INTRODUCTION (History of McKenzie Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. )
McKenzie Red Lake served as the district's second gold producer, the Howey mine in Red Lake being the first. It began producing on March 1st, 1935 and closed in 1965 after 30 years of production.
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The property was first staked in the Rush of 1922 by Herbert Tyrell, Fred Carroll and two fishermen from Lac Seul, Ole Sand and Ole Gustafson. Two more partners, Chris O'Kelly and E. L. Murray, joined the group, but, unfortunately, drowned in November, 1922 during a storm on Lac Seul. The remaining partners spent almost $2,500 doing work on the claims after discovering visible gold, but, sadly for them, they were unable to develop the property any further. .
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The claims were re-staked in December, 1925 by William "Bill" McNeeley of New Liskeard, Ontario. His backers were a group of businessmen from North Bay, who formed the McNeeley Red Lake Holdings Syndicate to manage the claims. .
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Michael "Mike" Bouzan, a prospector who was hired by the McNeeley Syndicate, found the main shear zone surface outcropping in 1928. In 1931, Coniagas Mines took an option on the property, but shortly afterwards dropped it. This was to bring on a big change. In 1932, McKenzie Red Lake Gold Mines was formed by Toronto interests, and in June, 1933, the shaft was started, and in March, 1935, production was under way. On January 5, 1935, Bill Steih went to Red Lake to "throw the switch" so George Kidd could connect up the McKenzie Island Lighting System. Everything went as planned and that night they had electric lights from the new line and electricity for the motors in the mill. .
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Their first gold brick was poured on March 15, 1935, exactly two weeks after it began production! The property was acquired by Little Long Lac Mines in 1956. In 1965, because of depleting ore reserves and mine costs, the mine ceased production, having produced over $24-million in gold bullion over a period of thirty years. .
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It is appalling to find all the remnants of the McKenzie Mine that were thrown away at the McKenzie dump after it closed. It was a good thing that a few people from the area took the things home, such as a hand-written diamond drill record from approximately 1940 to 1954 and a parchment underground map, among other things, that are now on display at the Red Lake Museum. .
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It is a shame that many boxes of files that were in the office of the McKenzie Mine were thrown away; therefore, some history to be lost forever. The things that are still around in regard to the mines, especially McKenzie, are now treasured items. .
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The following is an excerpt from Gold, January, 1940, pages 19 $ 20, which outlines in greater detail the beginnings of the McKenzie Red Lake Gold Mines: .
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While Howey was the first and most important development in Red Lake, there were others being brought along almost simultaneously. The activities that subsequently resulted in what is now McKenzie Red Lake Gold Mines, Ltd. date back to 1925. It will be recalled that Bill McNeeley, backed by a North Bay group consisting of George Armstrong, H. M. Anderson, W. Maund, Sheph4rd and Clarke, staked a group of claims on the north shore of McKenzie Island and they were the second group to be recorded at the new Red Lake recording office...December, 1925. .
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The syndicate that backed McNeeley was incorporated on April 22, 1926 under the name of McNeeley Red Lake Holdings, Ltd. On December 13, 1927, some of the company's holdings were disposed of to Martin McNeeley Mines, who, in April, 1928, retained the services of Doug Wright, M.E., to make an examination and start operations. Meanwhile, McNeeley Red Lake Holdings continued their development programme and this work was carried on under the direction of John Shaw, M.E., despite the fact that the government geological reports stated that McKenzie Island, where the claims were situated, was entirely granite. Accompanied by an old Cobalt miner, Captain Hart Martin, who had been retained by the company to direct work on their holdings, John Shaw proceeded to look over the Island claims and found that conditions there were sufficiently interesting to justify more thorough examination, and Paddy Sanson was engaged to prospect the Island. .
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As a result, an important vein was found, carrying high gold values, in the summer of 1928.
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In the summer of 1929, Herb Anderson and Bill Maund, for many years secretary-treasurer of the T. & N.O. Railway, went in and made an examination of the discovery vein and some work was done after that time, but nothing of great importance was done until 1931. In that year, an option was granted to Jack Munroe, who turned his option over to the Coniagas, who drilled thirteen holes over a length of twelve hundred feet, and, although twelve of the holes showed values, the option was dropped. .
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Nothing more was done until 1932, when George Quinn, wealthy fur trader, became interested in the project and, with the cooperation of C. A. Gentles, Mining Corp. and other Toronto interests, succeeded in arranging enough money to enable serious development to be undertaken. The present company, McKenzie Red Lake Gold Mines, Ltd., was incorporated on February 1st, 1933 and mining work actually started in May of that year. Shaft-sinking commenced on June 2nd and underground work was continued, with the result that the mill was completed in March, 1935 and the first gold brick was poured in April following. It was under the direction of John Shaw, M.E. that McKenzie Red Lake's ore was developed preliminary to production. Much credit must also go to M. F. Fairlie, M.E., who was responsible for Mining Corp. becoming interested in the company and it was under his direction that the mill was built and production started. He is still managing director. .
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Considerable credit must also be accorded to George Armstrong and Herb Anderson of North Bay, now president and secretary-treasurer, respectively. It was entirely through their financial backing and continuous support down through the years that this now-successful producing mine was given its start and finally brought through to its present position. McKenzie is not the only mining enterprise to which they have loaned their financial and moral support, but, unfortunately, other ventures have not met with such success. A surprising percentage of our producing mines exist today only because men like Armstrong and Anderson have the courage and faith to gamble their hard-earned cash against the chance of making a mine, and nothing is ever heard of the times they tried and failed, nor are they ever heard to boast of the things they have done to help develop Canada's resources. .
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The McKenzie Red Lake mine is now enjoying encouraging success, with the technical direction of the operation being in the capable hands of J. L. Ramsell, M.E., resident mine manager, and Bill Parnell is mill superintendent. .
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