The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame was conceived by the late Maurice R. Brown, former editor and publisher of The Northern Miner, as a way to recognize and honour the legendary mine finders and builders of a great Canadian industry. The Hall was established in 1988 and currently has 150 members.

Maurice (Mort) Brown, well known and widely respected, convinced three pre-eminent Canadian mining organizations as well as The Northern Miner to sponsor The Hall with an annual financial contribution and staff support. The sponsors are:

• The Mining Association of Canada, founded in 1935, the national organization of the Canadian mining industry. Its members are engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication.
• The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, the national voice of the Canadian mineral exploration and development community. Its 5,000 plus individual and corporate members are the people who find mineral deposits and raise the money to develop them into wealth-producing enterprises.
• The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, which provides a vehicle to exchange technical knowledge and information among its 11,000 members. The Institute celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1998.
• The Northern Miner, which covers the worldwide activities of mining companies based in North America. It began publication in 1915, and provides mining and exploration news, information for investors and informed discussion on issues affecting the mining industry.

A Board of Directors (12 members appointed by the four sponsors) conducts the business of The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.