Luscar, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luscar
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 Luscar
Location in Yellowhead County
Luscar
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Municipal district | Yellowhead County |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unincorporated |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Area code(s) | 780, 587, 825 |
Luscar is a ghost town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It was once a busy community where people mined coal. Luscar is located in the foothills of the Northern Rocky Mountains. It is about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northwest of Cadomin. The town was at the end of the CN Railway line.
History of Luscar
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Luscar is in an area called the Alberta Coal Branch. This area has a long history of mining coal. The first underground mine in Luscar opened in 1921.
Early Community Life
By 1922, Luscar was growing into a small town. It had about 25 to 30 homes. There was also a small hospital, a school, and a general store. Other shops helped the community meet its needs.
The mine dug up a type of coal called steam coal. This coal was mainly used to power railroad trains.
Changes in Mining Methods
In 1945, the way coal was mined changed. Miners started using surface mining methods. This meant digging coal from the ground's surface. By 1954, all underground mining had stopped.
In 1956, a fire destroyed the plant that made coal briquettes. Later that year, all mining stopped completely. This happened because there was no longer a big demand for steam coal. After the mine closed, the community of Luscar was abandoned.
Luscar's Mining Revival
In 1970, the old Luscar townsite became important again. It became the main office for a new open-pit coal mine. This mine was owned by Luscar Ltd. and Consolidation Coal Company. It was operated by Cardinal River Coals Ltd.
This new mine produced coking coal. This type of coal was sent to steel mills in Asia. The mine continued to operate until the end of 2000.
Today, coal from the Cheviot Mine is brought to the Luscar site. The Cheviot Mine is near Mountain Park. At Luscar, the coal is cleaned and then loaded onto rail cars.
