Graham Farquharson (1940–2022) was a Canadian

mining engineer Mining engineering is the extraction of minerals from the ground. It is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, metallurgy, geotechnical engineering and surveying. A mining engineer m ...

and

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

who was inducted into the

Canadian Mining Hall of Fame The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame was conceived by Maurice R. Brown as a way to honor Canada's mine finders and builders, in recognition of accomplishments by leaders in the Canadian mining industry. The Hall was established in 1988; in 2023 it ha ...

in 2011 and the Order of Canada in 2021. He is known for his work in the development of underground mining methods.

Career

Farquharson began his career as a mining engineer, gaining experience in underground mines in Canada and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. He later joined

Inco Limited Vale Canada Limited (formerly Vale Inco, CVRD Inco and Inco Limited; for corporate branding purposes simply known as "Vale" and pronounced in English) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Brazilian mining company Vale (mining company), Vale. Va ...

(now Vale), where he held various roles, including Vice President of Underground Mining. In this capacity, he oversaw the design and construction of several underground mines. Farquharson is credited with implementing Inco's "room-and-pillar" mining technique, which enhanced the efficiency and safety of underground operations. During his tenure, Inco's Copper Cliff Deep Mine emerged as one of the more productive underground mines in the worlds. Farquharson was a director of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council. He was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2010 in recognition of his contributions to the mining industry.

Philanthropy

In addition to his accomplishments in the mining industry, Graham Farquharson is also known for his philanthropy. He was actively involved in supporting education and community development and donated significant time and resources to a variety of charitable causes. One of Farquharson's major philanthropic efforts was his support of education. He was involved with a number of educational institutions and served on the boards of several universities and colleges. He was also a major donor to educational institutions and scholarship funds, with a particular focus on supporting students pursuing careers in the mining industry. Farquharson was also actively involved in supporting community development, particularly in

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on p ...

. He was a strong advocate for the development of sustainable communities in the region and provided financial support and leadership to a number of community development projects. His contributions to community development have also been recognized by various organizations. He received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...

in recognition of his philanthropic efforts. He has also been honored by the Ontario government with a prestigious Northern Ontario Heritage Award for his contributions to economic development in the region. Farquharson's philanthropic work shows a deep understanding of the importance of education and the role it plays in the sustainable development of communities. His contributions have had a positive impact on education and community development in Canada and his legacy continues to be felt through the work of the organizations and initiatives he supported.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farquharson, Graham 1940 births 2022 deaths Members of the Order of Canada Mining engineers 21st-century Canadian engineers Engineers from Ontario Canadian mining businesspeople