Ontario Mine Rescue

Ontario Mine Rescue is the program that creates, oversees and evaluates mine rescue training and standards in the province of Ontario.[1] The Ontario Mine Rescue program is administered by Workplace Safety North, part of the prevention arm of the Ontario Ministry of Labour.[2]

Ontario Mine Rescue Logo

History

Ontario Mine Rescue was born out of the tragedy of the Hollinger Mine fire that claimed the lives of 39 miners in Timmins in 1928. Neither the mine, the town or even the province had the expertise or the resources to respond to save their lives or adequately fight the fire. Mine rescue teams from Pittsburgh had to be called in to extinguish the fire, while recovery operations were left to local mine management. The resulting provincial royal commission recommended the creation of an Ontario Mine Rescue organization under the Department of Mines to respond to underground mine fires.[3]

The 1947 East Malartic Fire marked a major turning point for Ontario Mine Rescue as teams from Timmins, Kirkland Lake and Sudbury responded to a call to help fight a mine fire in Malartic, Quebec. It was the first and only time Ontario Mine Rescue teams responded to an out-of-province emergency. While working together, it became evident each district had different training and maintenance standards. As a result, the position of Senior Mine Rescue Officer was created to ensure province-wide standards in mine rescue training and equipment maintenance were established and maintained.[4]

In 1965 another mine fire in Timmins, this one at the McIntyre Mine, forced the organization to make another change. The underground distance rescue teams had to travel to reach the fire was so great that the two-hour McCaa apparatus was not sufficient to allow them time to fight the fire. In 1966, after investigating and testing different apparatus, the BG174 was purchased to allow for a four-hour capability. The BG174 proved a workhorse for almost 40 years before it was replaced by the BG4.[4]

Ontario Mine Rescue took on added responsibility in 1984 after four miners were trapped and killed in a rockburst at Falconbridge No. 5 Shaft near Sudbury. The Stevenson Commission recommended that the organization's mandate be expanded to conduct training in and respond to non-fire emergencies. Training on non-fire rescue equipment began shortly after.[4]

In January 2001, responsibility for Ontario Mine Rescue was transferred to the Mines and Aggregates Safety and Health Association, now a part of Workplace Safety North (WSN). The program changed from usage of the Draeger BG174 to the Drager BG4 self-contained breathing apparatus. Standardized competency based training programs were developed to ensure consistent delivery of information to mine rescue teams across the province.

Mine rescue stations
Delaware Station
1988 - Present
Wawa Station
2016 - Present
Kirkland Lake Station
1931 - Present
Onaping Station
1968 - Present
Red Lake Station
1948 - Present
Sudbury Station
1932 - Present
Thunder Bay Station
1982 - 1987
2006 - Present
Timmins Station
1930 - Present

When mining activity ceases in thea jurisdiction, some stations that had been established for emergency response capability were closed or relocated.

Cobalt
1953 - 1992[4]
Elliot Lake
1958 - 1998[4]
Geraldton
1946 - 1977[4]
Manitouwadge
1977 - 1982[4]
1987 - 2005

Ontario Mine Rescue Provincial Competition


Year Annual Competition Provincial Champions District Runner Up Location Arena / Venue
200657thGoldcorp - Porcupine Joint Venture (PJV)Timmins DistrictInco Ltd. - Sudbury West MinesTimminsArchie Dillon Sportsplex Arena
200758thCVRD Inco - Sudbury East MinesSudbury DistrictXstrata - Kidd OperationsSault Ste. MarieN / A
200859thXstrata Nickel - Fraser / TL MinesOnaping DistrictVale Inco - East MinesSudburyFecunis Mine
200960thVale Inco - Sudbury East MinesSudbury DistrictFNX MiningWindsorWindsor Expo Centre[5]
201061stGoldcorp - Porcupine Gold Mines (PGM)Timmins DistrictBarrick Hemlo - Williams MineTimminsTimmins Underground Gold Mine Tour[6]
201162ndVale - Sudbury West MinesSudbury DistrictBarrick Hemlo - Williams MineMarathonBarrick Gold - Williams Mine
201263rdBarrick Hemlo - Williams MineThunder Bay & Algoma DistrictKirkland Lake Gold - Macassa MineSudburyVale - Copper Cliff South Mine
201364thGlencore - Kidd Operations[7]Timmins DistrictGlencore - Sudbury Integrated Nickel OperationsWindsorSouth Windsor Recreation Complex
201465thVale - Sudbury East Mines[8]Sudbury DistrictCompass Minerals - Goderich MineTimminsGoldcorp PGM - Dome Mine
201566thVale - Sudbury West MinesSudbury DistrictAuRico Gold - Young-Davidson MineThunder BayFort Williams Gardens Arena[9][10]
201667thCompass Minerals - Goderich MineSouthern DistrictLake Shore Gold - Timmins West & Bell Creek MinesSudburyFecunis Mine
201768thGoldcorp Musselwhite Mine[11]Red Lake DistrictTahoe Canada - Timmins West & Bell Creek MinesGoderichCompass Minerals Goderich Mine
201869thTahoe Canada - Timmins West & Bell Creek Mines[12]Timmins DistrictVale - Sudbury East MinesMatachewanAlamos Gold Young-Davidson Mine
201970th K+S Windsor Salt Ojibway Mine[13]Southern DistrictNewmont - Porcupine Gold MinesRed LakeRed Lake Gold Mines

2016 International Mine Rescue Competition

Ontario Mine Rescue hosted the 10th International Mines Rescue Competition (IMRC 2016) in Sudbury, Ontario.[14][15] The competition is held every two years[16] by the governing mine rescue body of the host nation or jurisdiction. The 2016 event marked the first time the competition was held in Canada.

2016 International Mine Rescue Competition Logo

See also

References
  1. Occupational Health and Safety Act - R.R.O. 1990 - Regulation 854 - Mines and Mining Plants. Ministry of Labour. p. Section 17.
  2. "Ontario Ministry of Labour - Health and Safety Partners". Queen's Printer for Ontario. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines Ltd. (1928). In the matter of a fire that occurred in the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited, and in the matter of an inquiry under the Public Enquiries Act, N.S.O., chapter 20 (1928) (Archives of Ontario B249466 ed.). Toronto: Ontario Royal Commission. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  4. Milne, John (2004). Under Oxygen: Celebrating 75 Years of Mine Rescue in Ontario. Mines and Aggregates Safety and Health Association. OCLC 57207654. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. "Goldcorp Wins Mine Rescue Competition". Timmins Daily Press. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  6. "Vale Inco Crowned With Gold" (PDF). Workplace Safety North. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  7. "Kidd Mine Rescue Team Ontario Champs". Timmins Daily Press. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  8. Gillis, Len. "Sudbury's Vale wins provincial mine rescue event". Timmins Times. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  9. "Top Mine Rescue Competition in Thunder Bay". NetNewsLedger. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  10. "Provincial competition countdown underway". Workplace Safety North. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  11. "Goldcorp takes top honours in mine rescue competition". Northern Ontario Business. Northern Ontario Business. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  12. "Tahoe tops in Ontario Mine Rescue Competition". Timmins Press. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  13. "K+S Windsor Salt Proves Its Mettle". Ontario Mine Rescue. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  14. Sitter, Ken. "Ontario to Host International Competition". Workplace Safety North. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  15. "2016 International Mines Rescue Competition". IMRC.2016. Ontario Mine Rescue. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  16. "Ontario Mining Association - BEST WISHES TO ONTARIO MINE RESCUE CHAMPS ENTERING INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION". Ontario Mining Association. Retrieved 12 January 2015.

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