Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Quebec

The Nicolet mine was a chrysotile mine in Quebec, run by Nicolet Asbestos Mines and later by Nicolet Industries, Inc., and the sources place it in different ways over the years: "in the Danville region" in 1929, at Saint Remi in 1949, "in Tingwick township" in 1959, at "Norbestos (via Warwick)" in 1965, and "near Warwick" in 1969.^3,5,6,9,10 In July 1929 Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, reported "considerable activity" at "the Nicolet property," where A. R. Martin, "formerly of Martin-Bennett Company," was "supervising the opening."⁵ By April 1930 the trade journal reported that "Nicolet Asbestos Mines are operating on a twenty four hour basis and the quality of fibre that is being found is very satisfactory."¹ A 1969 report in the same journal says the mine "had been producing asbestos fiber since 1930."⁶

The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook names Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd. among the producers of the Quebec area for 1943, 1951, 1952 and 1953, in 1952 sixth in a list given "in order of size of output."^2,4,8,11 In March 1949 the trade journal reported that operations of Nicolet Asbestos Mines at Saint Remi were "normal."³ A 1951 table from Mineral Trade Notes, reprinted in Asbestos, gave the Nicolet Asbestos Co. a mill capacity of "1,500" tons of rock a day, under the Danville District.⁷ The trade journal reported that "the year 1952 witnessed the largest production in the history of Nicolet Asbestos Mines," with "further expansion" contemplated in 1953.¹² The Minerals Yearbook for 1957 says the company "introduced additional facilities to increase its mill capacity from 2,400 tons per day to 3,600," while in 1959 the trade journal reported, for 1958, that it "has reduced its daily treatment rate from 2,500 to 1,600 tons of ore."^9,13

By 1965 the mine belonged to Nicolet Industries, Inc., whose advertisement in Asbestos showed the open pit of "The Nicolet Asbestos Mine" at Norbestos.¹⁰ The trade journal's review of 1969 reported that "Nicolet Industries, Inc.'s mine near Warwick, Quebec, was closed on January 31st."⁶

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.¹²

Output the documents report

Figures as printed, in the units each document uses (short tons before about 1990, metric tons after, in most U.S. chapters). Some are a year's output, some a daily rate or a capacity, some a company's total rather than this mine's alone; the statement for that year below says which.

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1929

• Opened: “A. R. Martin ... is supervising the opening of this”, p. 55⁵

1930

• Opened: “It had been producing asbestos fiber since 1930” (Nicolet Industries, Inc.), p. 24⁶
• Worked: “Operating on a twenty four hour basis” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines), p. 54¹

1943

• Worked: “Other producers are ... Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), p. 9²

1949

• Worked: “Operations of ... Nicolet Asbestos Mines at St. Remi are normal” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines), p. 42³

1951

• Mill: “Nicolet Asbestos Co. 1,500 [daily rock tonnage]” (Nicolet Asbestos Co.), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 50⁷
• Worked: “Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd. (operating in the Quebec area)” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), p. 7⁴

1952

• Worked: “Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), p. 9⁸
• Output: “The year 1952 witnessed the largest production in the history of Nicolet Asbestos Mines” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Limited), p. 12¹²

1953

• Worked: “Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), p. 9¹¹

1957

• Mill: “introduced additional facilities to increase its mill capacity from 2,400 tons per day to 3,600” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines), p. 8¹³

1958

• Description: “The company's operations are located in Tingwick township” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines Limited), p. 24⁹
• Output: “has reduced its daily treatment rate from 2,500 to 1,600 tons of ore” (Nicolet Asbestos Mines Limited), p. 24⁹

1965

• Worked: “THE NICOLET ASBESTOS MINE Norbestos (via Warwick) Que.” (Nicolet Industries, Inc.), said by Nicolet Industries, Inc., p. 6¹⁰

1969

• Closed: “mine near Warwick, Quebec, was closed on January 31st” (Nicolet Industries, Inc.), p. 24⁶

Other names

Documents call this mine “Nicolet Asbestos Mines, Ltd.”, “Nicolet Asbestos Mines”, “Nicolet property”, “Nicolet Asbestos Mines at St. Remi”, “Nicolet Mine”, “Nicolet Asbestos Mine”, “Norbestos (via Warwick)”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1930, April 1930 (April 1, 1930), p. 54.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1943 (January 1, 1944), p. 9.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1949, March 1949 (March 1, 1949), p. 42.
4. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1951 (January 1, 1952), p. 7.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1929, July 1929 (July 1, 1929), p. 55.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1969, December 1969 (December 1, 1969), p. 24.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1951, April 1951 (April 1, 1951), p. 50.
8. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1952 (January 1, 1953), p. 9.
9. Asbestos Magazine, 1959, July 1959 (July 1, 1959), p. 24.
10. Asbestos Magazine, 1965, April 1965 (April 1, 1965), p. 6.
11. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1953 (January 1, 1954), p. 9.
12. Asbestos Magazine, 1953, May 1953 (May 1, 1953), p. 12.
13. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1957 (January 1, 1958), p. 8.