Steep Rock Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Steep Rock Lake |
|
|---|---|
 Steep Rock Lake
Location in Ontario
|
|
| Location | Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 48°47′N 91°40′W / 48.79°N 91.67°W |
| Type | lake |
Steep Rock Lake was a body of water near the township of Atikokan, northern Ontario, Canada. It was originally fed by the Seine River.
During World War II, a program was implemented to drain the lake. This diversion of the river allowed open-pit mining of hematite iron ore under the middle arm of the lake by the Inland Steel Company and its subsidiary Caland Ore Canada. By 1949, the site was producing a million tons of ore per year and had an estimated 500 million tons of ore deposits.
This lake was the site of an elaborate UFO hoax in 1950. In 1957, a caribou antler was discovered in the exposed silt. This specimen may have been deposited here by a barren-ground caribou at the end of the last ice age, demonstrating that the species once lived in this region. These caribou are now found much further to the north.
Images for kids
-
Early Mining Efforts at Steep Rock Lake
-
Map showing the present flow of the Seine River and the Former course of the river prior to diversion.
-
Errington Open Pit Mine
-
Aerial of the Hogarth Open Pit located in the foreground.
-
Dredge "Marmion" being moved during Operation Up and Over.
-
View of mining in the Roberts Open Pit Mine.
-
Aerial of Caland Open Pit Mine
-
Aerial of Charleson Recreation Area
