Page 83 By Gregory Reynolds Presenting someone with a key to the city is usually a symbolic gesture for a visiting politici ans or someone who is merely famous but in the case of John Larche being so honoured by the City of T imm ins, it was because he more than deserved it. He is a man who has given millions of dolla rs to the T immins and District Hospital, who has been a community leader and who has devoted his life to the mining industry and the men and women who spend their live s in that feld. One of the happiest days in Larche’ s life was July 4, 2002 when he was informed that he was to receive the Order of Canada for charitabl e works, involvement in the mining industry and community ef forts. On Jan.27, 1997 Larche was recog - nized as a Paul Harris Fellow at a banquet held by the T immins Rotary Club for his contribution to his com - munity . On May 15, 2012 the city took time in the middle of its 100th anniversary celebrations to honour three prospec - tors with strong T immins connections for their lifetime achievements. Larche, 84, and fellow T immins pros - pector Don McKinnon, 82, staked the claims that became three of the most important Canadian gold mines in modern times, the Golden Giant, the David Bell and the W illiams. The Hemlo discoveries near Mara - thon, ON gave new life to the nation’ s gold mining industry and made the two men multi-millionaires. Larche and McKinnon, along with geologist David Bell, shared the Pros - pector of the Y ear A ward for 1982 for their work on the Hemlo fnds. The third prospector honoured at Pr ospector John Lar che stands tall among his peers The three men who played the key roles of the three gold mines at Hemlo were from left prospectors John Larche and Don McKinnon and Geologist David Bell. They shared the Prospector of the Y ear A ward for 1982. Cont’d on pg. 82 “The Porcupine Camp” 100 Y ears of Mining Page 81