Britannia Mine Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | British Columbia Museum of Mining |
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| Location | Britannia Beach, British Columbia, Canada |
| Collections | industrial, administrative and domestic buildings artifacts, photographs, documents, and maps |
| Owner | Britannia Beach Historical Society |
| Nearest parking | On site (no charge) |
The Britannia Mine Museum is a cool place to visit in Britannia Beach, British Columbia. It's about 55 kilometers north of Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. You'll find it right on the Sea-to-Sky Highway next to Howe Sound.
This museum is run by a group called the Britannia Beach Historical Society. They work hard to save and share the history of mining in British Columbia. It's a non-profit museum, which means they use their money to help people learn.
A Special Historic Place
The museum is home to a huge building called Mill No. 3, also known as the Concentrator. Imagine a 20-story building! This giant structure was used to process ore, which is rock that contains valuable minerals.
In 1987, Mill No. 3 was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This means it's a very important place in Canadian history. The Britannia Mine itself was a major source of copper for almost 70 years. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was one of the biggest mining spots in Canada. The Concentrator was very clever for its time, using special methods like "gravity-fed" processing and "bulk froth flotation" to get the copper out.
How the Museum Started
The Britannia Beach Historical Society began in 1971. Their main goal was to protect the history of mining in British Columbia. The museum first opened its doors in 1975. Back then, it was called the BC Museum of Mining.
Between 2005 and 2007, Mill 3 got a big makeover! They spent $5 million to fix its outside, including the roof, siding, and windows. It looked brand new!
After even more work, costing $14.7 million, the museum changed its name to the Britannia Mine Museum in October 2010. Now, you can see exhibits that show how important minerals are in our daily lives. You can also learn about the history of the Britannia Mine, including how they cleaned up the environment around it. This big project was funded by the government, different companies, and many generous people.
What You Can See and Do
The museum looks after 23 old buildings that were once used for mining, offices, and homes. They also have over 7,000 items, 9,500 old photos, and 3,000 documents and maps!
One of the coolest things you can do is take a train ride through a real historic tunnel. This tunnel was built in 1914 to move ore from the mine to the shore. You can also see demonstrations of old mining tools and lighting equipment.
Because the site looks so historic, many movies and TV shows have been filmed there! Some famous ones include Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, an episode of The X-Files called "Paper Clip", Okja, The Man in the High Castle (TV series), and even MacGyver!
