James Rennie lost his life in the Porcupine, Northern Ontario, forest fires on July 12th, 1911, while in pursuit of his professional duties.
He was educated in Edinburgh, in which city he was also apprenticed to a firm of civil and mining engineers and attended technical classes at the Heriot Watt College. From 1896 to 1900 he was employed in the engineering department of the Fife Coal Company, Ltd., and thence to 1903 he was assistant manager to the Edinburgh Collieries, Ltd., during this latter period obtaining a first class certificate as a mine manager.
In 1903 he went to South Africa, and occupied the position of engineer to the Lisbon Berlyn Company, Ltd., Pilgrim’s Rest, Transvaal, until 1907. Moving thence to Canada, he entered the service of the Casey Cobalt Silver Mining Company, Ltd., Ontario, and it was in the course of his duties in that connection that he died as above stated.
Mr. Rennie was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1905.
Vol. 21, Trans I.M.M., 1911-12, p.730
