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Flin Flon MLA Clarence Pettersen delivered the following member's statement in the Manitoba legislature on Tuesday: Mr. Speaker, on the heels of National Mining Week, I would like to speak about a true gem that is located in Snow Lake, Manitoba _ the Snow Lake Mining Museum. The 14,000 square foot museum serves as a testament to the importance of mining to the community of Snow Lake. This area has been a prolific mining powerhouse for the last century, producing metals such as silver, gold, copper and zinc. Snow Lake traces its history to 1927, when local prospector C.R. Parres staked a gold claim on a site that would later become the Town of Snow Lake. His find would become a fully operating gold mine when in 1943 the Howe Sound Exploration Company began developing it. Mr. Speaker, this mine is still in operation today, nearly 70 years later. The Snow Lake Mining Museum itself opened in 1996, and has since become a significant tourist destination for Snow Lake. Gaining Star Attraction status in 2006, it features many displays and types of equipment that give visitors a fuller understanding of mining operations and their place in Snow Lake's history and future. Visitors learn of the difficult work that miners face, and the technological advances that have made prospecting and exploration, diamond drilling, shaft sinking and underground mining methods easier. With a mandate to preserve and present the exploration and mining way of life which opened up the North, the museum is a reflection of life in Snow Lake and northern resource communities more generally. Mr. Speaker, mining has a long history and a bright future in Snow Lake. The world class Lalor mine is currently under development, and many other mines are still in operation. Mining has allowed towns like Snow Lake and others in my constituency to flourish and sustain themselves, often in remote locations. As such, I commend the Snow Lake Mining Museum for serving as a source for the history of mining in the area, and I hope all members will join me in celebrating its role as an educational institution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
