History

When we think of mining history, we often think of the gold rushes that lured frenzied prospectors to wild and untamed lands or early coal miners toiling deep underground. Countless communities sprang up because of these mining operations—some survived, some didn’t. For many that survived, mining has remained the lifeblood of the community. What has been handed down from generation to generation is that passion for prospecting—whether it be for gold, coal, diamonds or molybdenum. And there is still a pride in preserving the past and the roots of mining as we look ahead to the future.  

Recent History articles

Close-up of concrete headframe and tipple structure at the historic Morden Colliery.
Mining Insider, History, Mines, British Columbia Province funding restoration of historic Nanaimo coal mine structure

Built in the early 1900s by the Pacific Coal Company, the concrete headframe and tipple structure is all that remains of the Morden Colliery

Haul truck and digger at Elkview Mine (TECK) at Sparwood BC.
History, Mines, British Columbia The Elkview Coal Mine celebrates a milestone

This year marks the 50th anniversary of surface mining at Elkview mine near Sparwood, B.C.

by Zoë Dupley
Fossils discovered in B.C. province, new regulations for mining companies put the fossils in Royal Museums and local history exhibits.
Education, First Nations, History, British Columbia British Columbia’s new fossil protocol

The government of British Columbia has implemented a new recovery protocol for the removal and preservation of found fossils.

by Zoë Dupley
Guy Santucci, Cranbrook History Centre Board Chair, and Jason Jacob, President of East Kootenay Chamber of Mines, with one of the dino prints.
Mining Insider, Education, Exploration, History, Mines, British Columbia Local dinosaur prints on display at Cranbrook History Centre

Teck loans museum 140 million-year-old meat-eating raptor tracks found in local mines

In 2014, John Kinnear (centre) stands in front of a memorial as part of a honour guard during the 100th anniversary of the Hillcrest Mine Disaster, when 189 men were lost.
History, Mines, British Columbia Third-generation coal miner and local historian

John Kinnear followed his father into the mines, then dedicated 35 years to remembering lost coal miners of Western Canada.

by
The crocodilian track slab Kevin Sharman identified while working at Teck Resources' Quintette Mine.
History, British Columbia Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia—not your typical mining town

Small British Columbia town finds harmony between industries as it endures ups and downs of mining.

by
The twin towns of Michel and Natal were the original settlements in the Elk Valley.
History, Mines, British Columbia The struggles and spirit of Canadian coal mining towns

History of coal mining in Sparwood and the Elk Valley

by
The Madison property in Butte, Montana
History, Mines How to revive a gold mine

Broadway Gold Mining is looking to capitalize on an old mine’s success in Butte, Montana.

by
Bob Moffatt, standing in front of weathered building.
History, Mines, Alberta Bob Moffatt: A pioneer of Canada’s energy sector

Even after retiring, Bob Moffatt has returned to Atlas Coal Mine—his first place of employment.

by
Family Fun Day at Britannia Mine Museum.
Mining Insider, History, Mines, British Columbia Celebrate BC Mining Week with Family Fun Day at Britannia Mine Museum

The Museum will also debut its new 2016 summer exhibit, Water: Beneath the Surface, which examines the complex world of H2O.

Vintage pictures of miners lining up to register their claim
Mining Insider, Education, History, Mines, Global Kickstarter campaign hopes to pay tribute to Robert Service and his influence on mining in Canada

Kurt Breede, of Watts, Griffis, and McQuat Ltd., has written a screenplay based on Robert Service's poems of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Picture of CP Rail coal train travelling through the Kootenays.
History, Mines, British Columbia Coal production in B.C. is a thriving industry

B.C. is fortunate to hold immense coal reserves measuring more than 23 billion tonnes of which 13 billion tonnes are steel-making, metallurgical coal

by Gerry Warner
The blue piece with the two rollers is Caliper's latest invention, the Roller Saddle Block.
Company Profiles, History, Technology, British Columbia, Global A BC company whose inventions improve mining equipment

Mike Hambalek and his team at Caliper Machine and Hydraulics in Cranbrook have come up with some heavy equipment innovations that are being used globally.

by Karen Kornelsen
A yellow boat with fishermen floats down a deep blue river against a stunning backdrop of trees and mountains
History, Sustainability & environment, British Columbia Working Together to Protect the Elk Valley Watershed

Marcia Smith, senior vice-president, sustainability and external affairs at Teck, writes regarding the government management plan issued for the Elk River

by Marcia Smith
Photo of concentrator building
Education, History, Mines, British Columbia A family visit to the Britannia Mine Museum

A family visits the award-winning Britannia Mine Museum at Britannia Beach on British Columbia's coast.

by DaleAnn Shellborn
Photo of Kirstin Clausen, Buddy the Miner and Gavin C. Dirom
History, Minerals, Mines, British Columbia BC’s Association for Mineral Exploration turns 100

BC's Association for Mineral Exploration turns 100

by Jessica Kirby
Book cover
History, British Columbia The McLeod Luck: a Hard Rock Story

Read this award winning auto-biography of the life and adventures of B.C. mining pioneer Don McLeod.

by Gail Jansen-Kesslar
Photo of the historical Engineer Mine
Company Profiles, Exploration, History, Mines, British Columbia, Yukon BCGold Corp.

Precious metals are on the rise, but BCGold Corp. knows there's a lot more to being a junior company than exploration projects.

by Breanne Massey
John Hansuld was humbled by the letters he received to be inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame this winter.
Exploration, History, Mines, Global The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame inducts the “father of flow-through”

Hansuld longed to work outdoors, but he hadn’t heard about geology before, but after more than three decades as a mining executive—Hansuld is a mining legend.

by Breanne Massey
View all History articles