In 1956, the Lithium Corporation of Canada commenced shaft sinking in Nopiming Provincial Park. The mine site, which sits across from Cat Lake, was officially named the Irgon Mine. Substantial development work was done here, but the mine was never operational. Only a year after work commenced, in 1957, all work was suspended, because Lithium Corporation wanted to wait for a more favourable market for lithium oxides.
In the 1950s, lithium was mainly used to create ceramics and greases. Today, lithium is known for its role in producing electricity in nuclear reactors. However, in the 1950s, no nuclear reactors existed in Canada. The first one was completed in 1968 in Kincardine, Ontario.
The more favourable market for Lithium Oxide that Lithium Corporation wanted never came, and the mine was never completed.
Before abandoning the project, Lithium Corporation finished digging the mine shafts, which reached a depth of 241 feet. There is even a partially completed floor, at 200 feet. The shaft openings are currently sealed off with concrete slabs. Lithium Corporation estimated that over 1.2 million tons of lithium oxides exist at this site.
While the mine was never finished, and never contributed to Manitoba’s economy, it did have one big impact. Highways 314 and 315 were built to provide access to this site, and are now available for hikers, explorers and fishers to access Nopiming Provincial Park, which contains some of Manitoba’s most pristine and untouched wilderness.
