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Bruce Mines is a community in northern Ontario that originated as a direct result of copper mining in the mid 1800’s. Named after the 1847 Governor General of Canada, James Bruce, the town is located on the north shore of Lake Huron.
Initially, settlers were drawn to this area by the stories of ‘native copper’ used and worn by the First Nations people. The potential of the copper deposits caught the attention of the mining industry and attracted investors from the British Isles, and Upper and Lower Canada. In 1847, the first Canadian commercial shipment of copper was exported from Bruce Mines. This initial shipment began thirty years of copper mining history, establishing Bruce Mines as the first successful copper mine in Canada.
Today, copper mining in Bruce Mines is non-existent, however we continue to celebrate our unique history with the seasonal operation of the Simpson Mine Shaft and the Bruce Mines Museum.
