Viola MacMillan’s story begins in the 1920s, when she and her husband, George MacMillan, ventured into prospecting — a field almost entirely dominated by men at the time. Viola quickly proved herself in the rough-and-tumble world of mineral exploration, gaining respect for her tenacity and sharp instincts.
By the late 1940s, she had her first producing mine, and her star only rose through the 1950s, when she struck success with a series of lucrative mining operations.
The scandal that shook Canada
MacMillan’s career took a dramatic turn in 1964, when she became the central figure in the Windfall mining scandal. Shares in her company, Windfall Oil and Mines, skyrocketed from 56 cents to C$5.70 in just a few weeks, fuelled by speculation and rumours of a major gold discovery near Timmins, Ontario.
The truth was far less dazzling: core samples from the claim contained no gold. Viola and her husband…
