Unveiling of $20M arch, stamps to mark bauxite centennial celebrations

Oct 17, 2016 News

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By Enid Joaquin

Linden is currently celebrating its hundredth year of Bauxite operations, and several activities are expected to unfold over the next few weeks, including the unveiling of four centennial stamps and an arch costing some G$20M on Casuarina Drive.
Beginning on Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd respectively, church services in honor of the auspicious milestone will be held at churches all across the community.
On October 25, the debating and quiz competition finals, featuring primary and secondary school students will be hosted.
A symposium and launch of the Centennial Magazine, which chronicles the history of bauxite over the past hundred years, will follow on October 26.
The publishing of the magazine is being sponsored by the Ministry of Natural Resources, according Mr. Horace James.
Former IMC Chairman of the Linden Town Council and former bauxite executive, Orrin Gordon, in alluding to the magazine, said that a lot of the contemporary ‘stuff’ has been left out. He however acknowledged that there is no way that one magazine can chronicle the events of a hundred years.
“Maybe in another year or two we will be able to add to what we now have, because we were just able to touch on a little of this and that, so there is more to be done.
We have to celebrate it (the centenary) from now on every year; we have a habit of not capturing our history, it is a serious lack in our community.”
With regard to the arch, which is being fabricated in Suriname, Gordon said that it is a shame that the first arch, which was donated to the Guyana Government on the country’s attainment of independence, was fabricated right in the bauxite plant, and that 50 years on, “we have to send to Suriname”, to get it done. The Arch is expected to be unveiled on November 21 at the junction of Washer Pond Road and Casaurina Drive.
A gift from BOSAI, the unveiling of the Arch is considered to be one of the most significant events to celebrate not only the 100th anniversary of bauxite mining, but also the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s Independence.
Another event of significance will be the unveiling of four centennial stamps by the Guyana Post Office Corporation at the Three Friends Mine on October 27th.

The following day a dinner will be hosted at the Watooka Complex.
A centennial Committee was established to coordinate, oversee and help execute the activities for the celebrations.
Comprising the committee are former senior executives of the Bauxite industry, union representatives, communications personnel, BOSAI executives, Region 10 leaders, representatives from the Linden Museum, tourism sector and the Linden Fund USA.
During the May 23rd launch of the centennial commemoration, chairman of the Committee, Horace James, noted that the bauxite industry has been sustained in Guyana for 100 years and had pledged that the Committee would develop a programme to appropriately commemorate this significant milestone.
James said that there are opportunities and scope for further development of the industry. He hopes that in the next 100 years, there will be other products coming from bauxite.
“It is believed that Guyana is capable of producing some 350 million tonnes of bauxite. But, generating sufficient electricity and diversifying productions are the biggest challenges facing the industry,” James said.
According to James, there is an average of 100 more years left in bauxite reserves in Region Ten.
He said that a survey discovered that there is 200 million tonnes of bauxite  at block 37, 18 million tonnes at Bamia, 40 million tonnes at East Montgommery and an unproven amount at Tiger Jump.
A simple ceremony at the old railroad yard in Linden last May, heralded the centenary of bauxite operations in the mining Town. The event coincided with the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s independence.
James, who worked with the bauxite company for many years in senior managerial positions, told of how several acres of land, rich with the precious ore, was bought for the incredibly low price of one dollar.
He expressed the hope that the history of bauxite would be passed on to the younger generation, and tasked the media with that responsibility.

BIRTH OF BAUXITE
Bauxite mining commenced in Linden, at the time known as Mackenzie, in October 1916.
The company was at the time managed by DEMBA  (Demerara Bauxite Company), a subsidiary of the Canada based ALCAN.
All the senior executives in those days were expatriates, who were brought in to manage the Company.
However, that all changed after DEMBA was nationalised in 1971. It was replaced with GUYBAU (Guyana Bauxite Company Limited).
Ten years earlier, the colossal alumina Plant was established at Spieghtland. It reportedly cost some G$65mil to construct.
Later in 1976, the Bauxite Industry Development Company (BIDCO) was established in Georgetown, as the holding Company of the bauxite industry.
One year earlier in January 1975, Demba’s sister company in Berbice – Reynolds Metal Company – had been nationalised, becoming the Berbice Mining Enterprise Limited (BERMINE).
This saw the Government of Guyana becoming the major shareholder of both operations.
The two entities were later merged in October 1977, under the name of Guyana Mining Enterprise Limited (GUYMINE), but were subdivided into Berbice and Linden Operations.
LINMINE (Linden Mining Enterprise) was formed  in June 1992 after the then Government, under the Public Corporations Act signed an order to dissolve GUYMINE and convert the Berbice Operations and Linden operations into separate entities.
The Berbice Operations subsequently  reverted to the original name of Berbice Mining Enterprise Limited (BERMINE), and the Linden Operations was renamed Linden Mining Enterprise (LINMINE).
LINMINE would then be managed by an Australian firm (MINPROC) Mining and Processing Engineers for three years-from 1992 to 1995
The Company would again change hands in 2004, when the OMAI Bauxite Co was formed to take over the operations of Linmine. The latter operated until mid-2007 after which the Chinese owned company, BOSAI Minerals Guyana Inc. took over the Linden operations.
While bauxite production continues despite fluctuations in global market prices for the product, production of alumina was discontinued several years ago with the closure of the alumina Plant.
Today the Alumina Plant still stands majestically at Speightland, but remains dormant.
There has been talk about its possible resuscitation, but so far nothing tangible in this regard.

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