There is town in north Ontario

North Ontario is a subjective term. To Ontarians it means anything north of Toronto, which to the rest of Canada is below the 49th parallel and quite far south. North Ontario just means the northern part of the inhabitated bit of the province. If you look at a map of Ontario the exploration mining camp I'm at is geographic north-south middle of the province but quite close to the Quebec border which is an important influence on the regional cuisine.

Every year, I'm spending less time in 'the field' so even a week of hauling core boxes and bagging samples is good fun. This is not the glamerous field work I like to brag about and neither is the location. The Canadian shield is heavily forested rolling hills covered in lakes, muskeg, swamps, beaver dams, mosquitos, black flies and black bears. Over 1.5 meters of snow has melted in the last week so neither the bugs or bears have gotten too active. The snow has melted, but it hasn't stopped falling. It has been COLD until today. Today I only wore one pair of gloves.


There are 4 of these rows of core sheds and foundations are being poured for another 2 rows. Plus all the historic drill core archieved on the core library (aka graveyard). Lots of rock. Lots of $$ to drill and explore for metals. I am always amazed at how little metal costs when you look at the expense of finding a deposit, developing the prospect, defining the ore body, designing the mine, protecting the bugs and bunnies and fish and water and air, operating the mine, getting the concentrate to the smelter, smelting and then sending the metal to some manufacturing plant to make some dumbass disposable electronic device. If it can't be grown it's got to be mined and we don't (yet) pay the true price of for any goods. I either need a raise so I can buy new rain pants or just need to duck tape these so they last one more field season.I'm getting back to Vancouver tomorrow and straight onto the road bike and then eating a HUGE leafy green salad with spinach and drinking some beer! I bet my bikes have been lonely this week.