Is it possible that Toronto is truly the greatest mining centre in the world as John Chadwick, writing in the February issue of International Mining, says it is? In support of his thesis, he quotes Kirk Rodgers of Golder Associates: ”[A good mining center] must be boring. By boring I mean it should not produce headlines about military coups, civil unrest, racial disharmony and financial flight. But Toronto actually is exciting in many other ways. It has a vibrant economy, a diverse ethnic makeup with virtually every nation in the world represented and a good cultural life.” 

I challenged John on this thesis tonight as we sat drinking in the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, truly a mining city if ever there was one. The keynote speaker at this morning  SME Annual Meeting & Exhibit told us that Denver is the best example of a U.S. mining city and invited us to visit the mining heritage sites, including a cigar bar in the Brown Palace. So out of a sense of history and seeking good discussions, we joined the editor of International Mining to fight the merits of Canadian versus U.S. mining towns. I will not reveal who won, nor who paid the bill, but here are more late night ruminations on the question of the best mining town in North America and elsewhere.

Thirty years ago I spent one cold, gray winter’s day in Toronto, so I have no opinion on its merits as a mining center. My thoughts go to the other mining cities I have known: Johannesburg, Vancouver, Juneau and Angel Camp. I wrote about them in  a trivial but honest piece Responsible Mining and Sustainable Development. The point is that the concept of sustainable development, so beloved by theorists and those given to mining propaganda, does not apply to cities founded on mining. Can you imagine trying to defend San Francisco as a sustainable mining city? It is easier to defend (or attack) Denver as a sustainable mining camp. But in reality neither Denver nor the mountain towns of Colorado need defence (or attack) for/of their origins in mining.   

I suspect that at all times, mining camps and new mining towns have had vibrant economies, diverse ethnic makeups, and good cultural lives. By definition if there are new mines, there is economic activity. Historically people came from everywhere seeking their fortunes. And culture is mostly in the eye of the beholder: think of the opera houses, pubs, and bordellos in the small mining towns of the Rockies. And at least they were not boring.

Some towns founded on mining prosper, some fade away and other change beyond recognition. Consider Butte, Montana:  once a center of mining and now the focus of wealthy Californians come to enjoy the pristine vistas and clear air. Who is to say it is better or worse off? Depends on your opinion of rich Californian liberals. 

I would love to have the statistics on the history of mining camps: how many are ghost towns, how many are major mining centers, how many are tourist attractions with viable alternative economies? And most interesting, what combination of social, political, economic, geographic, and random factors played out in their success or demise. Questions enough for a Ph.D. in mining history here. All we need is the student and the funding and a couple of drinks in a good mining pub. Any suggestions?