He was born April 10, 1885, in Point Alexander, Ontario, the youngest son of schoolteacher John Hollinger and Sarah Sutherland.
With his friend, a professional prospector, Alex Gillies– for whom Gillies Lake is named –Hollinger travelled to the Porcupine region, in the wake of the Wilson expedition which had recently discovered the future Dome Mine site.
Hollinger and Gillies staked three claims each, and one for their former partner, Bernard "Barney" P. McEnaney, who had been unable to join them due to severe sciatica.
Following a successful defense of their claim, Mattawa, Ontario attorney David Alexander Dunlap (1863–1924) joined the two pairs of brothers and, together, in 1910, the five equal partners incorporated Hollinger Mines, for which Hollinger's claim later produced more than 19 million ounces of gold worth over $600 million (Canadian dollars).
Following his untimely death from heart failure, The Porcupine Advance reported the pioneer prospector to have reputedly been "pleasant, cheerful, loyal and a gentleman always.