Birth of Hard Rock Mining
An early discovery prompted by the extension of the railway, the Silver-Cobalt Camp grew into one of the richest discoveries in history.

EARLY BEGINNINGS
Discovery of Silver
Rich silver veins were long prophesied by early French fur traders who ventured up the Montreal river. The first significant discoveries coincided with the extension of the railway in 1903. Once the first shipment of silver slabs reached the south, news quickly spread and an invasion of prospectors occurred almost overnight.


AN EARLY PEAK
Booms and Busts followed
Intensive mining activity continued in the Cobalt area until 1911. It was that year silver production reached its peak when over 31 million ounces were shipped out.

RENEWED INTEREST
Drilling Led to new discoveries
The drilling was largely focused in the underground workings left from the old mines. This drilling quickly led to discoveries of new veins and systems previous miners had missed.
MODERN ERA
Discoveries at Greater Depth
The late 1970s saw a merger between the remaining operating mines under the leadership of Paul Penna. Management took the controversial decision at the time to drill deeper into ore bodies and were rewarded handsomely. Operations continued steady in both Cobalt and Gowganda for nearly two decades before being abandoned.
