When 18th and 19th century European explorers and fur traders referred to the Great Slave Lake’s north shore aboriginals as the “Yellowknives,” did they already know about the area’s rich deposits of gold?

Probably not. They associated the name with the copper-handled knives used by the local First Nations tribe. In 1771, Samuel Hearne, in the company of the great Chief Matonabbee, risked his life to travel to the Coppermine River in a vain search for quantities of the valuable mineral, not realizing that the Yellowknives had acquired their copper knives in trade.

In the early 1930’s, however, the native name became doubly appropriate, when gold was discovered on the east side of Yellowknife Bay. (Equally fitting was the traditional South Slavey name for Yellowknife, “Somabak’e,” which means ‘money place.’) By 1937, with a boost from the brand new bush plane industry, Yellowknife became a boom town. As the “Old Town” community of shacks, tents and log cabins outgrew its Yellowknife Bay location, a new town site was established further up the hill. The city, named capital of the Northwest Territories in 1970, is now the largest community on Great Slave Lake, with a population of 18,000 people. A vast network of gold mining tunnels, stretched far below the city’s streets, has provided employment for Yellowknife residents for the past 60 years.

Sparkling Future: Yellowknife began a new mining era in 1998 with the opening of the Ekati Diamond Mine 300 kilometres northeast of the city. With a second diamond mine, Diavik Diamonds, now in production, Yellowknife has become a centre for diamond mining, manufacturing, cutting and polishing. The Yellowknife-area mines have a combined capacity of several million carats a year and are expected to make Canada one of the world’s top 6 diamond producers by 2010.

A Yellowknife Mining Chronology

1898 – B. A. Blakeney stakes the Great Slave area’s first gold mining claim on his way to the Klondike gold rush.

1905 – J. Mackintosh Bell of the Geological Survey of Canada makes the first mineral survey of the north shore of Great Slave Lake, indicates that it is favourable for gold.

1929 – Stan McMillan and Donavan Clark, on a bush plane trip to the Coppermine River, prospect the future site of the Con Mine.

1933 – C. J. (Johnny) Baker and Herb Dixon paddle up the Coppermine River to the Yellowknife River, then travel overland to Quyta Lake, where they discover gold.

1934 – Baker finds more gold on the east side of Yellowknife Bay. Burwash Yellowknife Gold Mines Limited is established. Burwash Mine operates from 1935 – 1937.

1935 – Consolidated Minerals Company established, following discovery of gold by Norman Jennejohn of Geological Survey of Canada. C.J. Baker and H. Muir stake the Giant Mine on behalf of Burwash Yellowknife Gold Mines.

1936 – First brick of gold produced at Con Mine.

1937 – Giant Yellowknife Gold Mines incorporated.

1938 – D. W. Cameron discovers gold-bearing outcrop at Giant Mine.

1943 – Geologist A.S. Dadson recommends diamond-drilling exploration of Giant area. Drilling carried out 1944 – 1946.

1948 – First gold brick produced at Giant Mine.

1985 – Giant Mine pours its 10,000th gold brick.

1986 – Nerco Minerals Corporation purchases Con Mine.

1990 - Giant Mine acquired by Royal Oak Resources Ltd. Main production shaft of Nerco Con Mine extended to depth of 1,902 metres, with 14 levels,
129 kilometres of underground workings and a workforce of 400.

1992 – Bitter strike at Royal Oak Mines claims the life of 9 miners, killed in a deliberately-set explosion.

1993 – Miramar Mining Corporation purchases Con Mine.

1999- Royal Oak Mines Inc. goes into receivership. Etavik Diamond Mine begins production.

2000 – Con Mine begins processing ore from Giant Mine.

2003- Diavik Diamond Mine goes into production.