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What were you doing on April 30th this year? What about on August 31st last year? Is there anything special about these two days? This isn't a trick question, not for this community anyway. On April 30th, twenty years ago, the final ore car left Caland. On August 31st, 1979, the final layoff from Steep Rock occurred. Is it official? Are we all forgetting? Do you think there is worth in remembering the contribution the mines made to this community? To your own life? Or to that of others close to you? That's why we're here – we're The Atikokan Mining Attraction and we think remembering is important. We are beginning a membership drive this month, and we are asking the community to help us in our quest. Membership Drive The Mining Attraction is beginning its membership drive and it's a membership drive with a difference!! There are now a variety of membership categories to choose from. We are a community group that has been active since 1987 whose focus is the rich mining history of the area. We have mounted exhibits using photographs and artifacts; we have created mini-parks with larger artifacts and murals that add interest to the downtown area. Like the rest of the community, we have dreams that what we are doing is worthwhile and will ultimately encourage tourism and strengthen Atikokan's economic future. We have an Internet presence now, and through this we are becoming more widely known, and by association, so is the community of Atikokan. In order to continue as a vital, contributing organization in Atikokan, we need your help. To the extent that we can demonstrate to potential funders that we have community support for our initiatives, we may be more successful in bringing funds to the Mining Attraction and by extension to the community. The new membership structure has included a whole new membership category, that of "Sustaining Membership". The structure is as follows:
The Annual membership covers the period Aug. 1, 2000 to Aug. 31, 2001. Renewals will be requested in August of next year. The Sustaining Membership is a one-time membership fee with no renewals required. You will take out a Sustaining Membership now, and it will stand without the need for renewals. A Membership Application has been included in this edition of The Progress for your convenience. You can mail it in, or drop it off at the Mining Attraction building next to the Post Office. (Click for online membership form)
The Miners Wall of Pride is a fundraising initiative for the Mining Attraction. You can fill in a form with information about your mining years, or those of someone you wish to commemorate. When we have 24 names, enough for a new plaque, your name or that of your loved one will be on permanent display. We have also included a Miners Wall of Pride form in this edition of the Progress should you wish to contribute in this way. We have people come in to photograph the name of their recently deceased husband as well as parents pointing out grandparent's names on the plaques. It is a lovely way to celebrate the importance of the mines in the daily lives of our parents and grandparents. Lives were built on the mines, and, by and large, they were good solid lives whose legacy lives on. Help us, as an organization to continue bringing their stories to light and adding to the cultural depth of Atikokan. The mines are fairly recent history, to be sure, but many of our young people don't know this aspect of Atikokan's history. As Carolyn Armstrong, our summer student said last week "I understand now and hope everyone else does, that these mines were a huge part in Atikokan's beginnings. Their existence not only created many jobs, but also many memories." To know the story is to more fully appreciate Atikokan as a community and that "big old hole in the ground" out there as something more than a potential garbage dump for Toronto's (or our own) garbage. Drop by the Mining Attraction when you pick up your mail, and begin the process of getting to know "The people and the project". As a member of the Mining Attraction, you will also get to hang out with some good people, with passion for the past, and vision for the future. Special Thanks Special Thanks go out this week to Ed Frederickson and Tom Pooley who dropped by, stayed for a while and regaled Carolyn and me with stories from their mine years. Ed's description of inspecting the pipelines, from inside the pipes was quite vivid. Tom's memories of his time were wonderful and detailed. They both made us laugh. The sharing of stories across the generations enriches all involved. Certainly, these stories add variety and spice to what I can tell visitors to the Mining Attraction when they drop in. It is these very personal aspects of mine life that intrigue visitors who have had no connection with the mine. (A link is provided to the Caland Ore Company site from Ed's name because he was involved in the "Final Sweep" at the closing of the Caland mine.) |
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