Thomas Surluga

Thomas Surluga. . , For Wawa residents, the name Surluga instantly conjures images of an overgrown gravel road, abandoned headframes rusted mining equipment and forgotten ghost towns. , Tom Surluga was born in Krizisce, Croatia in 1907. As a teenager he found himself bound for Northern Ontario and quickly mastered English and the use of a pick and shovel. Tom first came to the Wawa region to work on the completion of the new power plant at Michipicoten High Falls in 1930. In 1931 Tom took up prospecting with Cliff Miller for $2.50/day along the Catfish Creek and Black Trout Lake north of Wawa. Supplies were loaded in a canoe, poled up the currents of the Magpie River and portaged over a mile and a half. Though nothing substantial developed in this area, Tom had caught the prospecting bug. , From 1950 to 1960 Tom was drawn to the abandoned Michipicoten gold mines south of Wawa Lake. He staked and re-staked mining claims in the vicinity of the old Cora and Jubilee mine sites. In September 1960 Tom re-staked his claim and 3 days later was negotiating its sale. Surluga Gold Mine was formed in 1962. In 1966 at the age of 73, Tom drilled the first hole and helped celebrate in the excitement of the development of one of many gold mine operations in Wawa's long mining history. , Between 1968 and 1969, over thirty thousand tonnes of rock were removed from the mine workings producing 2,300 oz of silver and 99,000 ounces of gold. The original Surluga Gold Mine operated as the Pango Gold Mines and Pursides Gold Mines Ltd. from 1973 to 1980. It was last operated by Citadel Gold Mines Inc. from 1980 to 1999. The towering head frame was a constant site for Wawa residents scanning the forest topography along the south shore of Wawa Lake. , The gravel access road from Hwy 101 to the Surluga property was once a popular route called the Surluga Road. It was regularly travelled by local history buffs, recreationalists and those residents searching for any familiar sign of the numerous deserted mines and abandoned town sites that were once a part of the lucrative boom and bust mining economy of the 1900's. , Story written by Johanna Rowe www.wawahistory.com