Agnew Lake Uranium Mine

The former Agnew Lake Uranium Mine is located approximately 40 km west of Sudbury in Hyman Township.

Agnew Lake was named after John Lyons Agnew, president of INCO in 1921.

During the mid 1950’s, the area was the subject of exploration for uranium following a discovery of uranium in Elliot Lake. During late 1954 and 1955 diamond drilling took place to determine whether there was enough uranium to justify mining the area located northwest of Worthington. Results of the drilling indicated an estimated 680,000 tonnes of uranium potential.

At the time, claims to the area belonged to Canadian Thorium Corporation, which was renamed in 1961 to Quebec Mattagami Minerals (QMM). Despite the encouraging results of the drilling, the quest for uranium fell dormant until October 1967 when Kerr Addison Mines expressed an interest in the rights to the area.

Between 1965 and 1967, Kerr conducted various drilling operations and finally in June of 1967 made the decision to incorporate Agnew Lake Mines and begin developing the site. A six-compartment shaft was sunk to a dept of 1,040 metres and development levels at 150,275,400, 460, 580 and 945 metres respectively.

Low uranium prices in 1970 resulted in further development of the mine to cease until the mid 1970s when prices increased again.

By the end of 1979 the mine had 7,636 metres of lateral tunnels and 1,220 metres of vertical shaft. It operated until 1983 by which time it has produced approximately 1.9 million pounds of uranium.

When the mine closed in 1983, the property was rehabilitated and all buildings were removed. The shaft was capped. Without any exploration or mining taking place in the area, all mineral claims lapsed and reverted back to the Crown.

In 2002 URSA Major Minerals acquired the property. Their next step was to hire the firm of Watts, Griffis and McOuat Limited to evaluate the property for potential mining. The results indicated that there was still ample uranium potential.

From 2004 until 2005 URSA conducted geological mapping and surveys but no mine was constructed. Finally in 2007 URSA sold the mine to Nyan Resources for $2.5 million.

In 2009 Cash Minerals Ltd. Agreed to purchase the property from Nyan, which may finally result in construction of the long awaited mine.