North Bay’s Blue Sky Probus book club members were so intrigued by the book “Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower” by Charlie Angus, MP for the riding of Timmins-James Bay, that they decided in August to visit the place where it all happened – Cobalt - Ontario’s Most Historic Town and a Parks Canada National Historic Site.
Blue Sky Probus book club members at the Colonial Mine, Cobalt
The visit started at the Cobalt Mining Museum where Theoren Little, who is studying Paleontology at university, welcomed the group and organized the tour of the nearby Colonial Mine that, in its day, produced 1.25 million ounces of silver (1907 to 1937).
Grace Browne, a local high school student, led the group through the mine tunnels and brought history to life with descriptions of hardships the miners endured. Browne explained how the miners’ health and life expectancy were dramatically diminished by the job which included handling dynamite, gruelling manual hammering of rock, and drilling holes for dynamite sticks in the mine walls.
Miners called “banjo players” used round-mouth shovels “banjos” to shovel rock debris into carts while trying to avoid unexploded dynamite called “bootlegs”. Boys as young as nine were used and paid very little for the very dangerous work of tapping the roof with a scaling bar to dislodge loose rock after a blast.
Dismal lighting from candles and carbide lamps added to the suffering. Safety precautions were minimal. For example, miners hung their “dog tags” on a board as they entered the mine and retrieved them as they exited. If a tag remained, indicating that someone was left behind, a search party was sent in - sometimes.
Following the mine tour, the group had lunch at The Lavender Fox Tea Room in the historic Coniagas headframe building at 50 Silver Street in Cobalt. Lola and Alex Bird are the proprietors and she is a tea sommelier. (Tea sommeliers are people who are trained in the taste, history, and general knowledge of tea. They can recommend how to better prepare and consume tea and can create tasting menus.)
Everyone enjoyed freshly made sandwiches, pastries, teas, and other delightful beverages served by the charming and talented Alex, a jazz singer/songwriter/actor, whose vocals provided the perfect backdrop for the old-world charm and whimsy of the place.
Lola and Alex Bird at The Lavender Fox Tea Room, Cobalt
A stroll through town after lunch took the group back to the museum and to shops including White Mountain Publications for new and used books and Laura’s Art Shop for artwork and gifts. A park in the downtown area has poignant basrelief sculptures representing miners, past and present, and historical plaques detailing the history of mining in Cobalt.
“Miners Past and Present” bas relief sculptures in Cobalt by Sally Lawrence and Rob Moir.
Cobalt is a small town with a big history and the area, its people, and Charlie Angus’s book are well worth your time and interest. To plan a visit to Cobalt, go to the ‘Visitors” section of the town website Cobalt.ca for descriptions of the historic buildings, parks, museums, tours, and trails.
Grace Browne at the Colonial Mine, Cobalt demonstrated how as many as five miners, carrying tools, stood with one leg in in metal buckets called “cages” and were lowered into the mine with a very high risk of tipping.
For more information about the Blue Sky Probus Club or to attend a meeting, email [email protected].
