EDITORIAL — Our mining heritage: an industry in itself

Some of the most popular tourist destinations in rural Canada are former mine sites. Barkerville, a small British Columbia town which keeps alive the spirit and color of the historic Cariboo gold rush, is one such attraction. Another is Dawson City, in the Yukon, where tourists can enjoy a hand of poker and a few cold ones at Diamond Gertie’s, or pan for gold at one of the historic placer mining sites.

Farther south in British Columbia, visitors pour through the famous mining museum in Rossland that celebrates the heyday of the LeRoi gold mine. And each year, hundreds of tourists drive a short distance north of Vancouver to visit the Britannia Mining Museum, a former copper producer where thousands of men and women once worked and thrived.

Ontario also has a rich mining heritage, which is best displayed in communities such as Cobalt, Timmins and Kirkland Lake. And Quebec’s mining past is no less impressive. A new museum opened last year at the site of the past-producing Lamaque gold mine in Val d’Or and has attracted more than 10,000 visitors to date.

In fact, Canada’s history is so intertwined with mining that almost every part of the country features some historical landmark related to the industry. This is also true in the United States, particularly in the west. Nevada’s Carson City is characterized by its mining heritage, and much of the state’s gaming industry reflects a gold-rush theme. Utah has a popular museum at the site of the Mercur gold mine, a historic producer still being worked, and many rural parts of California have tourist attractions that hearken back to the days of its famous gold rush. Even a football team, the San Francisco 49ers, attests to the state’s mining past.

All this goes to show that our mining heritage is worth preserving. We agree with the Ontario Prospectors Association, which recently expressed concern that too many old mills and headframes are being torn down across Canada. “There are times when sites should be considered as historical landmarks, and treated as such,” the association noted in its recent newsletter.

We agree. By preserving our mining past, we can learn how the industry contributed to nation-building and helped bring about our high standard of living.

Mining companies can play a key role in preserving historic structures. Rather than destroy historic equipment and buildings, the industry should work with local heritage societies to ensure that some artifacts are preserved in museums.

Mining communities should keep in mind that tourists are drawn to the color and adventure that typified the boom towns of yesteryear. Hotels, restaurants and community halls can do a lot to reflect this theme by providing the kind of ambience that will attract tourists and provide competition to franchise eateries.

Our mining past is a national treasure which ought to be preserved. In addition to serving as an educational tool, museums and monuments can provide economic benefits to local communities by drawing tourists. No other industry has as much color, adventure and human drama as mining, and these qualities are as evident today as they were 100 years ago.