The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.
Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association honour trio of mining heroes
For many, the idea of prospecting goes hand in hand with the gold rushes in the early 1900s. Colourless men in britches panning the rivers outside of Dawson City, wearing wide brimmed hats keeping the sun off of their sweat stained backs.
However, prospectors have transcended the years and can still be found roaming the bush, the mountainsides and the valleys of Canada staking claims, seeking gold and above all, the big pay out from the mining companies. While the technology has changed drastically, the principle of hard work hasn’t.
Which is why the Porcupine Prospectors and Developers Association honoured three men with lifetime achievement awards for being at the forefront of their peers — they are mine finders. Don McKinnon, John Larche and Shawn Ryan were awarded for their prowess as gold finders, and more than that, their ability to provide mining companies a reason to dig deep.
“Prospectors live a hand-to-mouth existence,” said Gregory Reynolds, former managing editor of the Timmins Daily Press. “Never having a steady pay cheque and never knowing where in Canada the next contract will take them.”
This uncertain lifestyle takes a unique type of person, one that is driven, determined and uncompromising.
“It is both an honour and a privilege to give the background of two men who I am lucky enough to call friends,” Reynolds said. “I’ve known Don McKinnon since 1960 and John Larche since 1963.”
Both McKinnon and Larche began their prolific careers as mine finders during the Kidd Township zinc bonanza that brought prospectors, geologists and miners in force to the Timmins area in numbers that hadn’t been seen since the days of the Porcupine Gold Rush.
“John Larche is a worker, he believes in doing a full day’s work, for a full day’s pay,” said Reynolds. “He had decided while working underground that he wanted to be his own boss, but knew that he would need the education to make that dream come true.”
Reynolds then expanded on the Blind River native’s non-stop pursuit of everything he needed to be self sufficient. This included versing himself in geology and geophysics, obtaining a prospector’s licence and a pilot’s license, and getting a plane and all the equipment required to be a solo act in the field.
“His determination to succeed, his tireless work ethic and his love of the outdoors proved to be the perfect ingredients of a successful prospecting career,” Reynolds said. “He soon realized the dream of working on his own was not possible so he began putting together field teams to handle claim staking and geophysics.”
The rest is history, made possible by Larche’s mantra.
“You have to have the dream and dream that dream,” said Larche. “But you have to work hard to achieve that dream.”
The genesis of a legend who made millions through the tireless pursuit of a dream, but not without the help of an on again, off again partner in crime — Don McKinnon.
“Don believed that he could do anything and do a good job at anything,” Reynolds said. “He would stake as many claims as he could afford. He’d either tie up a large amount of land, or he wouldn’t bother.
“Over the years this meant that he made a lot more money than any ordinary prospector.”
Using staking crews, McKinnon made his money seeing the larger picture.
Together, McKinnon and Larche discovered one of the most prosperous claims made in Northern Ontario since the Dome discovery — the Hemlo find.
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