Gilbert LaBine
Encyclopedia
Gilbert LaBine, OC
(10 February 1890 – June 8, 1977) was a Canadian
prospector
who in 1930 discovered radium
and uranium
deposits at Port Radium
, Northwest Territories
. He has become known as the father of Canada's uranium industry. LaBine was president of Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited
from its start in the late 1920s to 1947. He left the company (which became a crown corporation in 1944) to prospect for uranium minerals as an independent mine developer, and in the 1950s he brought the Gunnar Mine
to production at Uranium City, Saskatchewan
.
In 1969, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
and is an inductee of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(10 February 1890 – June 8, 1977) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
who in 1930 discovered radium
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
and uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
deposits at Port Radium
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 and the Eldorado Mine and Echo Bay Mine. The name Port Radium did not come into use until 1936 and at the time it was in reference to the region as a whole...
, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. He has become known as the father of Canada's uranium industry. LaBine was president of Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited
Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited
The Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited company was originally organized in 1927 as Eldorado Gold Mines Limited to develop a gold mine in Manitoba. Its president Gilbert LaBine later found radioactive deposits at Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories in 1930, which led to the development of the...
from its start in the late 1920s to 1947. He left the company (which became a crown corporation in 1944) to prospect for uranium minerals as an independent mine developer, and in the 1950s he brought the Gunnar Mine
Gunnar Mine
The Gunnar Mine was a uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canadalocated around southwest of the community of Uranium City. The mine was situated on the Crackingstone Peninsula on the north shore of Lake Athabasca in the Beaverlodge Uranium District....
to production at Uranium City, Saskatchewan
Uranium City, Saskatchewan
Uranium City is a settlement in northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is 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, 760 km northeast of Edmonton and south of the Northwest...
.
In 1969, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
and is an inductee of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame aims to recognize the accomplishments of leaders in the mining industry.It was conceived by Maurice R. Brown as a way to recognize and honor the legendary mine finders and builders of this Canadian industry. The Hall was established in 1988...
.
External links
- Canadian Mining Hall of Fame biography
- Gilbert LaBine at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...