The Refinery Pour / La coulée de l'or

[English] Once the ore is mined from the earth, the gold must be removed from the ore. The extraction of gold from ore and refining it into 'pure' gold involves a number of physical and chemical processes that are carried out on an industrial scale. , Smelting, which results in nearly pure gold, involves melting the negative terminals in a furnace at about 2,100 degrees F (1,149 degrees C). When refinery workers add a chemical mixture known as flux to the molten material, the gold separates from the metal used to make the terminals. They can then pour off the flux and then the gold. Molds are used to transform the liquid gold into solid bars called doré bars. These low-purity bars are then sent to refineries all over the world for further processing. The statue shows two workers pouring a gold bar. , Mines will then ship these doré bars to refineries, where they will be processed yet again. Modern refineries use chemical or electrolytic processes to separate pure gold from other substances. In the Miller Process, chlorine gas is bubbled into the molten gold. The impurities within the gold separate from it and form chlorides, which concentrate on the surface of the molten metal. It is then relatively easy to pour off the purified gold which is about 99.5% pure. , Maurice Gaudreault was a Northern Ontario clay sculptor who immortalized everyday life in northern Ontario through his work. He created three large collections, the first being "I Still Remember" (1993) which chronicled his early life on a farm in Fauquier, Ontario. "He was called Jesus" (1996) was an exhibition based on the public life of Christ; this show toured throughout the province. With "Wildlife" (1998), the artist paid tribute to the animals and wildlife of Northern Ontario. Maurice worked on a series of sculptures for the Timmins Underground Gold Mine Tour which is now relocated across the community. Maurice Gaudreault passed away in 2000. ,