Limestone mining industry had its beginnings during the early days of the Red River settlements.

Salt was produced until 1874 by boiling water from brine springs found on the west side of Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis.

First mining of coal, Vadon mine, Turtle Mountain field, and continued intermittently at McArthur, McKay and Manitoba coal companies until 1908.

John Gunn opened a limestone quarry at Garson.

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City of Winnipeg, Manitoba Construction Company began quarrying, Stony Mountain.

Discovery of gold at Herb (Wekusko) Lake.

Staking of the Flin Flon orebody, Flin Flon.

Discovery of the Rex mine, Wekusko Lake showings.

Discovery of copper-nickel deposits at Oiseau (Bird) River.

Shaft sinking at Flin Flon.

The Legislative Building formerly opened on July 15, 1920, the 50th anniversary of Manitoba's entry into Confederation. The building is constructed of Manitoba Tyndall ® Stone.

Mining begins, Onondaga mine.

Lake Superior Metals Company Limited, started production at Gold Pan and Gold Seal (mine), Gold Lake.

Discovery of Central Manitoba-Kitchener orebody, Long Lake.

Rex mine, Wekusko Lake, production $150,000 in gold to 1925.

Lake Superior Metals Company Limited, stopped production at Gold Pan and Gold Seal (mine), Gold Lake.

Gull (property) produced Molybden.

Mining begins at Flin Flon.

North Star Oil builds first crude oil refinery in Manitoba.

Production begins, Central Manitoba mine, Long Lake.

Construction of concentrator, copper smelter, and zinc plant begins at Flin Flon.

Shaft sinking at Sherridon mine.

Development begins, Oro Grande mine, Beresford Lake.

Manitoba Department of Mines and Natural Resources established.

Shaft sinking at Gem Lake mine.

Mining resumes, Mandy mine, Schist Lake.

R.M. of Rockwood begins quarrying, Stony Mountain.

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Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta assume control over their natural resources.

First production of refined zinc and blister copper, Flin Flon.

Production begins, Sherritt-Gordon mill, Sherridon.

Gold produced at Herb (Wekusko) Lake.

Deloraine Coal Company/Turtle Mountain Coal Mines, produced 600 tons of lignite near old McArthur mine.

Suspension of milling, Sherritt-Gordon mill, Sherridon.

First commercial production of salt, Neepawa Salt Ltd. from concentrated brines in a deep well, Neepawa.

Discovery of gold, God’s Lake.

Milling begins, Gem Lake mine and Cryderman mine, Wallace Lake.

Production begins, Grand Central gold mine, Wanipigow Lake.

Milling begins, San Antonio mine, Rice Lake.

Discovery of gold, Beresford Lake (later Gunnar Gold Mines).

Milling begins, Solo-Oro Grande mine, Beresford Lake.

Resumption of mining at Rex (Laguna) mine, Wekusko Lake.

Operations of Solo-Oro Grande mine, Beresford Lake suspended.

Operations resume at Rex mine, Wekusko Lake and Gem Lake mine.

Shaft sinking at Gabrielle mine.

Production begins, Island Lake mine.

Mining begins, Johnston Knee Lake mine.

Shaft begun Jowsey Island mine.

Discovery of gold, Echimanish River.

Milling begins, God’s Lake mine.

Suspension of milling, Island Lake mine.

Suspension of mining, Johnston Knee Lake mine.

Canadian Industries Ltd. purchased Neepawa Salt Ltd.

First production of tellurium and selenium at Flin Flon.

Resumption of mining, Solo-Oro Grande mine, Beresford Lake.

Production begins, Gunnar gold mine, Wallace Lake.

Suspension of mining, Jowsey Island mine.

Discovery of copper near Morton Lake.

Production resumes, Rex mine, Wekusko Lake.

First production of cadmium, Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company, Flin Flon.

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Suspension of mining, Gem Lake mine.

Production begins, Gurney gold mine, Cranberry Portage.

Production resumes, Sherritt-Gordon mill, Sherridon.

Suspension of operations, Central Manitoba mines, Long Lake.

First commercial shipment of lithium in Canada from Manitoba, Lithium Corporation of Canada, Bernic Lake.

Shaft sinking at Sunbeam mine, Star Lake.

Operations suspended, Rex mine, Herb Lake and Gurney mines, Cranberry Portage.

Discovery of copper-nickel orebody, Lynn Lake.

Discovery of chromite deposits, Bird River.

Shipments of gold ore from Ogama-Rockland mine, Long Lake to Gunnar mill, Wallace Lake.

Production of concentrates, Sherritt-Gordon mine, Sherridon.

Century Gold Mine, Elbow Lake, poured a gold bar and ceased operation shortly after.

Emergency Metals re-opens Mandy mine, Schist Lake.

Closing of God’s Lake mine.

Exploratory drilling of nickel-copper deposits, Lynn Lake.

Discovery of Schist Lake deposit and shaft sinking, Flin Flon.

Construction begins on the Snow Lake Mining road from Wekusko, and on the Hudson Bay Railway, to Snow Lake.

Production begins, Jeep gold mine, Wallace Lake.

Cuprus mine, Flin Flon area in production.

Sherritt-Gordon Mines sinks shaft at Lynn Lake.

Discovery of North Star deposit, through geophysics.

Development of scintillation counter prospecting method, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Production begins, Nor-Acme gold mine, Snow Lake.

Construction of oil pipelines from Gretna to Winnipeg.

Production begins, zinc fuming and zinc oxide treatment plant, Flin Flon.

Discovery of Don Jon orebody, Flin Flon through geophysics.

All mining and milling completed at Ogama-Rockland mine, Long Lake.

First commercial oil well in the Williston Basin, the “California Standard Daly,” near Virden, Manitoba. This marked the discovery of Manitoba’s first major field, the Daly Field.

Development of Sherritt Gordon nickel-copper deposits at Lynn Lake.

Underground exploration at Birch Lake Copper and Coronation properties, Flin Flon.

Discovery of Roselea oil field, Virden.

Production begins, Sherritt Gordon’s Lynn Lake "A" mine.

Completion of railway to Lynn Lake.

Milling begins, Lynn Lake.

Discoveries of Virden and Whitewater oil fields.

Production begins, EL mine, Lynn Lake.

Closing of Cuprus mine, Flin Flon area.

Production begins, Schist Lake mine.

Discovery of Pierson oil field.

Production begins Forty-Four Mines gold mine, Rice Lake district.

Discovery of West Butler, Regent oil field.

Shaft sinking begins, Moak Lake.

Announcement of Thompson project by Inco and Province of Manitoba.

Mafeking limestone quarries began producing.

Closing of Don Jon mine, Flin Flon.

Discovery of Kirkella oil field.

Closing of North Star mine, Flin Flon.

Closing of Nor-Acme gold mine, Snow Lake.

Discovery of Jungle Lake copper-zinc orebody.

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Completion of railroad from Chisel Lake to Optic Lake.

Production begins, Chisel Lake mine, Snow Lake.

Blowing in of Inco’s smelter, Thompson.

Operations begin, International Nickel mining and refining complex, Thompson.

Waterflooding initiated in Virden oil field.

Production begins, Rod No. 1 mine, Little Stall Lake.

Discovery of Wim deposit, Snow Lake area.

Discovery of the Anderson Lake deposit, Snow Lake.

Discovery of the Manibridge orebody, Waboden.

Production complete El mine, Lynn Lake

Production stopped at Forty-Four Mines, Rice Lake area.

Western Gypsum Products Ltd., Amaranth mine closed.

Opening of Stall Lake mine, Snow Lake.

Gypsum mining started near Silver Plains.

Development of the Birchtree mine.

Development of the Soab mines, Thompson.

Discovery of new Mississippian pool at Waskada oil field.

Opening of Bernic Lake tantalum mine, Lac du Bonnet.

Completion of railroad from Osborne Lake mine to Stall Lake mine.

New Gypsum mine opened at Amaranth.

Closing of the San Antonio mine, Bissett.

Production begins, Osborne Lake mine.

Dryden Chemicals Limited began processing salt east of Brandon, Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd. purchased the plant and continued operations under the name of Hooker Chemicals Canada. Brines were pumped from two wells until they were abandoned in 1978.

Discoveries of Reed Lake and Centennial copper deposits.

Production begins, Birchtree mine, Thompson.

Opening of Flexar mine, Creighton, SK, ore shipped to Flin Flon for treatment.

Opening of Dumbarton mine, Bernic Lake.

Development of Pipe Nos. 1 and 2 open pits, Thompson.

Bernic Lake, Tantalum mine began producing.

Discovery of the Ruttan orebody, Leaf Rapids.

Operations ceased at Garson Quarry.

Production begins, Fox copper-zinc mine, Lynn Lake.

Production begins, Dickstone mine, Beavertail Lake.

Canadian Salt Limited plant, Neepawa closed.

Production begins, Pipe No. 1 open pit, Thompson.

Gypsum mine closed, Amaranth.

Production ceased at Soab North and Soab South mines, Thompson.

Production begins, Ghost mine.

Closing of Flexar, Saskatchewan mine.

Production from Maskwa open pit.

Silver Plains gypsum mine closed due to flooding of the shaft.

Closing of Maskwa mine, Bird Lake.

Operations suspended at White Lake to allow deepening of shaft.

Suspension of mining, Birchtree, Thompson.

Centennial, Athapapuskow Lake, in production.

Gypsum Quarry opened at Amaranth.

Resumption of mining, White Lake mine.

Production begins, Lost Lake mine.

Development begins, Spruce Point mine.

Hooker Chemicals Canada abandoned salt brine wells near Brandon.

Bison Rock Products Ltd., begins quarrying, Stony Mountain.

Quarrying at Gypsumville, Elephant Hill quarry ceased.

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Successful recompletion of a producing well in Waskada Field. This was the first production recorded in Canada from the Jurassic Amaranth, or Spearfish, formation. This triggered Manitoba’s second oil boom.

Suspension of mining, Bernic Lake tantalum mine.

Milling begins, San Antonio mine, Rice Lake.

Production begins, Spruce Point and Lotus mines.

Closing of White Lake mine.

Closing of Lotus mine.

Discovery of Mountainside oil field.

Suspension of operations at Centennial, Athapapuskow Lake and San Antonio, Bissett mines.

Production begins, Rod mine, Snow Lake area.

Discovery of Namew Lake orebody.

Production ends, Pipe Mine, Thompson.

Waskada Gas Plant begins operations.

Mining of spodumene begins, Bernic Lake tantalum mine.

Westarm, Schist Lake closed to allow further exploration.

Resumption of mining, Centennial mine, Athapapuskow Lake.

Closing of Fox mine, Lynn Lake.

Production begins, INCO Ltd.’s Thompson open pit North mine, Thompson.

Production begins, MacLellan mine, Lynn Lake.

Commercial quarrying ceased at Gypsumville and Amaranth.

Production begins, Puffy Lake mine.

Closing of Ghost Lake mine.

Closing of Anderson Lake mine.

Closing of Centennial mine, Athapapuskow Lake.

Opening of Namew Lake nickel-copper mine, south of Flin Flon.

Puffy Lake operations suspended.

Resumption of production, Birchtree mine, Thompson.

Suspension of operations, Tartan Lake gold mine, Flin Flon.

Closing of MacLellan mine, Lynn Lake.

Production begins Thompson South open-pit mine, Thompson.

Domtar's quarry (old), Gypsumville ceased operations.

Production began at Harcus Quarry, Amaranth area.

Bison Rock Products Ltd., ceases quarrying, Stony Mountain.

Inco's open pits North and South mines mining completed.

Closing of Namew Lake nickel-copper mine, Flin Flon area.

Opening of Burnt Timber (BT Keystone) gold mine, Lynn Lake.

Westarm mine, Schist Lake re-opened.

Closing of Stall Lake mine, Snow Lake.

Closing of Chisel Lake mine, Snow Lake.

Re-opening of New Britannia gold mine (formerly Nor-Acme mine), Snow Lake.

Opening of the Keystone gold mine, Lynn Lake.

Closing of BT (Keystone Joint Venture) gold mine, Lynn Lake area.

Discovery of Bird Tail oil field.

Closing of Westarm zinc-copper mine, Flin Flon area.

Closing of the Photo Lake copper-zinc-gold-silver mine, Snow Lake area.

Closing of Keystone gold mine, Lynn Lake.

Opening of Chisel North zinc mine, Snow Lake.

Deepening begins, INCO LTD.'s Birchtree mine, Thompson.

Completion of expansion, Birchtree nickel-copper mine, Thompson.

The Mines and Minerals Act amended to change the confidentiality period for assessment reports (reports of work submitted by exploration companies).

Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting, 777 mine project completed, Flin Flon.

Anglo American sold Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting to OntZinc Corporation, which changed its name to HudBay Minerals.

Discovery of Sinclair oil field.

There are approximately 1,863 producing wells in Manitoba, 15 designated oil fields and 166 oil pools in southwest Manitoba.

For an overview of current mineral exploration in the province view the Manitoba Exploration Activity Tracker.

Visit the Petroleum web site to learn more about the Manitoba petroleum industry