George Hawkes photo album page 1.
The Directors and Officers of the company at that time were:
G.B. Webster – President
J.H. Colville – Vice President
A.H. Cockeram
F.M. Connell
Andre Dorfman
H.S. Munroe
J.H.C. Waite
G.A. Cavin – Secretary-Treasurer
First Headframe 1938/39
Kerr-Addison Mines Ltd., Virginiatown Ont.
Note the headframe postcard was issued by Roy's Tobacco Store, Virginiatown.
Photos by G. Hawkes
Kerr Employee 1939 - 1972
George Hawkes photo album page 2.
Captioned photo from unknown publication:
Portal of one tunnel and the sampling plant 1936
George Hawkes photo album page 3.
Captioned photos clipped from unknown publication.
First housing, Virginiatown, 1938; looking west on Connel Ave.
Original headframe No. 1 Kerr-Addison Shaft.
George Hawkes photo album page 4.
Photos dated 1939, by George Hawkes
George Hawkes photo album page 5.
Hardware/Post Office and Grocery Store, 1940.
Residential Area, Privately Owned Houses, Dorfman Street.
New Mine Homes, 1940
George Hawkes photo album page 6: photo & text from unknown publication.
Virginiatown still under construction in foreground; Kerr Addison Mine in upper left; Chesterville mine in upper centre; northeast arm of Larder Lake on the right – in the early 1940s.
Post 1948 Operations – Production
Kerr Addison Mines Limited
As related previously, the tonnage of Proven Ore Reserves became a maximum of 16.7 million tons with a grade of 0.2531 oz. per ton at the end of 1951. With the major plant expansion completed and commissioned before the end of 1948, the emphasis was, for the immediate future, on maximizing production and profitability (see Table 1 for Production Statistics). Note that daily tonnage of ore mined and milled averaged over 4000 tons per day for each of the 13 years 1949 to 1961 inclusive and averaged over 4500 tons per day for each of the 9 years from 1952 to 1960 inclusive. Peak gold production occurred in 1960 with 592,245 ozs. produced from 1,667,638 tons of ore. In that year only, Kerr-Addison gold production was the greatest of any mine in North America, marginally exceeding that of the great Homestake Mine, South Dakota, USA.
Inspection of Table No. 1 and of Chart No. 1 of annual gold production from 1938 to 1982 shows clearly how progress was satisfactory until interrupted by loss of men during the war years 1940 to 1945 and only fully recovered again in 1947, and then was greatly increased after the post-war expansion program had been completed in late 1948. Note on Chart No. 1 that for the 17 year period 1949 through 1965, average annual production exceeded 400,000 ozs. of gold and for the 8 year period 1955 through 1962, it exceeded 500,000 ozs. per year. In fact, during that 8 year period, 40.4% of the total gold production to the end of 1982 was produced.
The price of gold for the first 34 years of the productive live of the Kerr Addison Mine (1938 through 1971) was effectively fixed by the USA at $35 U.S. per oz. and in Canada, varied only according to the fluctuation in the Canadian-U.S. dollar rates of exchange. Now refer to the extreme right hand column of Table 1 for the actual prices received for bullion produced.
George Hawkes photo album page 7.
KERR ADDISON MINES LIMITED
A Tabulation of Some Base Wage Rates and Essential Supply
and Power Prices at Five Year Interrvals during the
Production Years 1938 to 1982.
Spreadsheet data not transcribed.
George Hawkes photo album page 8: news clipping and photo, 1949.
The above photo and clipping are shown elsewhere on this website,
and the names given are:
Back Row: Far left is probably Felicity Taylor; third from left is George Hawkes.
Front Row (Violins) L to R: Clare Weiler(?), Georgina Gray, Janet Hawkes, Eleanor Malane, Carol Fish.
Ted McCall is on the Marimba.
V-Town Concert Is Big Success
The Virginiatown Community Orchestra's presentation, on Monday evening of this week, the last of a series of three, ably directed by Mrs. Georgina Grey, proved beyond a doubt that small beginnings can assume great proportions in a short time.
The Orchestra gave their first concert last September with only three players. Monday evening's concert had 16 players. The four recorders (old English flute) Mrs. Grey believes to be the only ones she has heard used in an orchestra group in Canada. The Recorder originated in 1509 during the reign of Henry VIII. The latest addition to the orchestra is Ted McCall and his marimba. Ted is a fifth year student at Kirkland Lake High and Collegiate Institute, and had never played the instrument until he started practicing two months ago, nor does he have previous musical knowledge.
The orchestra and Ted McCall are entered in the Kiwanis Music Festival which takes place in Kirkland Lake on Wednesday afternoon through to Thursday, entries being from Rouyn, Swastika, New Liskeard, North Bay, Virginiatown, Kirkland Lake, Chaput Hughes, Haileybury.
Mrs. Janet Hawkes, honorary secretary for the Community Orchestra, during the intermission in Monday evening's concert said "In entering we do not aspire winning great laurels, our desire is to increase our knowledge and gain experience in the field of music, also to have the benefit of the adjudicator's constructive criticism, though what we will gain from that, I don't know. We get adjudication from Mrs. Grey every Tuesday evening, when we have practice at St. Paul's Anglican Church Hall."
Proceeds from the concerts will go towards the Citizen's Hospital Fund. The proposed hospital is to be erected in Virginiatown.
George Hawkes photo album page 9.
New Houses, Waite Avenue.
Opening service Virginiatown United Church, 1949 –
See larger photo.
George Hawkes photo album page 10.
Minstrel Show, Strand Theatre, Virginiatown, 1951.
George Hawkes photo album page 11.
Inside Mill, 1951. One photo shows rod mill.
George Hawkes photo album page 12.
Plan of the property, Feb. 1939.
George Hawkes photo album page 13.
Kerr Addison Mine, foreground; Chesterville Mine, background; early 1940s.
George Hawkes photo album page 14.
Corner of Reddick and Colville Ave., 1940.
McGarry Public School, 1941.
Reddick Avenue, 1941 (2 photos) one shows school in background.
George Hawkes photo album page 15.
Kerr Addison Mines and Virginiatown in the early 1940s
George Hawkes photo album page 16.
Kerr Addison dormitories with cafeteria on the right; erected in 1946 to accommodate workmen required for postwar expansion program.
George Hawkes photo album page 17.
Flood of 1945
Corner of Reddick and Colville, May 1945.
Photos by Geo. Hawkes.
George Hawkes photo album page 18.
Unidentified news clipping with photo:
McGarry's New Beauty Queen
Seated on the throne of feminine supremacy is Mary Korbeil, a 19-year-old Larder Lake girl who snared the title of Miss McGarry of 1947 at the recent Lions monster carnival at Virginiatown. Miss Korbeil was chosen as "queen" out of a slate of 27 contestants who strolled along the board walk where the winners were inspected by five judges. Miss Korbeil was crowned by Reeve Ann Shipley of Kirkland Lake and awarded a cash prize of $50. Runners-up were Vieno Mommo(?), rear, Larder Lake, who was awarded a cash prize of $15 and a large bouquet of red roses and Theresa Benoit of Virginiatown who was awarded a cash prize of $15. –Photo by Keith Black.
Below the 1st Prize ribbon is a photo of Janet Hawkes with the winning spike of gladiolus.
George Hawkes photo album page 19.
Mine office building 1947
When the decision to expand to 4000 tons daily was made, the hope was that half of the increase would be effective by the end of 1947. However, this was not achieved due in part to postwar shortages of many supplies and to a delay of six months due to strikes in the steel, coal and electrical industries. Half of the new milling capacity went into service on October 1, 1948 at which time tonnage was increased from 2100 to 3100 per day. On December 7th, the second half of the new capacity was inaugurated and daily tonnage averaged 4133 tons from December 7th through to the 31st.
George Hawkes photo album page 20.
Enlarging mill and new headframe, 1947 - 1949.
George Hawkes photo album page 21.
George Hawkes photo album page 22.
View from mill roof looking west – 1947.
Photos by George Hawkes.
George Hawkes photo album page 23.
1947
Top – West view from mill roof.
Bottom – East view from mill roof, Chesterville Mine headframe.
George Hawkes photo album page 24.
Mill expansion underway 1947.
George Hawkes photo album page 25.
Steelwork goes up Feb. 1948.
Mill addition enclosed winter, 1948.
George Hawkes photo album page 26.
Photos by George Hawkes.
George Hawkes photo album page 27.
George Hawkes photo album page 28.
New headframe, 1949.
Photos by George Hawkes.
George Hawkes photo album page 29.
Construction inside the new mill: 1948 (headframe) and 1949.
George Hawkes photo album page 30.
George Hawkes photo album page 31.
Top photo is the original mill and headframe.
Bottom is the completed addition to mill and new headframe, 1949.
George Hawkes photo album page 32.
Clipping from The Northern Miner, March 24, 1949:
EXPANDED KERR-ADDISON MILL MAKES IMPOSING SIGHT
The Kerr-Addison mill is now nicely rolling along at its new capacity rate of over 4,000 tons daily. Trebling the size of the plant was completed last fall and the above photo was taken as the job neared completion. The mill building covers almost two acres with its dimensions of 283 ft. by 253 ft.; it is from 50 to 62 ft. in height. Included in the great mass of equipment within the mill are eight steel ore storage bins, each of 1,500 tons capacity, 39 steel thickener and agitator tanks, ball mills, rod mills, classifiers and all the other appurtenances of a modern cyanide plant.
A new departure is the built-in refinery which has dimensions of 30 ft. by 80 ft. by 30 ft. high. There are also two electric control rooms, a rod storage room and mill superintendent's office.
The construction job was carried out by Hill-Clark-Francis Ltd., which has rung up an impressive list of achievements in contracting throughout the mining country. Besides building the mill, the firm has had a hand in numerous other jobs involved in the Kerr-Addison expansion program, including the building of four 48-men bunk-houses, four 24-men sleep camps, one 320-men cafeteria-cookery, a warehouse 224 ft. by 82 ft. by 55 ft. and 1,000 lineal feet of concrete service tunnels connecting the various plant buildings. The last bits of the program are being cleaned up now with the finishing of an extension to the general mine office.
The headframe, shown at the extreme right, is now completely closed in. The power house, dry, hoist room, all of the block construction, are hidden by the mill building while others lie to the right of the picture.
George Hawkes photo album page 33.
Photo of Bill Row, mine manager, may be missing (?)
Eddie Duke postcard photo of Kerr Addison Gold Mine.
George Hawkes photo album page 34.
Kerr Addison Sand Pit, 1950
400,000 cu. yards used for backfill in one year.
George Hawkes photo album page 35.
Lakeview Ski Club 1949/50 – these buildings were (are?) on the hill overlooking Kearns Beach.
The couple in the centre photo is George and Janet Hawkes.
Detail of the skiers on the page above. Can you identify anyone?
George Hawkes photo album page 36.
Kerr Addison Lab Crew, 1950.
(Name spellings have been changed per a duplicate copy with typed names).
Back, L - R: Mike Gunsinger, UNKNOWN,
Ewart Latimer,
Louie Biczo,
Sam Macay/McKay.
Front, L - R: Alf Laurin,
Stan Teague,
George Hawkes,
Bill Dowey,
Aubrey Veinot.
George Hawkes photo album page 36a.
Charging Rods.
George Hawkes photo album page 37.
V'Town Orchestra-Choral Group.
Back, L - R: (one name missing)
Archie Innes,
Ralph Pugliese,
Sam McKay,
Stu Fredeen.
Middle, L - R: Jean Russel,
Muriel Lauren(?),
Jean M...?,
Pat Hele,
Betty Kenrick,
Mrs. Jewel,
Jinny Stewart,
Betty McPherson.
Front, L - R: Louis Brezo,
George Hawkes,
Sandy McKay,
Bill Dowey,
Ted Grey*,
Jean Cox,
Janet Hawkes,
Georgie Grey.
Photo taken 1950 in the Employee Hall, Kearns.
* Rev. Ted Grey was the Anglican Minister.
George Hawkes photo album page 38.
Nov. 11, 1954 – Legion Parade. Photos by George Hawkes.
See clearer copies of these photos at Legion Parade Photos.
George Hawkes photo album page 39.
Virginiatown Beach.
George Hawkes photo album page 40.
George Hawkes photo album page 41.
Inside Mill, 1956.
George Hawkes photo album page 42.
Kerr Addison Mill Control Room, 1956.
George Hawkes photo album page 43.
Page from an advertisement or the Kerr Addison annual report:
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
During 1956 capital expenditures on plant and equipment amounted to $538,402. The major items covered by these expenditures were underground mining equipment and the No. 2 Roaster unit.
ORE RESERVES
Ore reserves, all above the 3,700-foot level, at the year end and amounted to 14,011,690 tons having an average grade of 0.3351 ounces of gold per ton. These figures show a decrease of 1,220,162 tons from a year ago, but an increase in grade of 0.0235 ounces per ton. Increased mining costs and the lower price of gold made necessary the removal of considerable tonnages of lower grade material from the ore classification. Recoverable gold content of these ore reserves is greater than total production to date.
DEVELOPMENT
A deep development program including the sinking of a new three-compartment internal shaft from the 3,700-foot level to the 6,000-foot horizon has been approved. Actual sinking will start during this summer and the task will take about two years.
George Hawkes photo album page 44.
Lt. Governor's visit to Kerr, 1958, with Mill Superintendent George Hawkes, inspecting
gold bullion. Each gold bar weighed approx. 65 pounds.
George Hawkes photo album page 45.
Gold bars worth $440,000 based on 1958 price of $35 per ounce.
George Hawkes photo album page 46.
The Ten Millionth Ounce
By the late 1970s it seemed possible that the Kerr Addison Mine had a chance of achieving a total production of ten million ounces of gold from its mine at Virginiatown, Ontario, if the price could remain freely uncontrolled and not collapse as many predicted. To the best of the writer's knowledge, only one gold mine in the USA, i.e. the Homestake Mine at Lead, S.D., and only three others in Canada, i.e. the Hollinger, the McIntyre Porcupine and the Dome Mines in the area of the city of Timmins, Northern Ontario had previously achieved production of 10,000,000 ounces of gold or more, prior to Kerr Addison reaching that production record on April 14, 1982. On that date, the ten millionth ounce produced from the mine was poured into the 875 ounce gold bullion bar shown in the accompanying photograph, the 12,392nd poured since production begain in May 1938. The event was marked by a ceremony at the mine's refinery attended by employees, many with over 35 years of service, corporate officers, government representatives and other special guests.
George Hawkes photo album page 47 – Last Page.
Donated by John Hawkes
This album has been donated to The Virginiatown Museum