Plinth, Port Radium, Northwest Territories, Canada

8”x10” palladium print from original 6x7 medium format negative

1/15 Limited Edition available.

The first eight tonnes of uranium ore were shipped from Port Radium on July 28, 1931. The Mine was unique in that it produced ore that was unusually rich in uranium oxide, up to 80%, an incredible concentration considering the the majority of uranium ore extracted in the North America at the time relied on the uranium mineral carnotite, with a concentration of uranium oxide less than 4%. In 1933, the Eldorado Mine was the only source of radium outside of the Congo and broke the Belgian monopoly on the rare metal.

The Eldorado Mine operated for the next 51 years. At its height, Port Radium was home to 350 people, including 25 families. It had its own RCMP station and Post office. There was even debate about whether to declare the site the capital of the Northwest Territories. By the time the mine finally closed in 1982, the Eldorado and Echo Bay Mines had produced:

• 388 metric tonnes of silver

• 450 grams radium

• 6,214 metric tonnes of uranium oxide

• 127 metric tonnes nickel

• 227 metric tonnes cobalt

• 4,762 metric tonnes copper

The buildings were burned to the ground and the site abandoned. In 2009, the site at Port Radium was completely remediated and all the remaining structures were removed, and areas of radioactivity were covered with rock. All that remains at the site is this memorial, alerting those who visit to the history and legacy of Port Radium on the world.