Tourist Centre

The word Gold in bold lettering with a gold coin in the center of the O

Just a 30 second detour off Highway 66 into Virginiatown will take you to the Tourist Centre where a huge monument stands as a tribute to the 1908 gold coin which was produced from the original mine output. Let your mind drift to another time as you glance at the many reminders of McGarry's rich mining past.

The Township of McGarry is very proud of its history and heritage and has seen a lot of change since the first prospectors staked their claims in 1904. The town was built by Kerr Addison Gold Mines in 1938 and by 1948 it was one of the largest company towns in North America. Most of McGarry's residents are associated with the mining industry in one way or another. A visit to the Tourist Centre will take you through the years from being the largest gold mine in Canada to a mine, with still good reserves, going into bankruptcy. Today, the current owners have commenced exploration.

Whatever the future holds is unknown, but, through the efforts of a passionate and enthusiastic town, the past will not be forgotten, forever housed within the walls of this fabulous building.