Kirkland Lake

If you look behind the Legion, you will see a portion of what would have once been Kirkland Lake “the Lake”. “The Lake” once covered a large portion of the property behind the Chateau, as well as further North, South and West. The Lake ended at the Wright Hargreaves property, nearing the back door of the former Wright Hargreaves Hoist House (now Royal Canadian Legion). It stretched West towards the Teck Hughes and Macassa Mines. There was also once water where McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s are today.

Two surveyors from the then Department of Lands and Forests, Surveys Branch, named “The Lake”, and Winnie Lake after Winifred Kirkland, a Secretary from Toronto. The Township of Teck, officially became the Town of Kirkland Lake in 1972.

With seven major mine operations occurring around the same time in the community, three of them were using the lake directly. Harry Oakes’ prosperous Lake Shore Mine was the most prevalent. Harry believer that some of the richest gold deposits would be found beneath the lake, stretching further past the original “Main Break”.

By the mid to late 1920’s large portions of the Lake had been drained. Areas of the Lake were also used as tailings ponds – housing the byproducts left over from mining efforts and could include such chemicals as cyanide, arsenic and mercury.

The remains of the Lake are owned by Kirkland Lake Gold Inc., who own and operate many of the old mining properties along the former shores of the Lake.