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The Lassonde Mineral Engineering (LME) Program is one of the so-called 'Core 8' engineering programs at the University of Toronto.  It is also one of the first,
The Lassonde Mineral Engineering (LME) Program is one of the so-called 'Core 8' engineering programs at the University of Toronto.  It is also one of the first, established along with the rest of the [[Skule|School of Practical Science]]
Through 27 core technical courses, taught by award-winning faculty members and practicing engineers, students gain expertise in all aspects of the industry, from exploration and extraction to processing, refining, upgrading and waste management. The program includes a strong emphasis on experiential learning, including a trip to an operating mine and a nine-day field course called Geology Field Camp for Mineral Engineers subsidized by the Lassonde Fund.
 
As a result of the visionary leadership and generous philanthropy of Dr. Pierre Lassonde, the program continues to address the most pressing challenged facing the mining industry, from new technologies to extract value from low-grade ores to innovations that improve the sustainability, economics and social impact of mining.
==Departments and Offices==
* Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program
* Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering
 
* Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
 
==Notable Laboratories==
* Lassonde Institute for Engineering Geoscience
 
==History==
The first Mining Engineering Department was established in 1878, and has been located in the Mining Building since its completion in 1905. Today, the Mining Building hosts not only what is now called [[Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program|Mineral Engineering]], but also the Lassonde Institute for Engineering Geoscience, and the [[Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering]] (IBBME). It is also home to one of the original lecture theaters at the university and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, that recognizes and honours legendary mine finders and builders who contributed to the growth and development of the industry in Canada.
 
As the original SPS was administered by the province, it was left to the province to design and build the Mining Building, which initially was to be called the “Minerology and Geology Building”. The initial plan was to accommodate the growing interest in advanced education in mining, and to build a new science building to accommodate the Departments of Minerology, Geology, Metallurgy and Applied Chemistry (in the end, it was called the “Chemistry and Mining Building”).  The estimated cost was upwards of $200K, and both the location and design were the subjects of extensive discussion and debate.  The building came to represent much more than a science building; it was to play a role as a Toronto landmark.
 
The landmark status of this building was due in large part to its location on College Street, which at the turn of the century was considered to be on the outskirts to the northwest of Toronto, but was increasingly used as an important east-west artery through the city. The city had expected a large westward expansion at the time, and the building would be one of the southern pillars of the University.
 
[[image:Mining Building Construction 1903.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Mining Building under construction, c. 1903]]
Before even an initial design was developed, a delegation traveled in search of the perfect building model, and visited other schools of metallurgy and mineralogy in Europe, Canada and the US.  Locations visited included Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Philadelphia, and Columbia University.  The group included Premier Ross, the Hon. Mr. Harcourt, Minister of Education, Hon. F.R. Latchford, Minister of Public Works, Chief Architect F.R. Heakes and Dean Galbraith.
 
The design work was eventually awarded to Francis Riley Heakes, Chief Architect of the Ontario Public Works Department and architect for the Whitney Block (a nearby set of buildings used by the Government of Ontario), and Frank Darling (who designed several other buildings at the University of Toronto).
 
Construction began in the summer of 1902, and was completed in the summer of 1904.<ref>http://heritage.utoronto.ca/chronology</ref>
 
==Structure and Architecture==
[[image:Mining_Building_Front.png|400px|thumb|left|Artist's rendering of the front facade of the Mining Building]]
The Mining Building was constructed in early-twentieth century [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaux-Arts_architecture Beaux-Arts style], with a bilaterally symmetrical front facade and monumental brick columns embedded within the exterior facing wall.  The design was inspired in part by other schools of metallurgy and mineralogy constructed around the same time, including those at Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University.<ref>L.W. Richards, ''University of Toronto: An Architectural Tour'', Princeton Architectural Press (New York: 2009).</ref>
 
The Mining building was originally to be a 4-storey structure made of stone and pressed brick. There were to be two wings extending north from the west and east side of the building, which would have enclosed a quadrangle which was to be used as a milling room. Tenders, when received, indicated that the initial building plans were too extravagant – the wings were cut and the design reassessed due to budget constraints.
 
==2011 Attic Expansion==
[[File:Mining Building West Entrance 2017.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Mining Building, west entrance from King's College Road, c. 2017. The new attic expansion is visible at the top of the building, as is the accessibility ramp to the bottom left.]]
In the fall of 2010, the University, in partnership with the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, began a $20-million renovation project of the Mining Building. The project converted previously unused attic space into the [[Civil Engineering Department]]'s Interdisciplinary Design Studio, a space that will be used primarily as a "home base" for the fourth-year Civil Engineering design projects. The additional space on the fourth and fifth floors, named the Goldcorp Mining Innovation Suite, provides 100 workstations for students in the mineral and civil engineering programs.
 
In addition, the space will provide graduate student offices to accommodate graduate student expansion and a convergence area for researchers and industry to collaborate on joint projects. The space is fully accessible via an interior elevator shaft, which was added north of the West stairs. Several offices and labs of Civil Engineering, Mineral Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and IBBME were displaced for the renovation.
 
New sustainable features were also added, including photovoltaic panels, improved insulation, the addition of skylights, and rain harvesting for watering of surrounding grounds.
 
The renovated building, officially renamed the Lassonde Mining Building after Dr. Pierre Lassonde, chair of mining giant Franco-Nevada, was re-opened in a ceremony on November 28.


==References==
==References==
*University of Toronto Archives
*http://www.greatpast.utoronto.ca/bios/history15.asp
*''Mail and Empire'', September 28, 1901
*https://civmin.utoronto.ca/home/programs/undergraduate-programs/basc-in-mineral-engineering/
*[http://www.civil.engineering.utoronto.ca/Assets/Civil+Engineering+Digital+Assets/news/civilian/2010-september/March+2010.pdf|''Greening the Ivory Tower'', The Civilian, Issue 8, March 2010]
*[http://news.utoronto.ca/transformed-lassonde-mining-building-celebrated|''Transformed Lassonde Mining Building Celebrated'', University of Toronto News, November 30, 2011]


[[Category:Programs]]
[[Category:Programs]]
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