In 1921,
copper ore was discovered in the area by the Miller brothers: Alfred, Sydney, Frederick, Angus and Theophilus. However, it was not until 1950 that
Noranda Mines actually began mining. The mining town was set up and named after James Y. Murdoch, owner of the mine and first president of Noranda. In 1953, the town was incorporated. The mining operation in the town was comparatively large, starting with mining the raw ore and finishing with an end product of pure copper anode. In the 1970s, the mining operation in Murdochville was large enough to support a population of 5,000 inhabitants. A number of large
union battles in Murdochville also helped lay the groundwork for ideas that still exist today. The 1957
Murdochville strike led to the adoption of several new laws protecting the rights of unionized workers in Quebec. In 1987, the mine was partially destroyed by an underground fire, and mining only resumed two years later. == Geography ==