hockey Heritage North which has been renamed in the meantime to Heritage North.



Until January 1, 1972, the town was known as Township of Teck. A by-law was introduced, on July 20, 1971, to change the municipality's name to Town of Kirkland Lake, effective January 1, 1972.[4]



History



Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway station in Kirkland Lake, 1920



Government Road, c. 1920



Wood Kirkland Gold Mine, Kirkland Lake, 1928



Toburn Mines (Tough-Oakes Burnside Mine) 1931

Gold in the Kirkland Lake region was originally reported in the late 1800?s by Chief Ignace Tonen? of the Temagami First Nation. In fact, he staked a claim near the north arm of Larder Lake but stated it was jumped (stolen). He reported this, but no action was taken. Chief Tonene Lake was named in his honour. Chief Ignace Tonen? would go on to help form Beaverhouse First Nation.





Chief Tonene (1840-1916) Reported first gold find in Kirkland Lake Area in late 1800's. (Photo 1909, Haileybury, Ontario)

Later, Tom Price discovered a boulder containing gold on a visit to the Kirkland Lake area in 1906.[5]: 8



In 1911, important claims were made along the Main Break. John Hunton staked claims on 18 Feb. 1911, which were incorporated as the Hunton Gold Mines Ltd. in April 1914, eventually becoming part of the Amalgamated Kirkland. Stephen Orr filed claims on 22 Feb. 1911, the basis for the Teck-Hughes Mine and the Orr Gold Mines Ltd, which was incorporated in June 1913. George Minaker staked claims on 23 Feb. 1911, part of which he sold to (Sir) Harry Oakes in Sept. 1912, becoming part of the Lake Shore Mine. John Reamsbottom filed claims on 18 April 1911 which became part of the Teck-Hughes Mine.



It was at Teck-Hughes mine where miners and engineers developed Teck-Cable for sturdy electrical transmission. That type of cable is now used on electrical projects around the world. You can learn more about this teck-cable invention on YouTube.



C.A. McKane staked claims on 20 April 1911, which became the Kirkland Lake Gold Mine. A. Maracle staked claims on 5 June 1911 which became part of the Townsite claims. Melville McDougall staked claims on 27 June 1911, which he transferred to Oakes on 6 Sept. 1912, and became the part of the Lake Shore Mine. Jack Matchett staked a claim on 7 July 1911, later acquired by Oakes, which became part of the Townsite Mine. On 10 July 1911, Dave Elliott staked claims which became the Macassa Mine. "Swift" Burnside staked claims on 26?28 July 1911 which became part of the Tough-Oakes Burnside Mine. Bill Wright filed claims on 27?29 July 1911, and on 16 Sept. 1911 with his brother-in-law Ed. Hargreaves, which became part of the Sylvanite Mine. This claim extended into the lake's southeastern portion. More importantly, Wright found free gold near the future site of the Discovery Shaft. Ed. Horne staked a claim on 12 Oct. 1911, which became part of the Townsite Mine, and the incorporation of Kirkland Townsite Gold Mines Ltd. in 1917. On 8 Jan. 1912, Harry Oakes partnered with the Tough brothers plus Clem. Foster, who owned the Foster Silver Mine in Cobalt, staked claims which incorporated the No. 2 Vein and eventually led to the incorporation of Tough-Oakes Gold Mines Ltd. in 1913. Oakes filed additional claims on 30 July 1912, and Wright on 26 Aug. 1912, both within the lake and eventually becoming parts of the Lake Shore Mine.[5]: 14?17, 21?27



By 1914, there was one mine in operation, the Tough-Oakes, which included electric power transmitted from Charlton. A settlement had formed at the southwest arm of the lake, which included a post office, stores and a hotel.[5]: 31?32



In order to maximize taxation revenue from existing and potential mines in the area, the six square mile Municipal Corporation of the Township of Teck was formed with Wellington J. McLeod as the first reeve in 1919.[5] Their first task was the establishment of public utilities, including roads and water pipes, in the rapidly growing area.[6] Kirkland Lake had numerous mines, in the early years, including the Teck-Hughes (1917?1968), Lake Shore (1918?1968), Kirkland Minerals (1919?1960), Wright-Hargreaves (1921?1965), Sylvanite (1927?1961), Tough-Oakes-Burnside (later Toburn) (1913?1953), and Macassa Mine (1933?1999).



The Kirkland Lake camp produced $636,667 worth of gold in 1918 and that rose to a value of $17,000,000 in 1930. As Pain points out, "Kirkland Lake camp came to occupy a position of real importance in the mining world." By 1934 the production had reached $34,000,000 and 2,000,000 tons were being milled annually. Peak employment of 4761 wage earners occurred in 1939, but that dropped to 2064 by 1944. The 1939 population was 24,200.[3]: 212 [5]: 50, 76, 78, 81



Early in the Second World War gold production in the area decreased due to personnel being lost to more essential war industries. In 1942, gold mining was declared a non-essential industry to the war effort which resulted in gold mines across the country being at a lower priority for personnel and supplies relative to producers of base metals. After the war, local soldiers returned to the newly created Federal area in the northern section of the town.[7] The Kirkland Lake Cemetery is a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is the location of the graves of 12 soldiers, and 3 airmen of the Canadian forces who died during the Second World War.[8]



Kirkland Lake's first fire hall was established in 1935 and the second fire hall in 1955.



In 1963 the open pit Adams Mine began developing its iron ore resources. The mine would stay in production until 1990.



The Kirkland Lake Community Complex, now the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex, opened in 1979. Home of the Kirkland Lake Aquatic Club (KLAC) which has been the starting point for Dominique Bouchard - Olympic Swimmer, Rodney Thomas - Canada Games Double Gold medalist and numerous other university Varsity level scholarship swimmers.



In the early eighties, LAC Minerals reopened the main shaft of the Lake Shore Mine and worked it from 1982 to 1987 to extract pockets of gold that had been left behind. Between 1987 and 1991 Vancouver based Eastmaque Gold Mines reprocessed tailings, or "slimes", from early inefficient mill operations, extracting 70,000 ounces of gold.[9]



Between October and December 1988, Kirkland Lake was the filming location for the drama film Termini Station.[10]



On the morning of Sunday, May 20, 2012, a forest fire was discovered about 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Kirkland Lake, which grew to 2,757 ha (6,810 acres) by the afternoon of May 21, causing a state of emergency to be declared. Residential and cottage areas on Goodfish Lake and Nettie Lakes and one street in Chaput Hughes were evacuated that afternoon. Kirkland Lake Gold and AuRico Gold, suspended operations due to fire damage to power lines and local schools were closed.[11] On May 29, the state of emergency was lifted, as the fire was determined to be no longer a threat to Kirkland Lake, although it was not yet under control.[12]



On December 18, 2012, the town council voted to have fluoride removed from the local water treatment facility, after a breakdown left the town with a bill of $360,000.[13]

Latitude: 000000, Longitude: -80.033333

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