Chesterville Mine

"The property of Chesterville Mines, Limited, is in McGarry township, Timiskaming district, Ontario, about 25 miles east of Kirkland Lake. It consists of a group of fifteen claims that extend northeast from the KerrAddison mine for a distance of 2 miles.In June, 1906, two groups of prospectors left the town of Chesterville, Ontario, to prospect in northern Ontario. Silver had been discovered 3 years before at Cobalt and the large profits of this young mining camp were the principal incentive to extending the field of exploration northward. One group consisted of Dr. Reddick, Edward Flynn, John Hummel, William Knott, and Colin Cameron. The other group comprised J. T. Kearns, Herman Hummel, W. G. Barkley, and J. Elliott.The two groups travelled north by train to Haileybury and thence to Larder lake by canoe. Camps were pitched on the northeast arm of the lake, and within a short time a discovery was made by Edward Flynn of the first party, who found gold on the property now owned by Kerr-Addison Gold Mines, Limited. Herman Hummel and J. T. Kearns shortly afterwards made the second discovery, on what is now the Chesterville property. These discoveries, made some years prior to those at Porcupine and Kirkland Lake, are believed to be the first in that part of northern Ontario.The Hummel-Kearns claims were incorporated in the following year under the name of Chesterville Larder Lake Gold Mining Company, Limited. It was not, however, until 30 years later, in 1936, following the increased premium on gold, that sufficient capital was placed in the treasury of the Company to carry out an extensive diamond drilling programme. This exploratory drilling was started early in 1937 under the direction of Leo. J. Kearns, and a large body of ore was intersected in the first drill hole. Underground work was started in 1938, a mill was built, and the first gold brick was poured on July 29th, 1939."