Mining in Marathon

Marathon and gold mining have been synonymous since the early 1980s. But it wasn’t always that way. The town’s history stretches back a hundred years earlier to 1883 when it was a stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Work camps sprung up all along the line as it inched its way out west, two rails at a time. Marathon was one of those camp stops, though it was called Peninsula back then. After the railway boom died, logging took its place which led to pulp and paper in the 1940s – an industry that sustained the town into the 21st century. 

A gold discovery at Hemlo in 1981 launched a mini-gold rush as other miners and exploration companies came to stake their claims. Barrick Gold’s mine alone has produced over 21 million ounces of gold to date (more gold than the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s produced), and the company continues to mine that rich deposit. The Town of Marathon partnered with Barrick from the beginning, understanding the mutual benefits. 

Today, that strong mining tradition continues in Marathon and the surrounding area. However, not all that glitters is gold – sometimes it’s palladium, nickel, and copper. New mines are quickly coming online. With the increasing worldwide demand for critical minerals that are so rich in Northwestern Ontario, mining will drive Marathon’s growth for decades to come. 

The Town of Marathon provides various supports to mines and mining-related companies including:

• Business incentives
• Connecting to local mining and industrial suppliers
• Providing a trained labour pool
• Giving a general “lay of the land”
• Facilitating office space
• Providing temporary and/or long-term housing options
• Assisting with finding funding sources (as available)
• Promoting mines and mining in the region and beyond