Mining Effluents And Their Control In The Province Of Ontario, Canada ? Introduction

Ontario, one of the richest mining districts in the world, is a natural storehouse for much of the earth's fresh water supply. Covering over 344,000 square miles, the surface of this Canadian Province is dotted with 250,000 fresh water lakes and is laced with uncounted thousands of fresh water rivers and streams. The southern portion of the Province, for the most part, is flat or lazily rolling farmland. This is where most of the people in Ontario live. Although it is not a major mining area, southern Ontario does possess important deposits of salt, oil, gas and gypsum. Most of these deposits are being actively worked. Toronto, the capital city of Ontario, lies deep in the southern region. Here the climate is mild and the winters are short. The total annual precipitation consists of 27 inches of rain and 65 inches of snow. Most of the major mining companies that do business in Canada have made Toronto their Canadian headquarters. There are two reasons for this. The first, of course, is money. Toronto is the gathering place of many well- known financial institutions. The second is access. Toronto lies within a few hundred miles of some of the most spectacular mining enterprises that exist in the world.