Reflecting on the Bridge River gold mines

I recently read The Great Years by Lewis Green, on the history of the Bridge River gold mines in British Columbia. Green, a former Geological Survey of Canada geologist, begins by outlining the early prospecting days in the region and takes readers through to the operation of the Bralorne and Pioneer gold mines.

The Bridge River mines played a significant role in B.C.’s mining heritage. They provided direct employment for more than 600 miners through the Great Depression and 30 years thereafter.

The veins at the mines were spectacular structures — continuous and consistent in dip and strike — that contained millions of ounces of gold and silver.

The Empire, Crown and Queen shafts at Bralorne developed vein systems that extended over 5,000 ft. deep and 2,500 ft. in strike length. Faulting offset the deposits at intervals, yet the mining was continuous from one section to another. Ore grades at Bralorne averaged 0.7 oz. gold per ton, while ore grades at the Pioneer Mine averaged 0.4 oz. gold per ton. At Pioneer, the 1 and 3 shafts developed the “Main” and “27” veins to over 3,000 ft. of vertical depth and well over 2,000 ft. of strike length. When all was said and done, Bralorne produced 2.8 million oz. gold and 706,345 oz. silver over its life, while Pioneer returned 1.3 million oz. gold and 244,648 oz. silver. Nearby, the much smaller Minto and Wayside mines recorded 17,557 oz. gold and 5,341 oz. gold, respectively.

Pioneer ceased production in 1962, and Bralorne produced its last gold bar nine years later, in 1971.

Green’s book mentions all the old-timers who were prominent in the gold camp including: Dave Sloan, Howard James, Don Matheson, Ed Emmons, Bill Dunn, Bob Ekloff and many more. Also mentioned are prospectors and developers like Bill Davidson, Neal Evans, Will Haylmore, Charlie Cunningham, Frank Joubin, John Branca, and numerous others including the three Whiting Brothers.

I remember the magnificent Valley of Cadwallader Creek and working in the 27 and main veins at the Pioneer mine. They were wonderful, challenging days when the routine of each 8-hour shift was to drill off, load and blast a round — whether in raise, drift or stope — in that ribboned vein structure. The broken ore was trammed from each 100-foot level to the shaft and hoisted from there to the mill.

My bosses were Alex Stelmock, Bud Drury, and Jerry Rose; I later worked for Hughie Langille, alongside Mac Hunt and Jim MacNulty.

The camps enjoyed the competitive spirit of hockey and baseball games and curling bonspiels, which entertained families and workers alike.

During the Great Depression, and many years later, the Bridge River mines provided a continuous and robust work environment. Green has portrayed the life of the mines in great detail. He tells us of the opportunities that were available in the mines that marked both survival in the Depression and a period of strong economic growth in B.C.

The price of gold may be low today at $273 per oz., however, the old-timers performed minor miracles at the $10-per-oz. level back in those times.

— The author, a retired mining engineer, resides in Vancouver, B.C.