80 years ago: June 15, 1931

Labrador, Perhaps

Hon. R.B. Bennett stated in the House of Commons (June 9) that the Dominion government is giving some attention to the question of the purchase of Labrador and will likely be taking an increasing interest in it in the future.

To date Newfoundland has not given much indication of desiring to sell its Labrador possession, but it is assumed that negotiations to that effect may soon be more likely, and since the area in question is so obviously a part of the Canadian domain, geographically, the chances for its some day coming into the dominion bounds are believed to be fairly good.

— Edmonton Journal, June 15, 1931

60 years ago: June 14, 1951

New Labrador Logging Operation 'Will Life People Out of Poverty'

St. John's, Nfld., June 14—Premier Smallwood announced today that European interests had signed an agreement to start a logging operation in the virgin forests of Lake Melville in Labrador.

Under the agreement a Swiss firm headed by Dr. Arthur Siegheim will cut 200,000 cords of pulpwood annually, pay a royalty directly to the government of $1,000,000.

The agreement is for 10 years and is renewable for another 10 years. A bill will be presented in the provincial legislature to ratify the agreement. Under the contract the new project will employ 1,500 men earning roughly $2,000,000 annually in wages.

The company will establish two [sic] with a view to having the loggers live there permanently with their families. A company plan will be brought in to assist the loggers in financing the building of their homes.

"This is the first step in opening up the vast, untapped resources of the northern territory of Labrador," Harold Horwood, the member of the provincial legislature for Labrador, said today referring to the announcement.

"It is the first real industry in Labrador," Mr. Horwood said, "and is the prelude to the establishment of other industries using wood as the raw material.

Mr. Horwood said "the new operations will centralize the white population of Labrador. Taking them from the poverty stricken areas around the coast and move Melville area. [sic] It will put money in their pockets and raise their standard of living tremendously."

— Toronto Star, June 14, 1951

55 years ago: June 13, 1956

Frobisher Is Placing Mines in Production; Still Looks for More

Latent assets of Frobisher Ltd. are being converted into producing operations as quickly as possible so as to provide future revenue, President A.J. Anderson told the annual meeting of shareholders.

...

In the Seal Lake area of Labrador, several hundred scattered medium to high-grade copper occurrences have been located within Frobisher's concession area. While none can be designated as orebodies, their frequency and strength of mineralization indicate important possibilities. Kennco Explorations (Canada) Ltd., a Kennecott Copper Corp. subsidiary, has joined Frobisher in the search for copper orebodies in the area. Kennecott will finance and conduct the 1956 exploration program.

Frobisher prospecting crews in Labrador have made a uranium discovery of some importance south and east of the original copper concession area. Sporadic, but high-grade, silver values were found associated with pitchblende at erratic intervals over a strike length of 1,800 feet.

Application has been made for an additional concession area of 290 square miles to permit investigation of this and other possible similar occurrences in the vicinity. Frobisher's 1956 Labrador program will be confined to detailed exploration of this occurrence and a search for other similar radioactive deposits.

— Toronto Globe and Mail, June 13, 1956

75 years ago: June 12, 1936

Plan Mineral Survey of Western Labrador

Permission for a mineral survey of approximately 25,000 square miles in Western Labrador has been granted by the Government of Newfoundland to Weaver Minerals, Ltd. Work will be under the supervision of J.H. Colville, President of the company. A.H. McKay, President of McKay (Quebec) Exploration Ltd., is managing director.

J.A. Retty of the Dominion Geological Survey, will head the geological parties that are being put in the field immediately.

The air transportation will be undertaken by Newfoundland Skyways Ltd. Radio stations will be established at Northwest River on the Hamilton Inlet, the principal base of operations, and in the interior. Both aircraft and personnel will be equipped to undertake aerial photography and survey, in addition to transportation work. The pilots in charge of this work will be A.G. Sims and G.R. Spradbrow.

— Toronto Globe, June 12, 1936

80 years ago: June 11, 1931

The old subject of Labrador ownership is revived by the announcement of Premier Bennett that Canada is considering its purchase. without much question, whatever money Newfoundland can get for the territory will be more useful than the property. If the negotiations become serious, however, a nice point will be raised in Newfoundland's authority to sell.

— Toronto Globe, June 11, 1931

60 years ago: June 10, 1951

Steel Firms Use Helicopters in Labrador Fields

Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. and some other steel firms are planning to use helicopters in steel making.

More specifically, they'll use a helicopter to help find more iron ore and to get it to their blast furnaces.

Hollinger Ungava Transport Inc. of Mont Joli, Quebec, the line that furnishes the air transportation for the Labrador-Quebec iron ore development project has just bought a Bell helicopter for use in its exploration work. Henry J. Gates, one of its staff of pilots, has trained as a helicopter pilot.

The flying windmill is being used in the exploration work and also to help in building the $100,000,000 railroad which is being financed by Sheet & Tube, Republic Steel Corporation, and three other steel companies and other firms.

Sheet & Tube and Republic expect to begin getting some of the Labrador ore for their blast furnaces here within the next three or four years.

— Youngstown (Ohio) Vindicator, June 10, 1951

125 years ago: June 9, 1886

A St. John, N'fd., correspondent writes:—The fishery on the banks has opened well; several vessels have arrived at Placentia from the banks, bringing each from 200 to 300 quintals of fish. On the other hand the Labrador fishery, which has been paying badly of late, will be greatly curtailed. Supplies, in many instances, have notified their dealers of their intention not to issue supplies for Labrador this year. The consequence will be that hundreds will be left ashore idle, having no means of proseceuting the fishery on Labrador, and at home there is only the poor resource of the shore fishery. It is reported that numbers are preparing to emigrate owing to the discouraging prospects. Too many of our people are employed in the fisheries, and far too few in agriculture.

— Manitoba Free Press, June 9, 1886