Two former Dene uranium ore carriers at the Port Radium mine on Great Bear Lake hold up an advisory published by the Canadian Department of Mines in 1931 describing the hazards of handling uranium ores from Port Radium or any other uranium mine. The bronze plaque on the cairn in the background describes the kind of work done at Port Radium.

The plaque states in part: “The mine was re-opened in 1942 by Eldorado Mining and Refining Ltd., a federal crown company, to supply uranium for the Manhattan Project (the development of an atomic bomb). Processing of the radium and uranium ore resulted in the establishment of a world class refining facility at Port Hope, Ontario. Exhaustion of the uranium ore led to mine closure in 1960.” Photo by Robert Del Tredici, August 13, 1997.

Next →