PICKLE CROW GOLD MINES
Northern Aerial Minerals Exploration Ltd. discovered what was to be known as Pickle Crow Gold Mines in 1928. As was the case at Central Patricia, prospectors checked a quartz vein and found it to contain high-grade visible gold. From 1935, when production started, to 1966, Pickle Crow produced 1,448,177 oz. of gold from 3,217,572 tons of ore milled. A company store was built from the very start in order to supply the mine employees with food and the essentials. Pickle Crow also had a community hall, closed-in curling rink with two sheets of ice and an outside skating rink.
The last three gold bars were poured in September 1966. Those three bars did not reach the Royal Canadian Mint. A robbery occurred which remains unsolved to date. Here is an excerpt from the Fort William Daily Times Journal, dated September 6, 1966 regarding this robbery:
The search for clues in a gold bullion robbery at Pickle Crow Gold Mines in Northwestern Ontario continues. Late Friday or early Saturday, thieves broke into the mine office in the small community 230 miles north of Fort William and stole three gold bars, variously valued at between $78,000.00-$94,000.00. An unofficial source reports the robbers carefully drilled a small hole in the door of the vault next to the combination dial. A punch was then used to neutralize the combination. A metal strong box inside the safe containing the gold was opened with heavy metal cutters of some kind. After removing the three gold bars, weighing an estimated 120 pounds, the thieves carefully removed all signs of the break-in. Metal drill shavings were swept up and small wooden plugs were fitted into the hole near the combination dial. Shoe polish or some similar substance was used to cover the plug so it would blend with the colour of the safe door. In addition to the gold, about $500.00 in cash was taken, however, there is an unconfirmed report that about 18 pounds of gold in unrefined buttons were left behind. Speculation about the escape of the robbers is rife in the three small communities of Pickle Lake, Central Patricia and Pickle Crow. The favorite theory is that the robber got away by air. However, it was pointed out that they could have had enough time before the theft was discovered to reach the main Trans Canada Highway, 200 miles south by car. Or, they may have simply cached the loot in the bush nearby for later recovery. Investigation is being handled by Kenora District, Ontario Provincial Police Headquarters which reports no new developments today. Inspector A. Eade of Criminal Investigations Branch, Toronto and Inspector W.G. Bolton, Precious Metals Theft Branch, Timmins, have been called in to assist. They were both reported at the robbery scene today.