A picture of the Abitibi region of northern Québec and Ontario, and the story of how industries and towns spring up here almost overnight in the wake of successful prospectors. Willy, a Polish immigrant who arrives at Val d'Or to work in the mines, explores the town and runs into a prospector who tells him about the early days in the area. Meeting some local storekeepers later on, he hears how the northern towns have mushroomed around new mines. Finally we follow Willy down into one of these mines and watch the gold ore being taken out.