From the Ground Up: An Autobiography

Erin Millions teaches in the Department of History at the University of
Saskatchewan.

Viola MacMillan was a farmer’s daughter and domestic servant who
became one of the most influential members of the Canadian mining
community. Beginning in the late 1930s, MacMillan began to develop a
modest mining empire. She also helped to transform the regional
Prospectors and Developers Association into an influential national
association, and lobbied for the mining industry in both Ottawa and
Washington. All this she accomplished in a male-dominated industry at a
time when women were supposed to confine their activities to the home.
In 1964, MacMillan and her husband, George, were implicated in the
infamous Windfall Affair, which caused an uproar in the Canadian
business community and resulted in a royal commission. Both Viola and
George were charged with fraud, and Viola also served a prison term for
“wash trading.” Following the scandal, she and her husband
disappeared from the Canadian mining community.

From the Ground Up is not a true autobiography. In the late 1980s,
writer Phillip Smith conducted a series of interviews with Viola
MacMillan. The manuscript he produced was discovered among her papers
after her death, and was subsequently edited and published. This may
explain the lack of attention to MacMillan’s personal views and
relationships. An afterword by mining journalist Virginia Heffernan is
included to “provide context for the story and fill in some of the
gaps.” Given its purpose, the afterword would have served more
effectively as an introduction.

From the Ground Up combines tedious mining and business terminology
with tantalizing details about the work and life of an extraordinary
woman. The sections that deal with how MacMillan maneuvered in a
business dominated by men are the most fascinating. Although MacMillan
does not dwell on her gender as a barrier, she does offer insight into
some of the difficulties she faced and how she overcame them.
Unfortunately, these intriguing sections are often lost amid the details
of business deals and diamond drilling.