DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1933 73 



of prospecting activity. Prospectors' cabins are still frequently seen in this 

 area. Many stakers posts were found on the boundary but few of them were 

 of claims that had ever come to survey. The present trend of the mining 

 companies to pay more attention to low grade deposits is bringing the area 

 south of Abitibi Lake to their attention. Two large developments lie one 

 on either side of the boundary, the Harker Mine now closed down, about 12 

 miles west in Ontario and the Beattie Mine now being activly developed about 

 12 miles east in Quebec. Both of these represent the type of large lowgrade 

 mining propositions and prospecting has already been going on to try to connect 

 these points by other finds. 



Kirkland Lake gold camp lies about 20 miles west of the boundary and 

 contains probably the richest gold mine in the world to-day. Rouyn lies 20 

 miles east in Quebec and has one of the richest gold-copper mines and one of the 

 largest smelters in the world to-day. 



Prospecting is still an occupation employing great numbers of the residents 

 in all this area. Many of these men work far afield in other parts of Canada 

 during the summer and considerable work is still being done right in this area. 

 More intensive and better directed prospecting is bringing into production 

 deposits which at first were not considered worth while or which were entirely 

 overlooked. Fluctuating values of different minerals open new fevers of 

 prospecting and staking activity in areas lying dormant for years. The heavy 

 bush retards easy or quick prospecting and much of this area will have con- 

 siderable money spent in it as years go on before all its possibilities will have 

 been investigated. 



Photographs 



A number of photographs accompany this report which help to portray 

 more vividly some of the topography and other details met with. 



Developments 



It is interesting to think of the progress made in settlement of this country 

 since the first survey was made. Lumbering first developed the Lake Temis- 

 kaming area. Settlers began to locate there also in the 90's. The Temiskam- 

 ing and Northern Ontario Railway began to build north to the "Clay Belt" 

 1903. The silver deposits in Cobalt were discovered in 1904. And then began 

 an unprecedented rush of prospectors all through that north country even down 

 to James Bay. The railroad kept pace, lumbering operations expanded 

 power sites were developed, towns sprang up, farms were cleared. New 

 mineral fields were discovered, Gowganda in 1908, Porcupine in 1909, Kirkland 

 Lake in 1912 Noranda in 1922, to say nothing of many smaller ones. Pulp 

 companies operated and one of the largest of these in the world built large mills 

 and power dams at Iroquois Falls. The most recent plant is the huge copper 

 smelter at Noranda. And all this time settlement of the land was going on. 

 Already some of the towns once started as mining centres have passed over 

 to the place of being wholly centre of farming areas and much of the country 

 is now devoted to the stable and permanent business of farming. 



General Impressions 



The development of prosperous settlement in Northern Quebec up to the 

 boundary immediately sets a traveller in that area to thinking why not have 

 that development carried on in Ontario as well. 



