The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame announces five new inductees

The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame will welcome five new members at a gala dinner and induction ceremony on Jan. 11, 2024 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The Northern Miner is a co-founding member organization of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, along with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, The Mining Association of Canada and The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. For more information and to purchase tables and tickets for the event, visit mininghalloffame.ca.

David Ross Bell (b. 1943)

David Ross Bell is renowned in the mining industry for his pivotal role in discovering and developing the world-class Hemlo gold mining site in northern Ontario.

Hemlo is in a region that had been explored with limited success since 1869. Bell's commitment to discovery led him to convince Corona Resources to continue drilling, despite initially encountering a lower-grade deposit. His keen mapping skills revealed promising zones. A pivotal moment occurred when Hole 76 uncovered the main zone at Hemlo, forever changing the region's mining landscape and cementing Bell’s name in mining history.

Following Bell’s discovery, headframes rose over the Teck Corona (David Bell Mine), Noranda (Golden Giant Mine), and Lac Minerals (Williams Mine). Hemlo went on to yield about 22.4 million oz. of gold, with an additional 3.3 million oz. measured and indicated as of 2021, and it is still producing in 2023.