Shipman Mine

INFORMATION

The Shipman Mine was hard to access. After walking through the woods and crossing two streams we finally ended up on what seemed to be an ATV trail. We walked up and down multiple trails for hours and found nothing. In our last hope we took a narrow path which led to a cabin in the woods. After examining the cabin, we found the opening to the Shipman Mine about 50 meters away from the cabin. The mine is flooded inside and has two parallel openings.

The following historical information was written and provided by Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Ontario.

Circa 1870 : pyrite was mined from an irregular pit 40 x 30 ft. A tunnel, started near the foot of the hill, was run S about 10 ft where a raise was cut to meet the bottom of the open pit, near the top of the hill. It is claimed that the reason for closing the mine was the high % of pyrrhotite mixed with the ore.

Geology Comments
06-Oct-00 (C Papertzian) - A possible fracture zone, about 1.5 ml long (see GSC map 7-1963), is mineralized with pyrite and pyrrhotite. Apparently, the mineralization occurs as a number of lenses along this zone, in quartzose gneiss and interbanded marble.

Site Visit Information
Date: 2005-Jan-24
Geologist : C Papertzian
Notes: This property was visited on October 1, 2004. The main opening measures 30 feet by 30 feet. A secondary opening of 4 feet by 4 feet was noted at the other side of the main opening. Water filled the bottom of the opening to a depth of 2 feet. Some large crystals of pyrite could be seen in the back and sides of the main opening.

POTENTIAL RISKS:
Restrictions Are Imposed
Private Property

Note:
No one should attempt to explore an abandoned mine as there are many dangers such as cave-ins, bad air, and hidden shafts. Explore at own risk.

White Nose Syndrome:

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed more than 5.7 million bats in the U.S. since the winter of 2006/2007. First noted near Albany, New York, it has spread at an astonishingly rapid rate. Little is known about its cause or transmission. A fungus is the causative agent for the disease. If WNS continues to spread, it will greatly affect both subterranean and surface ecosystems and may cause species extinctions. There are indications that people might spread WNS when they visit caves. Therefore, we must take every reasonable precaution to minimize the risk of workshop participants spreading WNS at faster than normal rates, and to keep the syndrome from reaching other countries.
mffp.gouv.qc.ca

How to prevent spread