Windfall: Viola MacMillan and Her Notorious Mining Scandal

Larry Ostola speaks with Tim Falconer about his book, Windfall: Viola MacMillan and Her Notorious Mining Scandal. Viola MacMillan was a trailblazing prospector and mining executive who rose to prominence in a male-dominated industry. In 1964, after decades of success, she became the central figure in a major stock scandal. Shares in her company, Windfall Oil and Mines, soared on unverified rumors of a big find. MacMillan remained silent as the price climbed—until the company admitted it had nothing. The crash devastated small investors and led to a royal commission and reforms in Canadian financial regulation. Though convicted and jailed, MacMillan was later awarded the Order of Canada. Tim Falconer is the author of Bad Singer: The Surprising Science of Tone Deafness and How We Hear Music and Klondikers: Dawson City’s Stanley Cup Challenge and How a Nation Fell in Love with Hockey, both named to The Globe and Mail’s Top 100 Books. He lives in Toronto, Ontario. Image Credit: ECW Press If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.