Benjamin Hollinger (1885–1919) was a Canadian

barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a barbershop or the barber's. Barbershops have been noted places of social interaction and public discourse ...

turned

prospector Prospector may refer to: Space exploration * Prospector (spacecraft), a planned lunar probe, canceled in 1962 * ''Lunar Prospector'', a NASA spacecraft Trains * Prospector (train), a passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western ra ...

from

Haileybury, Ontario Temiskaming Shores is a city in the Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It was created by the amalgamation of the town of New Liskeard, the town of Haileybury, and the township of Dymond in 2004. The city had a total populatio ...

, now considered one of the Founding Fathers of

Timmins, Ontario Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 at the 2021 Canadian census and an estimated population o ...

, Canada. He was born April 10, 1885, in Point Alexander, Ontario, the youngest son of schoolteacher John Hollinger and Sarah Sutherland. With his friend, a professional

, Alex Gillies– for whom Gillies Lake is named –Hollinger travelled to the Porcupine region, in the wake of the Wilson expedition which had recently discovered the future

Dome Mine Dome Mine is situated in the City of Timmins, Ontario, Canada; and was developed during the Porcupine Gold Rush. Last operated by Canadian company Goldcorp, before it became a subsidiary of American company Newmont, it is one of three mines ( ...

site. On October 9, 1909, Hollinger discovered the gold-bearing quartz dike that later became known as

Hollinger Mines The Hollinger Gold Mine was discovered on October 9, 1909, by Benny Hollinger, who found the gold-bearing quartz dike that later became known as Hollinger Mines. With his friend, professional Prospecting, prospector Alex Gillies, Hollinger had trav ...

. Hollinger and Gillies staked three claims each, and one for their former partner, Bernard "Barney" P. McEnaney, who had been unable to join them due to severe

sciatica Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities such as heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often desc ...

. Not having sufficient financial resources to develop the capital-heavy mine site, Hollinger quickly sold his claim for $165,000 to the fledgling partnership of brothers

Noah Timmins Noah Anthony Timmins (March 31, 1867 – January 22, 1936) was a Canadians, Canadian mining financier and developer who is now counted among the founding fathers of Canada's mining industry. Early life and family Timmins was born Noé-Antoine, in ...

and

Henry Timmins Henry Timmins (born c. 1858) was a Canadian shopkeeper who, with his younger brother, Noah, became an influential mining financier. The brothers are considered to be among the most significant founding fathers of the Canadian mining industry. Earl ...

and brothers Duncan and

John McMartin John Francis McMartin (August 21, 1929 – July 6, 2016) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. He made his off-Broadway debut in '' Little Mary Sunshine'' in 1959, and acted on Broadway for more than 50 years. He won a Theatre W ...

. Following a successful defense of their claim,

Mattawa, Ontario Mattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. The first Europeans to pass through this area were Étienne Brûlé and Samuel de Champlain. History In 1610, Étienne Br ...

attorney David Alexander Dunlap (1863–1924) joined the two pairs of brothers and, together, in 1910, the five equal partners incorporated

, for which Hollinger's claim later produced more than 19 million ounces of gold worth over $600 million (Canadian dollars). Hollinger continued to strike claims and, on February 4, 1913, married Ellen Jane Hill, in

Pembroke, Ontario Pembroke ( ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario at the confluence of the Muskrat River (Ontario), Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley, northwest of Ottawa. Though containing the administrative headquarters of Renfre ...

. Together, they had a daughter and two sons. Hollinger died in Pembroke on November 26, 1919. Following his untimely death from heart failure, ''The Porcupine Advance'' reported the

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a person who is among the first at something that is new to a community. A pioneer as a settler is among the first settling at a place that is new to the settler community. A historic example are American pioneers, perso ...

prospector to have reputedly been "pleasant, cheerful, loyal and a gentleman always."

Legacy

Benny Hollinger 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 2010.

References

Sources

''Ontario 400'', "Noé Timmins", 400th Anniversary French Presence Project, October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2017.

"Reasons to Celebrate", by Diane Armstrong,''Timmins Times'', June 5, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollinger, Benny 1885 births 1919 deaths Canadian prospectors Mines in Timmins Canadian miners History of Timmins