Historic Sites of Manitoba: Gods Lake Gold Mine (Gods Lake, Northern Manitoba)

In the early 1930s, Robert Jackson Jowsey discovered deposits of gold-bearing ore on Elk Island in Gods Lake. He formed the Gods Lake Gold Mines Limited to exploit the deposits and built several gold mines, the first of which opened in 1935. The mine was powered by a hydroelectric generating station with electricity brought to the mine by a 42-mile transmission line.

The ore body was exhausted by the early 1940s and the mines here closed in September 1943. Starting in the 1950s, some of the buildings were used as a fishing camp by Barney Lamm.

Around 2007, most of the former mine structures were removed and the mineshafts were capped.

Gods Lake Gold Mine headframe (circa 2007) Source: Kyle Fountain View from the top of Gods Lake Gold Mine headframe (circa 2007) Source: Kyle Fountain Capped mine from Gods Lake Gold Mine (June 2022) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N54.66987, W94.15528 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Robert Jackson Jowsey (1882-1965)

Memorable Manitobans: Barney E. Lamm (1919-2002)

Manitoba Business: Gods Lake Gold Mines

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Elk Island Cemetery (Gods Lake, Northern Manitoba)

Sources:

“Roughing it in comfort,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 July 1955, page 21.

We thank Kyle Fountain for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 4 January 2023

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