Hon. W. M. Benidickson (Minisier of Mines and Technical Surveys):

Mr. Speaker, the answer to my hon. friend's question is yes; I received a delegation from the western coal operators, and the matter is being given consideration.

Hon. W. M. Benidickson (Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys):

Mr. Speaker, may I reply to a question asked by the hon. member for Cape Breton North and Victoria, as recorded at page 12025 of Hansard for last Friday in which he asked whether there were any extensions of coal assistance with respect to eastern Canada.

Subvention assistance on Canadian coal under regulations prescribed by the governor in council was authorized by this house for a period of five years in supplementary estimates B passed on November 27, 1964. The regulations applicable have no expiry date and will continue, as in the past, to provide assistance on the movement of Nova Scotia coal to consumers in the competitive area, including the Ontario hydro commission.

Hon. W. M. Benidickson (Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys):

A number of Canadian gold mines are provided with financial assistance each year under the terms of the Emergency Gold Mining Assistance Act. In 1963, the latest year for which information is almost completed, 42 of the 50 operating Canadian lode gold mines received assistance.

The profits realized by a company which owns and operates a gold mine are not taken into consideration when the amount of assistance payable to the mine is calculated

Questions

under the provisions of the act. Calculation of the assistance payable to a gold mine is based on the average cost of production per ounce of gold and the number of ounces of gold produced each calendar year.

Of the 42 companies operating lode gold mines which received assistance, there were 17 which paid dividends. The companies and the approximate amounts of assistance received, for the latest company fiscal year available, are as follows: 1. Aunor Gold Mines Ltd. (1963), $486,362; 2. Bralorne Pioneer Mines Ltd. (1963), $396,629; 3. Dome Mines Ltd. (1963), $865,000; 4. Hallnor Mines Ltd. (1963), 184,579; 5. Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines Ltd. (1963), $1,879,102; 6. Kerr Addison Mines Ltd. (1963), $250,000; 7. Lamaque Gold Mines Ltd. (1962), $840,706; 8. Macassa Gold Mines Ltd. (1963), $161,261; 9. Madsen Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (1963), $454,000; 10. McIntyre Porcupine Mines Ltd. (1963), $1,340,000; 11. Pamour Porcupine Mines Ltd. (1963), $422,599; 12. Preston Mines Ltd. (1963), $410,002; 13. Renabie Mines Ltd. (1963), $282,009; 14. Sigma Mines (Quebec) Ltd. (1963), $421,000; 15. Sullivan Consolidated Mines Ltd. (1964), $433,353; 16. Teck-Hughes Gold Mines Ltd. (1962), $255,652; 17. Consolidated Discovery Yellowknife Mines Ltd. (1963), $246,917.

Eight of the gold mines operated by the 17 companies listed above recorded losses in the latest fiscal year for which returns are available. Three of the remainder had mine profits under $35,000 for the year. Six of the 17 companies received sufficient income from sources other than their gold mines to meet or more than meet the amount of dividends.

Hon. W. M. Benidickson (Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys):

1. (a) Between 1957 and 1964, 12 weeks were spent in Skidegate inlet and (b) about eight weeks for the other

[Mr. Hellyer-1

Queen Charlotte islands surveys. The cost of the Skidegate survey was about $27,000 and the Queen Charlotte islands surveys about $4,000.

2. Full tidal predictions for Queen Charlotte B.C. were included in our 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964 Pacific coast tide and current table.

3. No.

The Canadian hydrographic service is attempting to provide more tidal information from year to year by increasing the number of locations for which tidal currents are predicted, particularly on the Pacific coast. At the same time it is trying to prevent the publications from becoming so bulky they will be inconvenient to carry and use. To do this it is reducing the number of listings of tidal heights where suitable reference stations exist. One such listing which has been omitted in the 1965 tables is that for Queen Charlotte. The tides at Queen Charlotte are so similar to those at Prince Rupert that they can be predicted with accuracy by applying a small and relatively constant difference to the listings published for Prince Rupert.

Mr. Benidickson:

No, less than an hour.