Celebrating Mining in the Elk Valley 2020

Mining Month — The Free Press

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Thursday, May 21, 2020 Page A9

Mining in the

Elk Valley BC Mining Industry is recognized, every year, during the month of May in the Elk Valley and across BC. Let’s celebrate our local area mines and related businesses.

CC

Clarkson Contracting Ltd.

Celebrating the Mining Industry We specialize in Residential & Commercial Construction, General Contracting, Excavation and Mining Services.

250.865.4500 info@clarksoncontracting.com

We are proud to support and serve the mine industry in the Elk Valley.

Page A10 Thursday, May 21, 2020

Mining Month — The Free Press

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Fernie Chamber of Commerce

Elkford Chamber of Commerce

Brad Parsell, Director

Shawna Bryant , Executive Director

As we celebrate Mining Month 2020 this May, it is a time to reflect on the history and benefits that mining has brought to the Elk Valley over the past hundred years or more.

Mining has been the key economic driver in our region for generations – bringing with it employment, investment, community-building and development.

May Is Mining Month

More recently, our local economy has become more diversified as tourism and small businesses flourish in its wake. While one family member may be attracted to our region for a position at the mines, another member of the family may look to start a new small business or get involved in other ways with our community. Major mining operators in our valley have demonstrated a willingness to give back to the communities where they do business by sponsoring events, local groups, and economic development initiatives. Much of the disposable income earned by workers at the mines makes its way back into our local economy in various ways.

The heritage of mining in the Elk Valley is filled with tales of triumph over adversity, innovation, and progress. The direct and indirect benefits to our community are evident all around us. Can you name another town of approximately 5,500 people in BC that has the diversity of businesses, opportunities, and offerings that Fernie has? Not easily.

It is impossible to imagine our modern mountain lifestyle here in the Elk Valley without the mining industry. As we look to a new uncertain economic future, we know that the industry will have a strong continued role to play in our local economy.

Happy mining month!

Mining month this year in BC may look a little different as our communities are not able to celebrate our miners and mining companies in the way that we normally would. But each day here in Elkford, there is still nostalgia in the air as we see our spouses, friends, neighbours and family members get into their personal protective equipment and get ready to go to work each day.

The march of buses, trucks and vans that drive by as kids still get excited and wave cheerfully as they go. The community parks and playgrounds that will be alive soon again with residents enjoying them once more because of our mining companies’ generous donations to have them built. So many community programs that have been started, sponsored events and job resiliency has made Elkford a strong thriving town. Mining has created a town and culture here in Elkford since the early 1970’s, bringing workers and their families here to create the community we now love to live in. Mining companies throughout the years in the Elk Valley exhibit compassion in giving back to our communities through fundraising, enhancing community initiatives and creating jobs that have boosted our industry strength to be more resilient than other energy sectors. From each dedicated worker to the compassionate companies in the mining industry in Elkford, they are contributing more than we can begin to express with how our town is today, a loving community that supports each other and comes together in good and bad times. The dedication that the mining companies have put in place to protect the safety of their workers, providing job stability in a very difficult time for so many and the continued support to resources needed in the community and assisting local businesses has been an exceptional experience.

Thank you to our mining industry and their hard-working employees for providing us in Elkford with the endless amount of support to our families, businesses and community!

Recognizing the importance of Mining Mining is one of BC’s largest and oldest industries, we recognize the on-going support that the mines provide to the Elk Valley.

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We are proud to serve the mining communities of Elkford, Fernie, Sparwood and area.

Est. 1898

FLOORING STORE

Mining Month — The Free Press

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Thursday, May 21, 2020 Page A11

Teck named to 2020 Global 100 most sustainable corporations list Vancouver, B.C. – Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TECK.A and TECK.B, NYSE: TECK) (“Teck”) has been recognized as one of the 2020 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations by Corporate Knights.

Teck was the top-ranked company in the Metal Ore Mining category and the only mining company included on the list.

“At Teck, being socially and environmentally responsible is foundational to our success and an important part of who we are as a company,” said Don Lindsay, President and CEO. “Our employees drive our continued commitment to operating responsibly and producing the materials essential to building a better quality of life for people around the world.”

The Global 100 companies are selected from all publicly traded companies with annual revenues of US$1 billion or more. Companies were evaluated based on a range of sectorspecific sustainability metrics, such as clean revenue percentage, water, energy and carbon productivity, and safety performance, as well as financial strength and business sustainability.

More information can be found at Corporateknights.com.

Teck has also been named one of the Best 50 Corporate Citizens by Corporate Knights for the past 13 years and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) for the last 10 years and in 2019 was the top-ranked mining company on both the World and North American Index for DJSI. Go to www.teck.com/responsibility to learn more about Teck’s commitment to responsible resource development.

About Teck Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc and energy. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TECK.A and TECK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TECK. Learn more about Teck at www.teck.com or follow @TeckResources.

Photo and information submitted by Teck

A Proud History; a Dynamic Future May is mining month. Teck is proud to recognize the skills and dedication of our employees, contractors, suppliers and support of our communities.

We proudly donate up to $1 million to East Kootenay and Crowsnest Pass initiatives that make our communities stronger. Investing in our neighbours, local businesses and infrastructure is an initiative we’re honoured to support and a responsibility we take seriously.

Learn more at Teck.com

Page A12 Thursday, May 21, 2020

Mining Month — The Free Press

Manitoulin is a local and global mining supply chain partner

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PRODUCTS THAT RELY ON MINING Credit: Mining Association of Canada

At Manitoulin Transport, we have the resources to get your shipments to its destination with ease. We have been in business for more than 60 years, with an almost equal amount of time spent serving the mining industry.

Our more than 4,000 pieces of transportation equipment gives us the ability to tackle the various types of shipments by the industry. This can be a pallet full of parts or a shovel excavator, we are prepared to handle the smallest to the biggest shipments.

Our ability to ship to 220 countries and territories, makes Manitoulin the obvious choice to be your local and global supply chain partner. Be it air freight or sea freight, our global forwarding specialist can guide you throughout the process.

Shipping with Manitoulin has never been easier. Mt Direct, our 24/7 We bring a wealth of knowledge in solving the intricacies and specific supply chain requirements of the industry. We have customized our online shipping portal, enables customers to conduct their shipping ways of having the right resources to get the job done from equipment, through their fingertips. Our technology enables our customers to book a pick up, get quotes, tracking and so much more. manpower, processes and technology.

With Manitoulin, we take pride in the success of providing supply chain solutions for our customers. Let’s start your supply chain journey together.

Photo and information submitted by Manitoulin

• Batteries (nickel, cadmium, lithium, cobalt) • Circuitry (gold, copper, aluminum, steel, lithium, titanium, silver, cobalt, tin, lead, zinc) • Smartphones (silicon, boron, lead, barium, strontium, phosphorus, indium) • Electric cars (copper, lithium, aluminum, nickel, cadmium, cobalt, zinc) • Wind turbines (steelmaking coal, iron ore, copper, nickel) • Medicine (uranium, zinc) • Energy (uranium, oil sands) • Musical instruments (silver, steel, nickel, brass, cobalt, iron, aluminum) • Sports equipment (graphite, aluminum, titanium, calcium carbonate, sulphur)

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If you need a partner that can just do about anything in domestic and global supply chain.

At Manitoulin, we have the total package.

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The mining industry has required extensive shipping coverage, be it locally or across the country. Manitoulin has the most direct shipping coverage by any provider in Canada. With our 82 terminals spread across rural and urban areas, customers are given the peace of mind by having an end to end provider handle the entire shipping process.

Additionally this limits the freight from being damaged or lost.

• Solar PV Panels (copper, iron ore, titanium, silver, gallium, indium)

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Connect with us at our Sparwood and Cranbook Terminals: 800-663-2705

Services: LTL / TL Heavy Haul Flat Deck Hot Shot Transborder Rail Intermodal Private Fleet Specialized Services Freight Forwarding

Celebrating y 60

ears

Mining Month — The Free Press

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Industry generates a total of $3.9 billion in sales of goods and service across the province

By Alistair Waters The head of the Mining Association of B.C. says its important for “latte-sipping urbanites” to realize the value of mining to B.C. Michael Goehring brought that message to Kelowna, telling the city’s chamber of commerce there are 100 companies in the city that supply more than $23 million in goods and services to the industry annually. Companies in Vernon and Penticton generate sales of another $21 million and $6 million respectively.

And it’s the same picture across the province with communities large and small generating a total of $3.9 billion in sales of goods and service to the industry.

B.C. has 17 mines and two smelters that account for 33,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate $12.3 billion year in economic activity, according to the mining association.

“Not a lot of people realize Vancouver is a big mining centre,” said Goehring, pointing to the fact there are 1,265 companies in Metro Vancouver that supply goods and services to the mining industry to the tune of nearly $1 billion a year.

Providing good paying jobs—the average salary in mining is $150,000 per year—the industry is the source of materials for not only this countries low carbon future, but that of other countries too through export, Goehring added.

Mining produces materials required for items such as solar panels, components for electric vehicles and coal for making steel. He said without mining, we would not have those materials.

Thursday, May 21, 2020 Page A13

New autonomous technology program at College of the Rockies

And the industry, he added, has now eclipsed the once mighty forestry industry in B.C. when it comes to its contribution to the province’s gross domestic product.

According to the MABC CEO, last year mining contributed $7.3 billion to the province’s GDP, while forestry came in at $6.9 billion.

But while he painted a rosy picture of the industry in terms of its contribution to the province and its economy, he said mining also faces some challenges, particularly in the form of the provincial carbon tax.

He said his association wants to see what he called a level playing field when it comes to the tax and wants B.C. mines to pay the same amount in carbon tax that other mines across the country pay, something that does not happen now. That’s in part because the B.C. carbon tax is no longer revenue neutral.

Other “challenges” for the industry include what Goehring described as over regulation, as well as high taxation and growing electricity costs.

He said hydroelectricity costs in B.C., once seen as an advantage to mining, have risen 70 per cent in 10 years and coupled with complex regulation, is impacting the competitiveness of the province’s mines.

In the southern Interior, the closest mines to the Okanagan are the Copper Mountain Mine in Princeton and the New Afton gold mine and Highland Valley copper mines, both near Kamloops.

By Trevor Crawley, Cranbrook Daily Townsman The College of the Rockies is launching a new two-year Autonomous Systems Technician diploma program beginning this fall with funding from the federal government.

The program is aimed at honing skills for installing, maintaining and repairing telecommunications equipment needed by autonomous heavy vehicles and sensor networks used in surface mines in B.C. and Alberta.

“We are living in a time when automation is rapidly transforming industry,” said Jack Moes, Dean of Trades and Technology. “New jobs are being created requiring talented technicians with new skills for this shifting work environment.

This pilot program aims to ensure a skilled workforce is prepared to respond to emerging needs in our region and beyond.”

The program was made possible through funding from Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster Capacity Building Program, which is part of a federal government initiative.

The program itself was developed with input from Teck Resources Ltd. and the Digital Technology Supercluster in order to be able to accurately reflect the resource industry’s needs. It is also designed so that graduates may find employment in various other telecommunication industry sectors.

ESSLTD.COM

EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE LIMITED

PROUDLY SUPPORTING COAL IN THE ELK VALLEY SINCE 1978

Proud Supporters of Mining in Our Communities

ESS IS GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND IS PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL CHARITIES & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES. SPARWOOD DIRECT: 250-425-7018 EDMONTON | CALGARY | SPARWOOD | VANCOUVER | OTTAWA | LONDON | SUDBURY | TORONTO

250-423-4607 792 2nd Ave., Fernie

250-425-6489 2-101 Red Cedar Dr., Sparwood

Thank you all for shopping local

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Mining Month — The Free Press

Proudly supplying our local area mines.

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Finding the right microbe: Teck, Genome BC and UBC partner to improve water quality

From the staff and management at

Sparwood, BC • 250-425-2119 www.shawsent.com Shaw’s is a leading supplier for the Mining industry with locations in • Sparwood • Cranbrook • Kamloops • Nisku • Calgary • Fort McMurray

Microscopic organisms, or microbes, live in almost every habitat on earth, from arid deserts to arctic tundra to the deep sea. Microbes, which include bacteria and some plants, play an important role in human health and culture, from fermenting food, to producing fuel, and treating water to remove contaminants.

CELEBRATING MINING Proud Supporters of the Mining Industry in the Elk Valley

CRANE SERVICES LTD.

Because microbes are extremely diverse, the challenge in harnessing their power is finding and promoting the right ones for the job. When Teck discovered that microbes could be used to treat mine-affected water, we partnered with the experts at Genome BC and the University of British Columbia to find the best ones for the job.

Together, Teck and Genome BC funded a $400,000 research project at UBC to determine important information about microbial processes that remove selenium and nitrate from waste rock and water.

Dr. Clemente Miranda, Senior Environmental Engineer with Teck’s Applied Research & Technology group in Trail, B.C., has been working with Dr. Susan Baldwin, a professor in UBC’s chemical and biological engineering department, on a project to determine which microbes can make selenium removal, as part of our water treatment program, more efficient.

“This research will be used to help ensure bioreactors in our water treatment facilities work as effectively and efficiently as possible,” said Dr. Miranda. “Ultimately, we want to be able to make better decisions and develop better processes within our treatment facilities to reduce selenium levels. Understanding how process variability and microbial populations inside the reactor affect water treatment will go a long way towards that.”

Dr. Miranda says information from the research project will be able to be applied across other Teck facilities, such as the new Saturated Rock Fill facility, where the application of the field tools developed in the study will be tested.

“The ongoing collaboration between Teck and Dr. Baldwin is a great example of academic and industry partnerships,” says Dr. Catalina Lopez Correa, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President, Sectors at Genome BC. “We are pleased to invest in work that applies genomics to real-life challenges.”

Teck is implementing a long-term plan to address water quality challenges in the Elk Valley, where five steelmaking coal operations are located. Learn more about Teck’s approach to managing water quality in 644 Sparwood Drive, Sparwood / 250-425-2713 / pjbcrane.ca / info@pjbcrane.ca the Elk Valley.

Photo and information submitted by Teck

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Thursday, May 21, 2020 Page A15

North Coal at work Each May, the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) celebrates Mining Month. In light of COVID-19 and social distancing, there won’t be gatherings, or site tours, or a personal favourite – golf tournaments. Although we cannot gather together safely, we still encourage everyone to take a moment to pause and celebrate the contribution mining has given to our quality of life, like the many products used in our daily lives to the family-supporting wages earned by over 600,000 across Canada.

The Elk Valley has a rich mining history. We see it all around us from the miners walk at Fernie city hall to the Titan in Sparwood, welcoming travellers to the Elk Valley. History books call Fernie the new Pittsburgh of the north, hailing it as a steel town.

Alongside the growth of our mining sector came the development of the Elk Valley as a great recreational destination. The mining and recreation in the valley have come to co-exist in balance, offering us great

and nitrate. These landform designs are just one piece of our multi-pronged approach to water quality management. Along with water protections, we are also committed to ensuring that the land we disturb will be restored to a natural productive state where people can hunt, fish, gather and explore.

North Coal is turning seven this May. Since 2013, the team has grown from one to twelve. Work is focused on preparing the environmental assessment that is reviewed by the federal and provincial governments, and the Ktunaxa Nation Council. We are targeting a mid-2020 submission. The construction, following approval, will employ approximately 500 people. The operational staff are expected to be approximately 300 people.

BC’s mining industry is foundational to the province and will continue to play a critical role in the growth (and economic recovery) of our province. Over 10,000 individuals are directly employed by mining, and over 30,000 indirectly employed. It creates more than $12 billion in economic activity with direct payments to the government to support healthcare, education, and public services.

This year, as COVID-19 has forced all of us to slow down for a minute, we ask you to take a look around your home and around your safe spaces at all mining has brought us.

Please stay safe and healthy as we work through this current health challenge together. We look forward jobs in a beautiful place to live and play.

North Coal, our mine design is guided by protecting to a time soon when it is again safe to gather, and we Environmental protections are at the forefront water quality. We are planning for saturated rock will celebrate with you our mining heritage, present, of mine planning and mining operations today. At fills and rock storage facilities that, by design, and future. inhibit the movement of elements like selenium Photo and information submitted by North Coal

Celebrating Mining Month

Stay Safe & Healthy.

MAXAM EXPLOSIVES INC. 652 Sparwood Dr. Unit B, Sparwood BC 250.410.1088 I www.maxam.net

North Coal is proud to be part of an industry providing more than 30,000 jobs across British Columbia.

info@northcoal.ca | 778.518.0775 northcoal.ca

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Mining Month — The Free Press

TomShypitka Kootenay East MLA

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WIMBC welcomes its new President, Susan Neale Over the last couple of months, Women in Mining BC (WIMBC) has been welcoming a new President.

As we celebrate BC Mining Month 2020, we recognize the crucial role mining has in our communities here in Kootenay East. Thank you to all involved in this modern and ever innovating industry.

Taking the reins over from Mona Forster, Susan Neale is joining us with over 20 years of experience in the resource sector as Chief Financial Officer for various domestic and international public junior exploration to mid capped development and producing companies. She began her career working at Viceroy Resource Corporation with mines in production in North America and Australia. Most recently, she held the CFO position at IDM Mining Ltd that combined with Ascot Resources Ltd in 2019.

Susan also has experience in the not-for-profit world, serving on the board of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. She believes it is important to give back to her community – professionally and personally – and admits that she is not done yet. Change is happening and diversity is playing an important role in the resource sector and making a positive contribution to sustainable development. The industry is filled with exciting opportunities, numerous challenges, unpredictable markets and some of the finest people that you will meet.

The WIMBC connected with her to ask a few questions as she comes on board WIMBC.

Q&A with WIMBC’s new President and Board Chair, Susan Neale Q. Welcome to WIMBC! What drew you to want to work with WIMBC?

Office: (250) 417-6022 Email: tom.shypitka.MLA@leg.bc.ca www.tomshypitka.ca

A. Thank you. What drew me to WIMBC is the great work it has been doing for women and the industry. I have been in the sector for many years and have attended many WIMBC events. The events have been informative, provided exposure to different areas within the mining sector and an avenue to meet new people. The sector has been good to me in many ways, it is changing for the better and I want to give back.

Q. What would you like to accomplish at WIMBC?

Fabrication • Cranes • Repairs • Metal Buildings

A. I would like to see a shift in the discussion around diversity and inclusion in mining to be more than just about gender.

Q. What will you bring to WIMBC? A. I want to bring my passion for the sector, years of past experience, desire to give back and my alignment with Women in Mining’s vision to see a future where the possibilities, opportunities and dreams are the same for all, regardless of gender.

Q. What are we doing well, and where is there opportunity to grow?

A. WIMBC has been a great avenue for young women in mining to connect and gain exposure to different areas in the mining sector. Opportunities to grow include the continual development of tools and programs that facilitate the increased attraction, retention and advancement of women in the mining industry.

Q. Why are you passionate about what we do?

Salute to all the mines in the Elk Valley.

A. I’m passionate about what WIMBC is doing as a result of the change that is happening in the mining sector that is still a “so-called male-dominated sector”. There is a generation of women set to play an important role in the mining industry.

Photo and information submitted by WIMBC

Proud Supporter of the

675 Michel Creek Rd, Sparwood I 250.425.7738 I raycosteel.ca

Mining Industry Suite 201, 16-11th Ave. S., Cranbrook, BC • (250)464-9559

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Mining Month — The Free Press

Electric buses at our Elk Valley mines reduce energy use and emissions

Thursday, May 21, 2020 Page A17

WHEREVER THERE’S MINING,

WE’RE THERE.

For many people, the decision to purchase an electric vehicle is one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their personal lives. This decision comes with many questions- how much money will I save? How does it drive in winter? Can I take it on a long road trip?

As Teck begins our journey to decarbonizing our vehicle fleet, we face similar questions about the cost, performance, and maintenance of a zero-emissions vehicle fleet. The rollout of our first two electric crew buses at our steelmaking coal operations will answer these questions, and provide insights into the benefits of integrating electric vehicles into our fleet.

Why electrify?

Our vehicle fleet, which runs primarily on diesel, generates a significant portion of our total GHG emissions. Low-emissions vehicles present great opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint and take advantage of cost savings and other benefits. For our operations in B.C., Canada, electrifying our vehicle fleet allows us to take advantage of the province’s 95% clean electricity grid and greatly reduce our emissions.

As part of our commitment to reducing our emissions and leveraging innovation and technology, Teck introduced two eLion C Series electric buses for crew transport in 2019, in a 12-month pilot project. This represents the first use of electric crew buses in the Canadian mining industry.

“The electric buses come with a higher upfront capital cost, but over a 10-12 year lifespan, are expected to have only half the cost of a diesel bus, thanks to savings on fuel and maintenance costs,” said Peter Wan, Lead, Technology and Innovation at Teck. “The electric bus pilot will help prepare us for the challenges of fleet electrification, and allow us to understand and take full advantage of the many opportunities.”

How do they perform?

The 40-passenger eLion buses replace diesel crew transport buses at our Fording River and Greenhills Operations in the Elk Valley. The GHG reduction of each bus is the equivalent of removing 10 combustion engine cars from the road.

On top of reducing emissions, the buses are quieter, offer a smoother ride compared to conventional diesel buses, and produce no harmful exhaust fumes, bringing additional benefits to employees and the community. Manufactured by Lion Electric in Quebec, Canada, the buses are built for operation in the harsh temperature and weather conditions found in the Elk Valley.

Each bus is equipped with safety features to reduce snow buildup and fogging around windshields, and automated charging and temperature control removes the need for extended idling and warm-up periods required by diesel buses. The buses are outfitted with high-performance lithium-ion batteries, giving them a range of up to 200 kilometers on a single charge.

Opportunities and Challenges of Electrification Decarbonizing our vehicle fleet presents great opportunities, but also new challenges. For example, our teams will need to learn the unique maintenance and charging requirements of the buses. The pilot project will help us gain an on-the-ground understanding of these needs. Lion Electric is providing training to ensure the buses are properly operated and cared for, and to help our drivers use innovative features such as regenerative braking technology.

Proud to support mining in the Elk Valley. Learn more about our local branch at Finning.com or call 1-888-Finning

Supporting a Low-Carbon Economy In addition to electric crew buses, Teck is also supporting efforts in the Elk Valley region to increase the adoption of personal electric vehicles. For example, as part of the Accelerate Kootenay’s initiative, in 2019 we provided funding for three fast-charging electric vehicle charging stations in the region.

Learn more about our approach to reducing energy and emissions and Taking Action on Climate Change.

Photo and information submitted by Teck 1904009_JS_Elkford_V3.indd 1

4/15/2019 10:52:21 AM

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Mining Month — The Free Press

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A Brief History of Mining in the Elk Valley The vast reserves of coal in the area have been recorded since at least the mid-1800s when Europeans first came through the valley, however not much would be done with them until the end of the 19th century.

The foundations for the formation of coal in our region began over 130 million years ago when the East Kootenays were nothing but an area of marshy swamps on a small coastal peninsula next to a shallow inland sea. The vegetation and supporting conditions would eventually lead to the coalfields that have supported our communities in the valley since day one.

In the 1860s, there was a small gold rush on Wild Horse Creek near present-day Cranbrook, BC. Prospectors who came to the region grew disappointed the further and further east they explored, finding nothing but loads of coal, literally falling out of the creek and river beds. Little did they know at the time, coal mining in the area would become a much more profitable endeavour than gold by the end of the century.

In 1887, William Fernie and a few others incorporated the Crow’s Nest Coal and Mineral Company to begin development on the coal fields in the area. By 1896, with local and federal support, they had already acquired 250 000 acres of coal lands and a provincial railway charter allowing construction of a line from the Elk Valley to the mines and smelters of the West Kootenays.

The first shacks went up on Coal Creek in mid-1897 and mining began later that year with 20 experienced miners brought in from Cape Breton. By the end of the next year, the rail line would be completed and the second influx of people to the East Kootenays would begin.

Coal Creek and Fernie would be the first mining towns to settle and develop, quickly followed by Michel, Morrissey, Natal, Hosmer, and Corbin.

The Morrissey and Hosmer mines didn’t operate for long, but the mines surrounding Michel-Natal and Corbin are going strong to this day.

Our coal is a bituminous coal and produces very little ash when burned. It was used to generate steam in locomotives for the Canadian Pacific and the Great Northern Railways, power plants, for machinery in various industries, and also domestic use. Coal would also be turned into coke for use in various smelters around North America. Today our coal is dried at the mines (not coked) and the majority sent to Asia to be used in steelmaking.

The mines, and the good wages, have attracted workers and their families from all over the world.

However, along with these new opportunities, hardship

also followed. Regardless of the safety measures put in place (lamps to detect excess methane gas, the timbering and pillars left in the seams to support the roof and loose rock, fans to remove excess gas, and the rules and regulations), the mines could still be a very dangerous place. Over the past 121 years of mining in the area, there have been over 500 deaths in the mines. The majority occurred while mining was mainly underground, however accidents do still happen today. Because of this danger, mine rescue and training have always been a very important part of the mines in the valley, and those involved have always been very highly regarded and respected.

When an explosion or bump occurred in the underground mines, the community would gather at the foot of the hill with their friends, families, and neighbours to wait for their loved ones to come out.

Part of the reason our communities are so close-knit here is because of these events. You didn’t know if it was going to be your father, brother or uncle who would be one of the lucky to come out of that mine alive, or if it would be your neighbours loved one who wouldn’t. What kind of feeling that must have been to be so happy that yours made it out alive, and at

Photo and information courtesy of Fernie and District Historical Society

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the same time feel so bad for your neighbour who lost theirs. It was a constant fear in the communities, but everyone always looked after each other.

Mining has slowly transitioned throughout the years from the smaller cold, damp, and dangerous underground operations with mostly manual labour, to safer, larger, and mainly mechanized open pit operations. In 1968, Kaiser Resources purchased the mining rights from the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company and began open pit mining in the area.

Coal production/demand varied over the years, and eventually the last underground mine in the valley,

Mining Month — The Free Press

Thursday, May 21, 2020 Page A19

Balmer North, closed in 1986.

Today, the five mines in operation (Fording River, Greenhills, Line Creek, Elkview, and Coal Mountain) are owned by Teck Resources and all open-pit. Operations have become significantly safer since mining first began here, and much more environmentally conscious. Since the beginning, the coal mines have been the main industry which keeps the economy of the valley alive, and also helps support the growth in other industries which followed. The towns of the Elk Valley would be a lot different today - if they existed at all - if the mines had never opened.

Celebrating Mining History

Photos and information courtesy of Fernie and District Historical Society

Page A20 Thursday, May 21, 2020

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Transcendent Mining and Mobilization has core values that are incorporated into daily work Transcendent Mining and Mobilization Inc. (TMM) was established in the fall of 2014. We are a fast-growing local mining, civil construction and forestry company that provides services as construction/project management, project execution and project support.

The management team at TMM has a combined 100 plus years of experience with supervision, management, and heavy equipment operations in civil and mining construction, along with supplying aggregate from our gravel pit in Brule Creek.

New to our Equipment Fleet are the T412 HF Fusion MACH PK and T618 S2 Fusion MACH PK, operated by our certified fusion technicians. We have grown from four employees in 2014 to over one hundred in 2017, recognized by Kootenaybiz.com as one of the top Kootenay Employers 2019.

Ian Benson, president of TMM, had a dream to start a construction company. Seeing the need for a heavy equipment contracting in the Elk Valley, he shared the idea with Bud Lynch, currently TMM General Manager. Bud adopted Ian’s dream and together they built a team of individuals to carry out their strategies.

In addition to Transcendent Mining and Mobilization Inc., our shareholders combined business experience also includes many more companies: Fiorentino Brothers Contracting (https://www.fiorentinobros. com/), Revelstoke Mountain Homes, Bison Lodge (http://www.revelstokebisonlodge.com/ ), The Keg at Devonshire Mall (https://www.kegsteakhouse.com/locations/windsor-devonshire-keg/ ), Bearspaw Contracting, and many more personal small business ventures. With our team of combined business experience, we are committed to providing outstanding mining and mobilization support services.

TMM’s mission is to safely deliver any project, any time, in any environment, for the benefit of our customers, stakeholders’, employees, and the communities we serve.

We value and believe in treating all of our employees with respect and openness within a culture that promotes teamwork. As a dynamic growth-oriented construction company, we constantly create opportunities for people to succeed and actively encourage everyone to be the best they can be. We work on a diverse range of projects that are exciting and challenging in some of the most beautiful areas in Western Canada. We have ‘seasoned’ operators who have retired from full time ‘local’ mining employment and bring their experience to us through completing projects efficiently and under budget, along with training our younger generation.

We are proud to support and serve the mining industry in the Elk Valley

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Putting the Focus Back on Exceptional Service with First Nations Commitment

We believe it takes a team to make our business ‘Above and Beyond’ from our operators, to office staff, to supervisors, management and shareholders.

Everyone working at TMM is important to our success.

‘Above and Beyond’ 701 Douglas Fir, Sparwood BC 778.521.5144 transcendentmining.com

Our Core Values: Health & Safety, Relations, Professional, Strategy, Quality, and Accountability.

TMM’s vision is to be the Contractor and Employer of Choice by safely and consistently delivering successful and innovative capital projects and services anywhere in the world. Our motto is ‘Above and Beyond Ordinary’.

Photo and information submitted by Transcendent Mining