James Carter is a giant in the history of Canada’s oil sands and an exemplary leader in their sustainable development. He transformed the fledgling industry — and the frontier town of Fort McMurray, Alberta — into a powerful economic engine for the nation while building Syncrude Canada into one of the world’s largest and most successful energy producers.
Neil Campbell’s abilities at geological deduction were responsible for several important mineral discoveries, but it is the Pine Point mine on the south shore of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories with which he was most closely associated.
Côme Carbonneau had an unusual career for a mining man. It straddled not only the academic and private-sector fields, but also reached into the public sector where he became the builder and developer of the novel, state-owned enterprise known as SOQUEM.
Walter Curlook was a man of vision who helped shape the world’s largest nickel producer. Throughout his lengthy career with Inco, he was responsible for fostering new technologies and products, new working environments and a new era of government and public relations.
Marsh Cooper is best known as the driving force in the acquisition and development of many of the deposits and mines that transformed Falconbridge into a global nickel giant. He guided the company through one of its strongest periods of growth, brought new mines into production and, during the 1970s, oversaw the completion of Falconbridge Dominica’s ferronickel plant in the Dominican Republic.
In 2003 the northern Ontario town of Cobalt marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of a silver bonanza that to this day reverberates throughout the Canadian economy. In recognition of the impact of the events of a century ago, the Cobalt silver camp today is a protected Canadian government Heritage District and the community has been named “The Most Historic Town in Ontario.”
John Convey made ground-breaking contributions to metallurgy, atomic physics and minerals research, but is best known for guiding several Canadian agencies and institutions to prominence, notably the Canadian Mines Branch (since renamed CANMET) during its greatest period of growth and influence.
George B. Cross chronicled and supported the Canadian mining industry through the George Cross News Letter Ltd., an authoritative and respected source of daily mining news that served the resource and investment communities for more than 50 years.
Ernest Craig was the first General Manager of Falconbridge Nickel Mines, building a mine and a townsite in the late 1920s that became the foundation for the international powerhouse that now operates under the Xstrata banner.
Frederick M. Connell The citation accompanying the 1973 Inco Medal award to Frederick M. Connell, probably said it all: “In recognition of the leading part he has played as a mine-finder and mine-maker, placing his name in the foremost rank of those whose names and accomplishments will always be associated with laying broad and firm foundations to one of Canada’s greatest industries.”
