Who Was Dr. James T. Fyles?

James T. Fyles was born and raised in Vancouver. He received B.A.Sc (Mining) and M.A.Sc (Geology) degrees from the University of British Columbia. He then went to Columbia University, New York where he took post-graduate studies in geology, culminating with a doctorate degree.        

Before joining the Department of Mines in 1949 as a full-time geologist, he worked from 1946 to 1948 as a field assistant and temporary party chief with the then-known Mineralogical Branch and as a field assistant with W.H. Mathews in the Garibaldi Park area. He had completed detailed geological mapping and property examination in the following parts of British Columbia: Cowichan Lake, Lardeau-Ferguson, Salmo-Pend Oreille, Big Bend of the Columbia and Ainsworth and Duncan Lake areas.  

In 1971, Jim was appointed Senior Geologist in charge of the Mineral Resources section and became acting Deputy Minister in May, 1972.  On September 1, 1973, James T. Fyles was appointed Associate Deputy Minister for the Mineral Resources Division. With the change of government in 1975, more changes were made. On January 16, 1976, the Minister Tom Waterland appointed James T. Fyles as Deputy Minister. When the Ministry became the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, the Minister James J. Hewitt appointed Mr. Roy Illing as the Deputy Minister of the new ministry and Dr. Fyles as the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister.        

In 1981, Dr. Fyles retired from the Ministry but not from his love of geology. He continued on with consulting work for Kettle River Resources Ltd. based in Greenwood, B.C. In 1984, Dr. Fyles's last geological bulletin for the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources was produced: "Geology of the Greenwood-Grand Forks area, British Columbia". He continued to consult and lecture throughout the province for many years.