The Kanichee Mine, also known as the Ajax Mine, is an abandoned base metal and precious metal mine with a history dating back to 1910. Throughout the 20th century, the mine experienced several periods of operation and closure, with the most recent activity occurring from 1973 to 1976.
I don't recall where I first heard about this location, but when we arrived, I was quite surprised by how much there was left to see. We wandered about, looking at all of the machinery, traying in vain to determine what each was for. I worked up the nerve to slowly work my way up the conveyor belt to the small structure at the top of the silos. I was rewarded with a wonderful view of the property, and a stomach-churning look down into the silo.
The mine's history is characterized by various phases of exploration and production. Between 1933 and 1936, Cuniptau Mines Limited developed the site, sinking a 75-meter shaft and installing a pilot smelter, which produced significant amounts of copper and nickel, along with smaller quantities of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Subsequent operations were conducted by Ontario Nickel Corporation Limited from 1937 to 1948, Trebor Mines Limited from 1948 to 1949, and Kanichee Mining Incorporated from 1973 to 1976. The total production at Kanichee Mine includes 3 million pounds of copper and 1.2 million pounds of nickel, with additional credits for gold, silver, and platinum group metals.
I returned to this property a couple of times afterward. On my third visit, in 2015, we discovered that a significant amount of the complex had been demolished. This was disappointing, but probably inevitable.
Geologically, the Kanichee Mine is associated with a layered intrusive complex that is part of a larger volcanic belt characterized by felsic and mafic metavolcanic rocks. The main minerals found at the mine include pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite, occurring as semi-massive to massive veins. The mine's discontinuous operation has left behind remnants such as a small lake, gravel roads, and steep cliffs from rock blasting.
