Plaque Location
The County of Renfrew
The Township of Greater Madawaska
On the east side of Graphite Bay Road 3km north of Hydro
Dam Road which is 8km west of Hwy 508 which is 15km west
of Calabogie
Plaque Text
The most important producer of
graphite in Canada during the first half of the
twentieth century, the Black Donald Graphite Mine was
located near here. The extensive deposit of high-quality
ore it exported was discovered in 1889 but mining was
not begun by the Ontario Graphite Company until 1895.
Operated by the Black Donald Graphite Company by 1908,
the mine increased output during World War I and in 1927
was producing approximately 90% of Canada's graphite.
Although underground workings were suspended in 1939
when the ore body was thought to be exhausted, mining
was resumed within four years to meet wartime needs. All
production ceased in 1954 and in 1967 the site was
flooded by the headpond of the Mountain Chute dam.
