Rehabilitated Mine Site repository

Mine Rehabilitation / Reclamation

Rehabilitation: the restoration or return of a mined land to a natural state; transformation to an alternative land use.

Every year, mining companies in Ontario make significant investments to return former mines to a natural environment. When the community, stakeholders, and mine operator/suppliers work in partnership on rehabilitation, the outcomes are numerous - from the re-establishment of wildlife habitats and natural landscapes to manicured golf courses, park land and recreational trails.

Following is a list of some of the Rehabilitated Mine Sites in Ontario. (Click on each mine name to see the photos)

Sudbury Reclamation: Owner: City of Greater Sudbury; Location: City of Greater Sudbury; Commodity: Nickel; Years in Operation: Exposed to Sulphur Dioxide Fumigations from historic Open Roastbed Smelting; Interesting Facts: These pictures show Barlow Street, where agricultural limestone, fertilizer, a grass-legume seed mixture, and subsequent tree planting have returned the landscape to the natural environment.

Santala Quarry: Owner: Mond Nickel Company, Inco; Location: Waters Township; Commodity: Silica; Years in Operation: pre-1909; Interesting Facts: The abandoned quarry was used as a swimming hole before concern for public health and safety prompted rehabilitation.

Winston Lake Mine: Owner: Inmet Mining; Location: North of Schreiber; Commodity: Zinc, Copper, Silver, Gold; Years in Operation: 11; Interesting Facts: Zinc loading to the adjacent river has reduced by more than 50% since closure.

MacLeod-Cockshutt Mine: Owner: Barrick Gold Corporation; Location: Municipality of Greenstone; Commodity: Gold, Silver; Years in Operation: 1938-1970; Interesting Facts: 70 hectares reconfigured to accommodate a Heritage Interpretive centre and nine-hole extension of an existing golf course.

Detour Lake Mine: Owner: Placer Dome; Location: Cochrane; Commodity: Gold; Years in Operation: 1983-1999; Interesting Facts: Biodiversity, including a bat habitat characterizes this site.

Copper Cliff Central Tailing Drainage Channel: Owner: Inco; Location: Sudbury; Commodity: Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Palladium; Years in Operation: 100+; Interesting Facts: Inco partnered with Laurentian professors and grad students to research and develop new technology that uses paper mill sludge to treat the drainage basin.

Milton Limestone Quarry: Owner: Barrick Gold Corporation; Location: Milton; Commodity: Limestone; Years in Operation: ?-2001; Interesting Facts: The quarry has been rehabilitated into “Kelso Quarry Park? which includes a lake, beach, boardwalk, lookouts and playing fields.

Shebandowan Mill and Mine: Owner: Inco; Location: Shebandowan; Commodity: Nickel, Copper; Years in Operation: 1969-1989; Interesting Facts: Site is adjacent to Lake Shebandowan, which has important cottage and sport fishing value. Negligible impact to the lake was a primary goal during closure.; Review of Shebandowan and Demolition

Milliken Mine: Owner: Rio Algom; Location: Elliot Lake; Commodity: Uranium; Years in Operation: 1958-1964; Interesting Facts: 77,000 tonne historic tailings deposit has been rehabilitated in conjunction with Penokean Hills Field Naturalists to form Sherriff Creek Bird Sanctuary.

Sudbury Smelter Business Unit: Owner: Falconbridge; Location: Falconbridge; Commodity: Nickel, Copper, Cobalt; Years in Operation: 77; Interesting Facts: Cattails and reedgrass cover over 95% of the 170-hectare marsh, which acts as a final biological filter for the smelter’s treated process water, natural run-off, tailings discharge, and slag treatment system effluent.

North Coldstream Mine: Owner: Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines; Location: Burchell Lake; Commodity: Copper, Gold, Silver; Years in Operation: 1870-1967; Interesting Facts: Produced more than 51,000 tonnes of copper as well as gold and silver.

Nordic Mine: Owner: Rio Algom; Location: Elliot Lake; Commodity: Uranium; Years in Operation: 1957-1968; Interesting Facts: The 117 hectares on Nordic Mine held 12 million tonnes of tailings. The site is now a natural tourist attraction.

Denison Mine: Owner: Denison Environmental Services; Location: Elliot Lake; Commodity: Uranium; Years in Operation: 35; Interesting Facts: Water quality in the tailings management area is now maintained naturally at neutral pH levels. Wildlife has returned to the site.

Golden Giant Mine: Owner: Newmont Canada Limited; Location: Thunder Bay District; Commodity: Gold; Years in Operation: 1985-2005; Interesting Facts: Built with environmental protection and minimal land disturbance as key objectives. Closure and reclamation is slated to begin in 2006 and be completed in 2010.