Uranium mining in the Elliot Lake area (more commonly known as the Blind River area prior to 1955) represents one of two major uranium-producing areas in Ontario, and one of seven in Canada. In the mid-1950s, the influx of people to Elliot Lake seeking uranium was described by engineer A. S. Bayne in a 1977 report as the "greatest uranium prospecting rush in the world". Mining activities peaked around 1959 and 1960 to respond to a US military needs for uranium during the Cold War.