DUMAS - Timmins Mining Company A Global Success

Since 1994, Dumas has evolved from a small Canadian-owned underground mining contractor to an international full-service underground provider. With more than 2,000 highly qualified and safety-focused employees, Dumas continues to enjoy steady growth in high-demand markets.

Although now headquartered in Toronto, Dumas’ hometown of Timmins is still very important to founder and CEO Dan Dumas. Recently, Dumas wrote a letter to Timmins City Council strongly endorsing the Hollinger Mine Open Pit Project. Dumas’ specialty is underground mine services and operations, so support for Hollinger’s surface mining proposal stems not from potential work, but rather from a passion to protect Timmins’ mining heritage.

The company prides itself of being in tune with the needs of the communities where it works, and becomes an involved community member whenever possible.

“Timmins is a mining town and Dan feels very fortunate to be from Timmins where he was able to start and develop Dumas,” said Katrina Maheu, Director of Marketing & Communications for Dumas.

“Dumas itself began in 1994 and started off as a five-man business, working odd construction jobs underground at the Dome Mine,” Maheu explains, and it grew from there.

In 1996 Dumas got its first big break – a contract for de-watering, rehabilitation and recommissioning of the old Young-Davidson Mine in Matachewan. This in turn led to winning a contract at Hoyle Pond in 1998, and from that a number of other doors opened and opportunities presented themselves.

Dumas attributes its success to continual improvement and a strong safety culture.

They also practice a great economic principle. Provide your client with quality, efficient work for less and do it with innovation and intelligence.

“While others shy away from complex projects, Dumas thrives on them,” Maheu said. “We impressed clients and differentiated ourselves from the competition by finding new and improved ways to do the work. Through innovation we provided quality work at less cost.”

Over the years Dumas has introduced several innovative concepts such as the Dumas Re-railer, a more efficient and safer way to re-rail underground locomotives, for which it won a Safety Innovation Award from the OMSCA.

Dumas also won a Safety Award for the development of the encapsulated crosshead design that prevents miners from sticking limbs out of the bucket during shaft sinking, which could result in serious accidents and lost time.

Yet another example of innovation is the Cryderman Tower that was developed by Dumas to use in early shaft sinking. It was used successfully on the construction of  Lakeshore Gold’s Timmins West Mine. The Cryderman allowed Dumas to excavate the shaft collar and lower the Galloway (a cylindrical steel shaft sinking platform) into place before the surrounding infrastructure was built.

As Dumas grew with each successive project the services it provided also expanded. Beginning with shaft sinking and rehabilitation, Dumas moved into mine development undertaking lateral development, conventional and mechanized raises, and inclines. At the Casa Berardi mine in Northwest Quebec, Dumas has even been undertaking production mining on contract to the company.

In 2007, Dumas was contracted to develop the Lake Shore Gold Timmins Mine. They excavated the shaft, and built the head frame and ancillary buildings housing pumping and mine dewatering equipment.  With Lakeshore Gold’s mine, Dumas was involved right from the concept and design stage to the construction phase.

In recent years, Dumas has extended its reach to international regions – establishing operational bases in Peru, Mexico and Guatemala.

The company is committed to developing partnerships with First Nations communities as they are the key to providing labour and services to mining areas which are typically located in remote northern areas.

In March 2012 Dumas formed Creeco Dumas Mining Inc., a strategic partnership between Dumas and Cree Regional Economic Enterprises (CREECO), to pursue mining development contracts with resource companies seeking to establish operations throughout Canada.

Dumas’ Gaetan Malette, Director of Aboriginal Relations, helped to negotiate the agreement said Maheu. “In every region where we work, one of our key operating principles is to benefit local communities. We do this in part by recruiting and training local people as opposed to relying solely on resources from outside the community, or expatriates,” said Maheu.

With forward looking approaches in Canada and projected growth internationally over the next several years, the world is at Dumas’ doorstep.