Bill Kowalchuk (b. 1905)

Bill Kowalchuk had many nicknames from the places where he has prospected: Labrador Bill, Hudson’s Bay Bill, Yellowknife Bill, Yukon Bill, and One-eyed Bill from an encounter with a bear. In 1979, he was mining his gold claim on Money Creek, off of Francis Lake, with a pan, pick, and shovel. He built his sluice box and generators. He developed a theory on how to locate gold and isolate it using potatoes with an unexplained technique. He called himself a sourdough and one of the seven wonders of the world.¹⁾