Cobalt: The Making of a Mining Superpower

by Charlie Angus

Finalist for the 2023 Trillium Book Award

The world is desperate for cobalt. It drives the proliferation of digital and clean technologies. But this “demon metal” has a horrific present and a troubled history.

The modern search for cobalt has brought investors back to a small town in Northern Canada, a place called Cobalt. Like the demon metal, this town has a dark and turbulent history. 

The tale of the early-twentieth-century mining rush at Cobalt has been told as a settler’s adventure, but Indigenous people had already been trading in metals from the region for two thousand years. And the events that happened here — the theft of Indigenous lands, the exploitation of a multicultural workforce, and the destruction of the natural environment — established a template for resource extraction that has been exported around the world. 

Charlie Angus reframes the complex and intersectional history of Cobalt within a broader international frame — from the conquistadores to the Western gold rush to the struggles in the Democratic Republic of Congo today. He demonstrates how Cobalt set Canada on its path to become the world’s dominant mining superpower.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Canada, Science, Environment, Audiobook, Politics

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! WOW! WOW! What a fabulous, fascinating and quintessentially Canadian read.

A brilliantly researched and compelling social history of the town of Cobalt, that is, at one and the same time, a social history of this nation of Canada. For anyone who is not familiar with the history of resource development - exploitation! - in Canada, and how it was used to force Indigenous communities off of the land, or how much it depended upon ‘foreign’ workers (who also experienced brutal racism)… this title is more than just a little primer.

Mr. Angus digs deep to expose the failure of our political leadership to chart the ‘right’ course - the one in which we would respect as well as own - and benefit from - the vast mineral - and other - wealth that is to be found in our Northern regions… Cobalt was the proving ground not only for new geologic and metallurgical methods and technologies that allowed for enhanced removal, but also for the social relations and political practices that, sadly, have changed very little in the intervening 100 years. (And which we continue to model and export to other nations around the world… shame!)

Mr. Angus ‘unpacks’ the incestuous relationship between the major players in the mining industry and the politicians of the day, and the myriad ways the in which the industry utilised the state as their agents... whether it be to ‘manipulate’ the financial markets in their favour, or to ‘imprison’ a captive labour force to sustain their interests, or to criminalise ‘enemy alien’ populations…there were so many ways…

Mr. Angus clearly articulates the push-pull nature of what was taking place - shaping up - in Cobalt… the ways in which the Cobalt experience was both helping to define, and also reacting to, events that were happening at both the regional, national and international scale.

The way in which Mr. Angus teases out the connecting threads, and intertwines them with interesting stories about the ‘real folk’ of Cobalt makes this a most enjoyable read. Despite having serious ‘academic’ and ‘critical’ merit, this still feels like a sort of ‘folksy’ tale, one in which the reader truly connects with the characters.

I feel confident that, even before we’re finished January, that this is definitely one of the must read pieces of Canadian non-fiction to be published this year.

Many many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing access to an early digital ARC.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed and informative history of the exploitation of mineral resources in and around the town of Cobalt, Ontario from pre-colonial times until the present. Not so much a book about mining methods per se but rather the social, environmental and public health impacts of mining activities on communities when undertaken by companies practicing primitive capitalism and overseen by provincial governments with a colonial mindset.

More than half of the book describes various aspects of community life, working conditions and the promotion of mining ventures during the period of 1903-1913. These were harsh and brutal times for most of the population of Cobalt but the mines made money and some of the shrewdest investors became very prosperous.

The latter part of the book deals with a host of issues that come to the fore as the 20th century unfolds, among them: wars, fires, wages, working conditions, mine safety, unionization, community health and sanitation, corporate paternalism, the treatment of immigrants and indigenous first nations and the exportation of the Canadian mining model to developing countries.

In essence, this book is about the social and political evolution that took place in most of Canada's hinterland regions during the 20th century. What happened in Cobalt also happened in hundreds of other small mining communities across the country. It's eye-opening and painful to read about the injustices that working people and their families endured in these locations; the environmental degradation, the squalor, poverty and discrimination. And yet, this is our factual history... not the sugar coated version taught in public schools. Canadians have much to regret about our past. It's true that many improvements have come about in the last 70 years... but we still have a long way to go. The "heartland-hinterland" divide described by Charlie Angus is a present-day reality. This book gives us a clear picture of where we've been and documents our progress away from many of the wrongs of the past. It also points out some of the failings and omissions that still dog the Canadian mining sector today.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of the history of the mining town, Cobalt. Cobalt has been part of my life, as it is in the same region as our summer cottage. The history of the founding of the town, the politics, the social divisions (I even know where Millionaire's Row is in Haileybury), and the struggle between blue collar workers and the bosses, along with the poverty and disease, is all stuff I didn’t know,or was only vaguely aware of. Even the finding of the silver vein was not true ( I had always heard that silver was found when Fred Larose threw a hammer at a fox getting into his lunch). Angus also writes about the colonialism of our mining industry, even today, and how that came from Cobalt. Great writing.

[Mary Jane Hele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read about mining development in Cobalt, Ontario and across the north and internationally. Also a great story about small town (mining town) Ontario. I learned so much and could not put the book down. Having grown up in a mining town in North-western Ontario I know a little about the boom and bust of these communities but Charlie Angus connected the history of Cobalt to major issues of today in simple language. A very readable book. An important book for Canadians to read.

[Carolyn Whitzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good Canadian history. Angus takes a revisionist look at several myths. He exposes the institutional violence behind the supposedly peaceful northern frontier town of Cobalt. Indigenous dispossession accompanied the discovery of silver and other economically important metals. Then complete lack of regulation led to cyanide and mercury poisoning the local waters, and a typhoid epidemic. Racist rhetoric spread another kind of poison within this multicultural community, and lack of taxation allowed huge mining companies to grow, who eventually moved on to exploit other workers, especially in Africa. Angus takes an episodic approach to a biography of the town, which makes for good chapters but a bit less of a coherent book. Highly recommended for history and social justice fans.

[Eryne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history that does not ignore Indigenous people, women, or people of colour. I liked the refreshing perspective, instead of the traditional focus that history books typically use.

[Hella Comat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening but tragic expose of the silver rush in northern Ontario in the early 1900s. The author, an MP for Timmins-James Bay and a resident of Cobalt, carefully researched the history of the area. Like the gold rushes of the 1800s, this one included the abject poverty, disease, and hopelessness of the majority, while the corrupt and greedy mine owners made a fortune for themselves and their shareholders. Angus also holds the government responsible for its lack of oversight of the environmental exploitation and horrific treatment of the Indigenous people.

To this day, the Canadian government values mining corporations so highly that they allow self regulating, lend billions, and allow huge tax breaks (or no payment of taxes at all for some) while these companies allow child labor, horrific working conditions, and then reap enormous profits throughout the world.

Thanks very much for the recommendation, Dianne!

[Patrick Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

We must as Canadians come to a deep reckoning with our relationship to the land we have settled and the land we continue to mine on this Earth. This book is a good start to that ongoing conversation.

[Lisa Demmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important read for anyone in Northern Ontario, especially those working in the mining industry and government. Angus weaves together countless pieces of regional history to share the story of how Cobalt contributed to the industry of resource exploitation in Northern Ontario, Canada, and the world. Much has indeed changed in mining and Angus clearly articulates this; however, the author poignantly describes the foundation of colonialism, classism, racism, sexism, and environmental destruction upon which this industry was built and largely continues to operate.

[J.H. Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning about the history of mining in Cobalt, Ontario was an appalling and infuriating experience (as many stories about mining tend to be) however, I did not know that Canada has a particularly bad reputation in this industry due to its lax regulations and massive tax breaks for mining corporations that has made it a haven for the bad actors in this industry. Despite the difficult facts he exposes, Charlie Angus does a great job bringing this story to the page in an engaging and readable work of Canadian history.

[Susana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angus delves deep into the industrial and social history of mining boom and bust town Cobalt. Through this the reader uncovers a fascinating history of both mining and it’s impact in Canada and around the globe. Angus unpacks the myths and realities of this significant part of our history.

[Kathleen Nightingale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This an excellent read if you are looking to discover mining in Northern Ontario. I would love to think we had learned from past mistakes. Nope. We are presently repeating history, just further north in the region of 'Ring of Fire'. Once more, southern Ontario white collar workers feel privileged and have the right to desecrate the Neskantaga Tribe while they mine and destroy their land.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this book because it’s on the OLA Forest of Reading 2023 Evergreen list.

It was extremely well-researched and very detailed.

Unfortunately, after reading 9 of the 21 chapters, I just couldn’t maintain interest and stopped.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't what I thought it was going to be about so I didn't finish it.

[Anne Smith-Nochasak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Angus presents the reader with a comprehensive and well-documented study that is still highly readable. This is no small accomplishment. He presents the facts succinctly, without sensationalism, but we are moved often to shock and outrage by their very being.

My generation grew up with the image of the lone prospector, panning in a chill northern stream, surrounded by pristine wilderness. The few women were always sturdy pioneer types who did well in a masculine world. The harsh realities of mining development in the early twentieth century in Ontario, Mr. Angus teaches us, were otherwise -- displacement of Indigenous populations, appalling social and environmental conditions, class wars, union struggles, pre- and post-war racist views, and the "darker realities of gender inequity -- especially in the realm of crime and punishment"(85), for example. We learn how some of these issues were eventually addressed, only to be recreated as Canadian interests expanded to new countries, even in our times.

I wanted to see the impact on the Indigenous populations more closely addressed, but that is really a book in itself, and the apartheid system of Canada has been addressed in his work, "Children of the Broken Treaty". Perhaps to study all the issues in one volume would be overwhelming.

Meanwhile, the image of wealthy citizens enjoying wilderness camps where they learned canoeing and other wholesome pursuits while the Indigenous people were packed off to substandard conditions except for the few who became "guides", more accurately servants, is one that stays with me. This is one of the ironies of the colonial dream, alas.

The author acknowledges our need for Indigenous guidance in current decisions; the past cannot be undone, but this points the way to building a wiser future. Hopefully, this is the time for Rabbit.
I recommend this book, especially to educators.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Angus is the NDP MP for James Bay- Timmins. The Northern Ontario town of Cobalt is the most historic community in Ontario, yet no one knows about it. As a prolific silver mining town from 1904 to 1921, it was a copy of the Klondike. Cobalt’s silver mines single-handedly changed Toronto from a back water town to a financial powerhouse and major resource centre. It set the course for a resource business model that exists today. Unfortunately, the model still reflects earlier times, profit for shareholders and owners being the ultimate goal. It also includes low tax rates, secret and low royalties paid to the government and suspect working conditions especially in parts of the world where the rule of law is compromised. Regulatory protection is such that Toronto is the preferred location for the headquarters of international mining operations. About 7800 mining properties are registered in Toronto, representing 100 countries and over $260 billion. It also reflects the philosophy that the northern Ontario hinterland works for the benefit of the southern Ontario heartland, leaving the hinterland undeveloped. The town is back in the news as a source of the highly prized mineral, cobalt. The company, Electra Battery Materials, formerly First Cobalt, is in the first stages of building a cobalt refinery and recycling plant, along with a battery materials park. Hopefully, the environment, the Indigenous community and working conditions are much better respected this time round. An interesting aside, the Montreal Canadiens played their first professional hockey game in Cobalt in 1921. It is the only team that has survived from that era.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about mining and the town of Cobalt, Ontario, Canada. In my early twenties I spent two years in the mining industry and some of my co-workers were from this area in Ontario where mining is a a big time industry. So this history is of particular interest to me.

The author describes the towns beginnings. It was a horrible miserable place with water poisoned by the lack of sanitary facilities and toxins from the metal refining dumped into fresh water supplies. Workers were very poorly paid and were often in debt for their train fare and supplies. Workers dropped like flies. Corrupt officials and police ensured that the only ones that benefited from the very rich deposits were the mine owners. Modern authors often mention how poorly the indigenous people were treated and how land and rights were taken away. Angus is certainly on board with that. Perhaps too much. What this book clearly illustrates in graphic terms was that everyone except the wealthy was treated poorly in Canada's frontier lands. Indigenous and the white man alike.

[1.1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great survey of the Canadian mining industry through the case study/lens of Cobalt, Ontario. Cobalt was a mining town that benefited and suffered from a silver rush of massive proportions in the early 1900s. All the big counter-themes of the Canadian mythos are thoroughly explored, from labour relations and colonialism to xenophobia and environmental degradation. Throughout that is a thorough history of the town of Cobalt from being a backwater to explosive development, through its inhabitants and history and to its current state. The exploration of the Canadian Myth and how it developed is a central theme, and it’s done quite well.

The telling, research, and consistency of this book are all impressive in their own right. The tone is never blasé or strident, more reporting the facts as they happened, and placing them in a historical perspective. This gets built out to the modern era in the closing chapters and to good effect. Extractive industries… and Canada… oft downplayed and never truly out of sight despite that.

[Stacy Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me. An accidental buy, turned into a page-turner. This little known town to many outside of Ontario and Canada played such a significant role in shaping modern-day Canada and its mining culture. Not just for people in the mining sector, but a must read for those interested in how industries impact nations, the welfare of workers and their families, and pop culture.

Most striking was the role the town of Cobalt and the rise of the mining town played in race relations and the marginalisation of groups of people as pressures from global and National entities emerged. Interesting to see that Anti-Chinese sentiment in Cobalt emerged just when the US passed a bill denying Chinese residents much of the same rights as others in the US, even if born in the US. Of course, the concerted effort to erase the Indigenous was gut wrenching, and how women were treated had me physically reacting to what was unfolding on the page.

[Matthew Gibb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about the history of Cobalt Lake in Canada, where silver mining thrived. Dont expect much about the mineral COBALT. That is more of a brief commentary at the end of the book. This has made me ask more questions about how coinage must have once commanded higher value and that started in Bolivia and Canada only to be debased by nickel and as its value dropped as paper money with inflated numbers came to represent value. The author postulates that the Global South has been colonized by northern mining companies and even mentions how the owners are often American and how the value of such land has been stolen from the natives. The rabbit and lynx story within is metaphorical,but very logical. The injustice served to the poor land owners is returning as the silver deposits dried up and the discovery that cobalt is useful and is also present there. In 100 years of exploitation and war the world today seems doomed to repeat the mistakes of back then.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful read about a place, time, and industry and how it shaped others like it. This book is filled with topic adjacent facts about such things as utility infrastructures, medical practices, sport, betting, news media, immigration, race relations, the legal process of the era, financial sectors, and taxation. There's even a couple dog side stories--which you can never go wrong with in my book. The only mild 'complaint' I have is it initially sets it up to be heavier on the indigenous relations fallout. There is a fair amount, but it isn't as continually parallel as the opening suggests it will be.

[Emanuele Gemelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I was carried away from the title and I thought the book was on Cobalt, the metal, and not Cobalt, the town; the latter of which I ignored the existence. Apart from that, the story is interesting, although is concentrated around the first 10-20 years of the 20th century and skims very fast into the 21st century leaving not that much insight on cobalt, the metal, which I think would have been a bit more complete and even more interesting

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 An interesting book focusing mainly on the town of Cobalt and it's history of mining. I appreciated the connections to Indigenous rights and story (it opens and closes with an Indigenous story) and I found it impressive that the author could look at the dark sides of mining and still acknowledge that it could evolve to provide minerals with less destruction if the focus was shifted from $$$$ to a more sustainable approach with shared partnerships and perspectives.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing and well researched book from Angus, who develops an easy to read narrative that considers all aspects of life in Cobalt. Angus explores everything from the misinformation in the local paper and by mine promoters, to the struggle between classes, unions, local government, and mine owners.
Angus doesn’t ignore the indigenous elements although it would have been nice if he had dug a little deeper in some of those areas. Overall a great historical piece and an easy 5 stars.

[Ann Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about the town of Cobalt (not the metal) where they mined silver (not cobalt). There is mining history, social history, labour history, Canadian history, banking history, regulatory history, and stuff about geology all to be found in here. Learned lots about Canadian mining that I didn't know before and how maybe not so proud we ought to be of Canadian multinational mining companies and how Canada regulates these entities.

[kathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and captivating. . Ancient indigenous knowledge, trade, sustainable mining then colonisation and the frenzy, the powerful, the desperate, the divisions and the togetherness among workers from many corners of the earth all to this silver streaked area of Northern Ontario. Dozens of fascinating stories centre on this town of Cobalt - once the most well known place in Ontario now a village.

[Alex Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent work of history - growing up in the region I knew bits and pieces of this, half-remembered from childhood, but its something else to read it all laid out in succession. I remember as a kid going with a friend and his parents first to a local play in Cobalt about the mining history, and afterwards to a party at Charlie's house - a very exciting night for a seven (or so) year old.

[Lee Selleck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cobalt's story will ring bells for anyone who has lived in a small, north american mining town: boom, bust, oppression and exploitation of workers, theft of indigenous land, and destruction of land and waters in the quest for power and the almighty buck. Charlie Angus puts us squarely into the small-town dynamic with colorful personal stories and their context. These are Canada's "founding" national stories, the history all Canadians must reckon with. Great work and a great read to boot.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, the book is about the city, not the metal. It is about history, not chemistry. This was rather disappointing but it still makes very interesting reading. For those, like me, who know nothing about Canada, Cobalt is a city in Ontario, which became famous in the earlier XXth century for its silver mines.
An interesting reading that reminds us of the cost of exploring finite natural resources and makes one ponder on the cost of technology.

[Steven Hepburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written peice of revisionist history. I was really amazed at the authors ability to tie in so many topical issues (the labour movement, indigenous rights, ecological degradation, equality, and of course: mineral exploitation) into the story of a town that is often overlooked.

Definitely 4.5 stars.