Benjamin Hollinger (1885–1919) was a Canadian

barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

turned

prospector Prospector may refer to: Space exploration * Prospector (spacecraft), a planned lunar probe, canceled in 1962 * '' Lunar Prospector'', a NASA spacecraft Trains * Prospector (train), a passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western ...

from

Haileybury, Ontario Temiskaming Shores is a city in the Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It was created by the amalgamation of the town of New Liskeard, the town of Haileybury, and the township of Dymond in 2004. The city had a total population ...

, now considered one of the Founding Fathers of

Timmins, Ontario Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ex ...

, Canada. He was born April 10, 1885 in Point Alexander, Ontario, the youngest son of schoolteacher John Hollinger and Sarah Sutherland. With his friend, a professional

, Alex Gillies– for whom Gillies Lake is named –Hollinger travelled to the Porcupine region, in the wake of the Wilson expedition which had recently discovered the future

Dome Mine Dome Mine is situated in the City of Timmins, Ontario, Canada; and was developed during the Porcupine Gold Rush. It is now known as part of Newmont - Porcupine. The original Dome Mine (Tisdale Township) was discovered by Jack Wilson of the Harry ...

site. On October 9, 1909, Hollinger discovered the gold-bearing quartz dike that later became known as

Hollinger Mines The Hollinger Gold Mine was discovered on October 9, 1909, by Benny Hollinger, who found the gold-bearing quartz dike that later became known as Hollinger Mines. With his friend, professional prospector Alex Gillies, Hollinger had travelled to the ...

. Hollinger and Gillies staked three claims each, and one for their former partner, Bernard "Barney" P. McEnaney, who had been unable to join them due to severe

sciatica Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities like heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often described ...

. Not having sufficient financial resources to develop the capital-heavy mine site, Hollinger quickly sold his claim for $165,000 to the fledgling partnership of brothers

Noah Timmins Noah Anthony Timmins (March 31, 1867 – January 22, 1936) was a Canadian mining financier and developer who is now counted among the founding fathers of Canada's mining industry. Early life and family Timmins was born Noé-Antoine, in Mattawa, ...

and Henry Timmins and brothers Duncan and

John McMartin John Francis McMartin (August 21, 1929 – July 6, 2016) was an American actor of stage, film and television. Life and career McMartin was born in Warsaw, Indiana, on August 21, 1929, and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota. After graduating fro ...

. Following a successful defense of their claim,

Mattawa, Ontario Mattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada on Algonquin Nation land at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. Mattawa means "Meeting of the Waters" in the Algonquin language. The first Europeans to pass thr ...

attorney

David Alexander Dunlap David Alexander Dunlap (October 13, 1863 − October 29, 1924) was a Canadian lawyer, mining company executive and philanthropist. He and his partners acquired an Ontario silver mine called LaRose, which was the basis of the great fortune he came ...

(1863–1924) joined the two pairs of brothers and, together, in 1910, the five equal partners incorporated

, for which Hollinger's claim later produced more than 19 million ounces of gold worth over $600 million (Canadian dollars). Hollinger continued to strike claims and, on February 4, 1913, married Ellen Jane Hill, in Pembroke, Ontario. Together, they had a daughter and two sons. Hollinger died in Pembroke on November 26, 1919. Following his untimely death from heart failure, ''The Porcupine Advance'' reported the

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...

prospector to have reputedly been "pleasant, cheerful, loyal and a gentleman always."

Legacy

Benny Hollinger was inducted into the

Canadian Mining Hall of Fame The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame was conceived by Maurice R. Brown as a way to honor Canada's mine finders and builders, in recognition of accomplishments by leaders in the Canadian mining industry. The Hall was established in 1988; in 2022 it ha ...

in 2010.

References

Sources

''Ontario 400'', "Noé Timmins", 400th Anniversary French Presence Project, October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2017.

"Reasons to Celebrate", by Diane Armstrong,''Timmins Times'', June 5, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollinger, Benny 1885 births 1919 deaths Canadian prospectors Mines in Timmins Canadian miners History of Timmins