A miner hauling a car of silver radium ore, 340 feet below the surface, Eldorado Mine of Great Bear Lake

For many years, North America was the largest exporter of

uranium Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...

ore in the world and has been a major world producer since demand for uranium developed. In 2009

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

took over top spot, relegating Canada to second. 20% of the world's primary uranium production came from mines in Canada in 2009. 14.5% of the world production came from one mine,

McArthur River The McArthur River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria at Port McArthur, opposite the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands. The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt while he explored the are ...

. Currently the only producing area in Canada is northern Saskatchewan, although other areas have had active mines in the past.

History

Discovery of uranium

Canada's first recorded discovery of uranium came in the 1930s 3 when prospector Gilbert LaBine discovered

pitchblende Uraninite, formerly pitchblende, is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2 but because of oxidation typically contains variable proportions of U3O8. Radioactive decay of the uranium causes t ...

, a major uranium bearing mineral, on the shores of the

Great Bear Lake Great Bear Lake ( den, Sahtú; french: Grand lac de l'Ours) is a lake in the boreal forest of Canada. It is the largest lake entirely in Canada (Lake Superior and Lake Huron are larger but straddle the Canada–US border), the fourth-largest ...

in the Northwest Territories. This discovery led Labine's company, Eldorado Gold Mines Limited, to develop the Eldorado Mine at

Port Radium, Northwest Territories Port Radium is a mining area on the eastern shore of Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. It included the settlement of Cameron Bay as well as the Eldorado (also called Port Radium) and Echo Bay mines. The name Port Radium did not ...

in 1932 and a refinery to extract Radium from the ore in

Port Hope, Ontario Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, approximately east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County. ...

, the following year.

Post World War II demand

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the demand for uranium exploded as the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and its allies,

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and Canada, began the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

to produce the first

atomic weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...

. As a result, in 1943 the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

expropriated Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...

the assets of Eldorado and formed a federal crown corporation,

Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited Eldorado Resources was a Canadian mining company active between 1926 and 1988. The company was originally established by brothers Charles and Gilbert LaBine as a gold mining enterprise in 1926, but transitioned to focus on radium in the 1930s an ...

, to oversee Canadian uranium assets. Exploration for uranium was restricted to Eldorado and the

Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; french: Commission géologique du Canada (CGC)) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country, developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the e ...

The ban on private

prospecting Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis (followed by exploration) of a territory. It is the search for minerals, fossils, precious metals, or mineral specimens. It is also known as fossicking. Traditionally prospecting rel ...

was lifted in 1947. This led to an

exploration Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

boom that quickly resulted in the discovery of mines in the Northwest Territories ( Rayrock), Ontario ( Bancroft and Elliot Lake), and Saskatchewan (

Uranium City Uranium City is a northern settlement in Saskatchewan, Canada. Located on the northern shores of Lake Athabasca near the border of the Northwest Territories, it is above sea level. The settlement is northwest of Prince Albert, northeast of ...

). By 1956, thousands of radioactive occurrences had been noted and by 1959, 23 mines were in operation in five districts. In 1959, Canadian uranium exports were valued at $330 million, more than for any other mineral exported from Canada that year. In the early 1960s, military demand for uranium declined and in 1965 Canada imposed a policy of only selling uranium for peaceful purposes. This period marked the end of the first uranium boom and saw the number of operating mines drop to four. To assist the domestic uranium industry, the federal government initiated a stockpiling program to purchase uranium. This program ended in 1974 when demand for uranium for power generation was sufficient to support the industry.

Mine safety

Poor working conditions in Elliot Lake mines led to the

1974 Elliot Lake miners strike The Elliot Lake Miners Strike was a wildcat strike by approximately 1,000 uranium miners who worked at Denison uranium mine in the Elliot Lake area of Ontario, Canada. The strike was the first time that Canadian workers had taken industrial actio ...

, which prompted the government to initiate the Royal Commission on the Health and Safety of Workers in Mines. Recommendations from the royal commission influenced occupational safety legislation for mines and other industries to this day.

Uranium mining by province

Nova Scotia

A moratorium on uranium exploration was declared in the province of Nova Scotia in 1984. This moratorium expired on January 1, 1995. However, Nova Scotia has since enacted legislation making uranium exploration and mining illegal.

Quebec

On March 28, 2013, Quebec became the third province in Canada to impose a moratorium on uranium development. This ban appears to be temporary.

Ontario

Uranium was first discovered in the area of

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, Ontario in 1922 by W. M. Richardson at a location first called "the Richardson deposit" and later known as "the Fission property". Between 1929 and 1931, attempts were made to extract

radon Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas. It occurs naturally in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains through ...

from the uranium ore. In 1943, in the aftermath of

, as global interest in mining uranium escalated, the government sent geologists, who concluded at the time that they were not viable due to accessibility, size and uranium concentration. 1948 saw an increase in private staking for uranium in Ontario, but due to the difficulties in extracting uranium from lower grade ore, none developed into mines. In 1953 "intelligence prospecting and excellent preliminary explorations" by G. W. Burns and R. J. Steele discovered the Central Lake deposits (which later were developed into Bicroft Mine) and Arthur Shore (whose prospect became the Faraday Mine) led the way successful prospecting. Messrs. Burns, Steele and Shore were three of one hundred area prospects were established in the Bancroft area between 1953 and 1956. At the same time, another ten mines were started in the Elliot Lake area.

Decommissioned mines at Elliot Lake and Agnew Lake area

:* Stanleigh Mine (1956–1960 and 1982–1996) :*

Spanish American Mine The Spanish American Mine is a historical uranium mine located approximately northeast of Elliot Lake, Ontario, owned and operated by Rio Algom Ltd. The site is southeast of the Denison Mine. The mine was in operation from 1958 to 1959, w ...

(1957–1959) :*

Can-Met Mine The Can-Met Mine is an abandoned uranium mine located approximately 12.5 km northeast of Elliot Lake, Ontario, owned by Denison Mines, Denison Mines Ltd. The site has been rehabilitated and its tailings facility (shared with the Stanrock Mine ...

(1957–1960) :* Milliken Mine (1957–1964) :* Panel Mine (1957–1961 and 1978–1990) :* Denison Mine (1957–1992) :*

Stanrock Mine The Stanrock Mine is an historical uranium mine located approximately 11.5 km northeast of Elliot Lake, Ontario, owned by Denison Mines. The site has been decommissioned and rehabilitated with ongoing monitoring by Denison Environmental Servi ...

(1958–1960 and 1964–1985) :* Quirke Mine(s) (1955–1961 and 1965–1990) :* Pronto Mine (1955–1970) :* Buckles Mine (1956–1960) :* Lacnor Mine "Lake Nordic" (1956–1960) :* Nordic Mine (1956–1970) :* Agnew Lake Mine (1977–1983)

Decommissioned mines in Bancroft area

:* Faraday/Madawaska Mine (1954–1964 and 1975–1982) :* Bicroft Mine (1967–1963) :* Greyhawk Mine (1957–1959 and 1976–1982) :*

Dyno Mine Dyno Mine is a decommissioned underground uranium mine located at Cardiff, near Farrel Lake, approximately 30km southwest of Bancroft, Ontario. It operated from 1958 to 1960. Uranium discovery - 1922 to 1956 Uranium was first discovered in th ...

(1958–1960)

Saskatchewan

Past producers

Key Lake The Key Lake mine is a former uranium mine in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is north of Saskatoon by air on the southern rim of the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin. Key Lake was initially developed to open-pit mine two nearby uranium ore deposits: the ...

:* Cluff Lake mine :*

Rabbit Lake Mine Rabbit Lake is the second largest uranium milling facility in the western world, and is the longest operating uranium production facility in Saskatchewan. The facility is located approximately 800 km north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on the n ...

:Beaverlodge district :*

Gunnar Mine __NOTOC__ The Gunnar Mine was a uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada located around southwest of the community of Uranium City, and approximately 600 km north of Saskatoon. The mine was situated on the Crackingstone Peninsula on th ...

Lorado Mine __NOTOC__ The Lorado Mine was a uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada located around south of the community of Uranium City, Saskatchewan in the Beaverlodge Uranium District. See also * Gunnar Mine *Eldorado, Saskatchewan *Uranium ore de ...

:*Eldorado, Beaverlodge Operation (Ace, Fay, etc.) :* Cinch Lake Mine

Current Mines

McArthur River uranium mine The McArthur River Uranium Mine, in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, is the world's largest high-grade uranium deposit. The McArthur River deposit was discovered in 1988. The property is located as the crow flies north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ...

McClean Lake mine The McClean Lake mine is a uranium mine and milling operation located west of Wollaston Lake, about 700 kilometres north of Saskatoon, in the Athabasca Basin region of Saskatchewan, Canada. The McClean ore body was discovered in 1979, followed by t ...

Cigar Lake Mine The Cigar Lake Mine is a large high-grade underground uranium mine, located in the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, Canada, at the south-west corner of Waterbury Lake. The deposit, discovered in 1981, is second in size of h ...

British Columbia

In 1980 the province of British Columbia introduced a seven-year ban on uranium mining and exploration, which was not renewed. In 2008, the government established a "no registration reserve" under the Mineral Tenure Act for uranium and thorium. This excludes uranium and thorium from any mineral licences in the province. The government has also stated that they will "ensure that all uranium deposits will remain undeveloped".

Northwest Territories

Past Producers

* Eldorado Mine (1932–1940 and 1943–1960) *

Rayrock Mine The Rayrock Mine was a uranium producing venture in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on the south side of Maryleer Lake and the north shore of Fault Lake, 169 kilometers northwest of Yellowknife and 74 kilometres northwest of Ra ...

(1957–1959)

Tailings

In 2016, there were 217,817,839 tonnes of uranium

tailings In mining, tailings are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction (gangue) of an ore. Tailings are different to overburden, which is the waste rock or other material that overli ...

in Canada. About 201 million tonnes were located at decommissioned uranium mining sites and about 17 million tonnes were located at active sites. The inventory or uranium tailings were held as follows: * 99.4 million tonnes (46%)

Rio Algom Rio Algom was a mining corporation that was purchased by Billiton in 2000 and is now part of BHP. Uranium It operated many uranium mines and mills in the Elliot Lake region of Ontario, Canada, including the Lacnor Mine, Nordic Mine, Panel M ...

* 69.6 million tonnes (32%) Dennison Mines * 30.9 million tonnes (14%)

Cameco Cameco Corporation (formerly Canadian Mining and Energy Corporation) is the world's largest publicly traded uranium company, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. In 2015, it was the world's second largest uranium producer, accounting for 18 ...

* 5.2 million tonnes (2%)

Orano Canada Orano Canada (formerly AREVA Resources Canada Inc.) is a uranium mining, milling, and exploration company headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Orano is a subsidiary of the Orano Group, an international nuclear energy company headquar ...

* 4.7 million tonnes (2%)

Saskatchewan Research Council The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is a provincial treasury board crown corporation engaged in research and technology development on behalf of the provincial government and private industry. It focuses on applied research and development pr ...

* 4.6 million tonnes (2%)

EWL Management Limited The successor of multiple historical Canadian mining and energy companies, EWL Management Limited was an Alberta based corporation that owned five decommissioned mines in Ontario, including three former uranium mines. The company was one of seven ...

(since 2022, merged into

Ovintiv Ovintiv Inc. is a hydrocarbon exploration and production company organized in Delaware and headquartered in Denver, United States. It was founded and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, under its previous name Encana. It was the largest energy co ...

) * 2.0 million tonnes (1%) Barrick Gold * 0.5 million tonnes (0%)

Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines The Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines (MENDM) was the ministry responsible for developing a safe, reliable and affordable energy supply across the province, overseeing Ontario’s mineral sector and promoting northern economic an ...

References

External links

* * *
Impacts of Uranium Mining at Port Radium, NWT, Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uranium Mining In Canada Uranium mining by country History of mining in Canada