COBALT MINING
Cobalt played a decisive role in the evolution of hard-rock mining in Canada. Between 1903 and the 1920s, the district's rich veins triggered a mining boom which attracted international attention and led to Cobalt's emergence as the silver capital of the world. The history of this industry is written in the surrounding landscape. Open-cuts carved from the rock by hand reflect the earliest surface mining operations. Mining shafts, sunk as operations expanded, are marked by the presence of headframes. Concrete foundations, massive rockpiles and remnants of tailings indicate the location of milling facilities for processing ore on site. Cobalt's former prosperity is still visible in the substantial commercial and financial buildings dominating the town centre. Ultimately, the operations at Cobalt established a cadre of mining professionals and a pool of capital, which sparked further mining exploration and proved invaluable in the development of large-scale gold and copper mining in Ontario and Quebec.
Français
L’EXPLOITATION MINIÈRE DE COBALT
Cobalt a joué un rôle décisif dans l'évolution de l'exploitation minière en roche dure au Canada. La découverte de riches filons d'argent de la région déclencha, en 1903, un essor minier qui dura une vingtaine d'années et qui valut à la ville le titre de capitale mondiale de l'argent. Le paysage demeure tout empreint de l'histoire de cette industrie. Ainsi des entailles, faites à la main dans la roche, témoignent des premières opérations minières en surface. Des chevalements révèlent la présence de puits de mines creusés au fil des opérations. Des fondations en béton, des piles imposantes de roches et des montagnes de résidus marquent l'emplacement des installations de broyage. De plus, les nombreux édifices commerciaux et financiers du centre-ville évoquent la prospérité de cette époque. L'exploitation de Cobalt attira des professionnels miniers et engendra la création de fonds de capitaux qui stimulèrent la recherche de gisements et se révélèrent déterminants dans le développement des mines d'or et de cuivre en Ontario et au Québec.
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This plaque text is recorded in the Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, published by Parks Canada for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Plaque texts come from the Directory’s open dataset in the languages the Directory publishes them in; the pin on this page is ours, worked out from the Directory’s street address or local area and marked approximate. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. TreeAlive is an independent project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Parks Canada or the Government of Canada. Open Government Licence – Canada