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Mining Heritage project events beginning
The history of the East Kootenay was sculpted by prospectors, miners, and fortune seekers chasing deposits of metal and coal that formed through a rich geologic history. The East Kootenay Mining Heritage project shares these geologic and mining history stories with public presentations and a pamphlet.
This project brings free presentations and a short pamphlet on the geologic and mining history of the East Kootenay to the region. Rocks that formed over the last hundreds of millions of years contain valuable minerals such as gold, silver, lead, and coal. Historic mining of these minerals sculpted the history and culture of the East Kootenay, and modern mining continues to define the economic and social landscape.
This project aims to teach people why mining happens here, explore the impacts of mining, and discuss what mining means to the East Kootenay.
Upcoming public presentations will introduce regional geology, place regional mining history in a historical context, and share stories of mining in the region. The aim is to introduce the general public to mining and how it has shaped the region. The public presentations will be offered free of charge in several communities, beginning in Creston on May 10 at the Creston Museum and then at Fernie’s Arts Station on Monday, May 14 – both starting at 7 p.m.
Another presentation is set for the Wilmer Community Hall near Invermere on Wednesday, May 16 and a fourth is set for May 23 at the Cranbrook History Centre, with both events starting at 7 p.m.
The pamphlet features geologic and historic timeline both with global and local events. This pamphlet will be free of charge and distributed at the public presentations and through local museums.
About the presenter: Rohanna Gibson is a geologist by trade and mountain-lover at heart. Her work in geology has taken her from Himalayan heights to Arctic tundra (and many places in between!). After moving to the East Kootenay, Rohanna quickly became intrigued in the stories of the rocks that formed the mountains and the miners that worked them. The wealth of mining history and how it shaped the early development of the region enriches her exploration of the Kootenays, and she hopes to share this experience.
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