Iron Ore Company of Canada (often abbreviated to IOC) (french: Compagnie Minière IOC) is a Canadian-based producer of
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
. The company was founded in 1949 from a partnership of Canadian and American
M.A. Hanna Company
M. A. Hanna Company was an iron ore processing company located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
Origin
The origins of the M. A. Hanna Co. are with Daniel F. Rhodes. In the 1840s Rhodes had founded Rhodes & Company which mined coal in the Mahoni ...
. It is now owned by a new consortium, including the
Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
and
Rio Tinto Rio Tinto, meaning "red river", may refer to:
Businesses
* Rio Tinto (corporation), an Anglo-Australian multinational mining and resources corporation
** Rio Tinto Alcan, based in Canada
** Rio Tinto Borax in America
*** Rio Tinto Borax Mine, ...
corporations. Rio Tinto is the majority shareholder in the venture, with 58.7% of the joint stock as of October 2013. Mitsubishi controlled 26.2% of the investment as of March 2013.
Based in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, IOC currently has mining and concentrator operations in
Labrador City
Labrador City is a town in western Labrador (part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador), near the Quebec border. With a population of 7,412 as of 2021, it is the second-largest population centre in Labrador, behind Happy Valley-Go ...
, and operates the
Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway
The Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway is a private Canadian regional railway that stretches through the wilderness of northeastern Quebec and western Labrador. It connects Labrador City, Labrador, with the port of Sept-Îles, Quebec, on the ...
to ship ore concentrate from the mines, such as
Wabush
Wabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, bordering Quebec, known for transportation and iron ore operations.
Economy
Wabush is the twin community of Labrador City. At its peak population in the late 1970s, the region had a population ...
, to the port of
Sept-Îles,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. Currently, this railway (along with the
TSH,
CFAQ, and
WABL lines) form an isolated railroad network, as it does not interchange with any other rail lines on the North American network.
During 1977 to 1983, the president of the company was
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993.
Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...
, who later served as the 18th
Prime Minister of Canada
The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...
from 1984 to 1993.
GMD SW1200MG
IOC's Carol Lake mine near
Labrador City, Labrador
Labrador City is a town in western Labrador (part of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador), near the Quebec border. With a population of 7,412 as of 2021, it is the second-largest population centr ...
utilizes a small fleet of
GMD SW1200MG
The GMD SW1200MG is a 4-axle electric locomotive built by General Motors Diesel between 1963 and 1971. The locomotive is the electric version of the diesel powered SW1200, with the prime mover replaced by a motor-generator set, hence the MG su ...
electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime movers, such as diesel engines or gas ...
s to haul raw ore from the mine to a processing plant. The short electrified railway is the last remaining electrified cargo railway in Canada.
The
cargo trains are unmanned and fully automated, advancing block by block based on the condition of the block of track ahead. The motive power is SW1200 MG single units, each having a single phase AC motor driving the standard EMD traction generator and traction motors. A horn blows every few seconds as a constant warning that the trains are unmanned.
References
Further reading
* (Worldcat link
External links
Video showcasing IOC's GMD SW1200MG locomotives
Mining companies of Canada
Joint ventures
Companies based in Montreal
Rio Tinto (corporation) subsidiaries
Canadian subsidiaries of foreign companies
Non-renewable resource companies established in 1949
1949 establishments in Quebec
Automated track-bound freight transport
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