United Asbestos mine, Midlothian Township, Ontario

The Midlothian mine of United Asbestos lay in Midlothian Township, Ontario, which Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, placed "some 40 miles south of Timmins."¹³ The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1971 reported that Allied Mining "optioned the Asbestos Lloyd Mines Ltd. claims" there and added others "to cover a deposit of an indicated 120 million tons of 9-percent ore," and that "an operation of 150,000 to 200,000 tons per year is envisioned."¹ Asbestos gave a different figure that year: "some 52.3 million tons of ore with an average 7.4% of asbestos content."¹⁴ In 1972 the journal reported that the Mercantile Bank of Canada would lend "$12 million" toward production, and described the property's "cross-fiber Chrysotile, mostly in Groups 5, 6 and 7."²

The yearbook reported that Allied planned "a merger with United Asbestos Corp." and in 1973 named the merged company United Asbestos, Inc., which reported "31 million tons of 9% fiber ore in grades 5, 6, and 7" and planned production of "100,000 tons per year of fiber" to start in 1974.^3,4 The yearbook for 1974 said the company had "firm plans to bring its Midlothian mine into full production in mid-1975."⁵

According to Asbestos, United "began trial production in August 1975," with a mill of "an annual start-up production capacity of 100,000 tons of fiber" and distributors lined up in Japan, Mexico and Central America.⁶ At the end of 1975 the yearbook said the mine and mill "had reached the tuneup stage."⁷ The journal reported that "the Ontario Government halted milling operations on April 12, 1976, and ordered a general clean-up," after which operations resumed "but at a slower pace"; the yearbook said the mine had been "closed during the spring by Ontario's environmental authorities" and was operating again at yearend.^8,9 Late in 1976 the journal reported mining, crushing and drying "at 67% capacity and the milling at 30%," and the company's president looked forward to "full capacity in early 1977."^8,10

The yearbook for 1977 reported that United "was placed in default by its bondholders and bank in March, and the mine at Midlothian, Ontario, closed."^12,15 At the end of 1977 Woodsreef Minerals was "studying the property relative to acquisition," the yearbook said, and Asbestos reported a joint study with Labrador Mining and Exploration Company of "the possibility of acquiring the inactive operation."^12,15 In 1978 the journal said mining had "not been resumed" and would need "a substantial additional investment"; in 1979 the company's chairman, P. M. Malouf, said the mine "will not be reopened in the near future," and the journal presumed it would need "rather extensive modifications" to meet current dust regulations.^13,16,17 The yearbook covering 1978 and 1979 said United had "ended its receivership" and expected winter weather to postpone "the reopening until the summer of 1980."¹¹ A 1981 report, drawing on brokers' research, said United would await the findings of a Royal Commission before proceeding, and that "the plant is supervised by a maintenance crew."¹⁸

The documents report work here (mining, shafts or a mill) but no fiber sold or shipped; that is what our documents say, and the mine may still have sold some.⁶

Location

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.

1971

• Reserves: “Work completed to date indicates some 52.3 million tons of ore with an average 7.4% of asbestos content” (Allied Mining Corporation Ltd.; Asbestos Lloyd Mines Ltd.; United Asbestos Corporation Ltd.), p. 6¹⁴
• Ownership: “Allied Mining Corp. Ltd. optioned the Asbestos Lloyd Mines Ltd. claims” (Allied Mining Corp. Ltd.), p. 9¹
• Exploration: “An operation of 150,000 to 200,000 tons per year is envisioned” (Allied Mining Corp. Ltd.), p. 9¹
• Reserves: “an indicated 120 million tons of 9-percent ore” (Allied Mining Corp. Ltd.), p. 9¹

1972

• Ownership: “will provide a $12 million loan to help finance production at the asbestos property owned by Allied Mining Corporation Ltd.” (Allied Mining Corporation Ltd.; United Asbestos Corporation Ltd.; Mercantile Bank of Canada), p. 18²
• Ownership: “planning a merger with United Asbestos Corp.” (Allied Mining Corp.), p. 10³

1973

• Ownership: “United Asbestos, Inc., the name of the company resulting from the merger of United Asbestos Corp., Ltd., and Allied Mining Corp.” (United Asbestos, Inc.), p. 8⁴
• Exploration: “Production of 100,000 tons per year of fiber is planned to start in 1974” (United Asbestos, Inc.), p. 8⁴
• Reserves: “contains 31 million tons of 9% fiber ore in grades 5, 6, and 7” (United Asbestos, Inc.), p. 8⁴

1974

• Output: “This mine should add 100,000 tons per year to Canadian production” (United Asbestos Corp. Inc.), p. 9⁵
• Exploration: “firm plans to bring its Midlothian mine into full production in mid-1975” (United Asbestos Corp. Inc.), p. 9⁵

1975

• Reserves: “Indicated ore reserves are 150-million tons down to the 1,000-foot level” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 34⁶
• Mill: “The mill has an annual start-up production capacity of 100,000 tons of fiber” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 34⁶
• Buyers: “Kanematsu-Gosho Ltd., Tokyo, holds exclusive distributorship in Japan and ICC Mexico S.A. is the exclusive distributor in Mexico and Central America” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 34⁶
• Mill: “the new mine and mill of United Asbestos Inc. at Midlothian Township in Ontario had reached the tuneup stage” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 9⁷
• Opened: “began trial production in August 1975 at its new asbestos mine at Matachewan, Midlothian Township” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 34⁶

1976

• Worked: “The mining, crushing and drying facilities are running at 67% capacity and the milling at 30%” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 36⁸
• Worked: “was operating its mine at Midlothian Township in Ontario at yearend” (United Asbestos, Inc.), p. 9⁹
• Idle: “closed during the spring by Ontario's environmental authorities” (United Asbestos, Inc.), p. 9⁹
• Worked: “With a difficult year of tune-up at our Midlothian Mine under our belts, we look forward to ... achievement of full capacity in early 1977” (United Asbestos Inc.), said by United Asbestos Inc., p. 12¹⁰
• Dust and health: “The Ontario Government halted milling operations on April 12, 1976, and ordered a general clean-up” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 36⁸

1977

• Ownership: “jointly studying the possibility of acquiring the inactive operation” (Woodsreef Minerals Ltd.; Labrador Mining and Exploration Company), p. 31¹²
• Closed: “Early this year United Asbestos was placed in default by bondholders and its bank and, consequently, the asbestos mine at Midlothian, Ontario, ceased operating” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 31¹²
• Ownership: “Woodsreef Minerals, Ltd., was studying the property relative to acquisition” (Woodsreef Minerals, Ltd.), p. 9¹⁵
• Closed: “placed in default by its bondholders and bank in March, and the mine at Midlothian, Ontario, closed” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 9¹⁵

1978

• Idle: “Mining operations have not been resumed at the asbestos operation at Midlothian; will require a substantial additional investment to achieve commercial production” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 38¹⁶
• Ownership: “United Asbestos, Inc., has ended its receivership” (United Asbestos, Inc.), p. 11¹¹

1979

• Dust and health: “the original plant was built to conform to then-existent government standards for the control of dust levels; United Asbestos would have to make some rather extensive modifications” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 45¹³
• Description: “The facility is situated at Midlothian Township, some 40 miles south of Timmins” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 45¹³
• Idle: “the Midlothian mine will not be reopened in the near future” (United Asbestos Inc.), p. 34¹⁷

1980

• Opened: “Work on reopening the mine and mill at Midlothian, Ontario ... postponing the reopening until the summer of 1980” (United Asbestos, Inc.), p. 11¹¹
• Idle: “United will await the findings of the Commission before proceeding with the Midlothian operation. Meanwhile, the plant is supervised by a maintenance crew” (United Asbestos Ltd.), as reported by Midland Doherty Ltd.; Gardiner Watson Ltd., p. 25¹⁸

Other names

Documents call this mine “United Asbestos mine at Midlothian”, “Midlothian Mine”, “Midlothian Asbestos Mine”, “Asbestos Lloyd Mines Ltd. claims”, “Midlothian Township, Ontario, asbestos deposit”, “Midlothian mine”, “Allied Mining Corporation property”.

References

1. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1971 (January 1, 1972), p. 9.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1972, December 1972 (December 1, 1972), p. 18.
3. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1972 (January 1, 1973), p. 10.
4. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1973 (January 1, 1974), p. 8.
5. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1974 (January 1, 1975), p. 9.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 34.
7. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1975 (January 1, 1976), p. 9.
8. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 36.
9. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1976 (January 1, 1977), p. 9.
10. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, January 1977 (January 1, 1977), p. 12.
11. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1978–79 (January 1, 1980), p. 11.
12. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, December 1977 (December 1, 1977), p. 31.
13. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, October 1979 (October 1, 1979), p. 45.
14. Asbestos Magazine, 1971, December 1971 (December 1, 1971), p. 6.
15. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1977 (January 1, 1978), p. 9.
16. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, December 1978 (December 1, 1978), p. 38.
17. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, December 1979 (December 1, 1979), p. 34.
18. Asbestos Magazine, 1981, January 1981 (January 1, 1981), p. 25.