Words by Dennis Begin
“Rule Britannia Britannia, rule the waves, Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.” The words to this famous patriotic British song, written in 1740 by James Thomson and Thomas Arne, have come to represent the role played by the Royal Navy in the British Empire. The Royal Yacht Britannia was the name of the Queen’s Yacht from 1953 to 1997. When Captain George Richards in 1859 sailed into Howe Sound to do survey work, one of the mountains he named was Britannia. It would take two prospectors in 1888, Edward Granger and Dr. A.A. Forbes to discover gold, silver, zinc and copper near the top of Britannia Mountain.
The Britannia Mining and Smelting Company developed the mine between 1900 and 1904, and the two towns gradually emerged. Jane Camp was 4.5 km (2.7 mi) up the mountain from the beach and was the center of mining operations. A mud slide destroyed Jane Camp in 1915, killing 56 and was replaced with Mount Sheer [Townsite], located at an elevation of 609 m (2,000 ft) further down the mountain.
Britannia Mine Museum
The special effects show inside The Mill. Wear good shoes – it’s 376 steps to the very top.
The second town was called Britannia Beach, located on Howe Sound and used for processing and shipping ore to the smelter. There were 240 km (149 mi) of tunnels, extending 396 m (1,300 ft) into Mount Britannia, and 198 m (650 ft) below sea level. Miners working below sea level took elevators down to work, while other miners took a train up the mountain to 1,310 m (4,300 ft).
By 1929, Britannia was known as the largest copper mine in the British Commonwealth, employing more than 1,100. Britannia Mine was eventually purchased in 1963 by Anaconda Mines from Montana, but by 1974 there was little demand for copper and with dropping prices, the mine was finally closed.
The entire Britannia Mine site has gradually been converted into a museum and is now a National Historic Site and B.C. Historic Landmark. The Britannia Beach Historical Society, a self sustaining non-profit organization, promotes the mine as an educational and entertainment centre to better understand mining.
Dennis Begin
Our guide, Jessica, working the Mucking Machine.
The Mill and Boom
The largest building on site is the multi-level white building with all the windows. It is called the No. 3 Mill and has 20 stories on eight levels. This building houses the gravity-fed ‘concentrator,’ which crushes the igneous rock into smaller and smaller pieces. At one point in the process, the ore is roasted with chemicals to bring out the minerals. By the end of the process, the copper resembles wet cement, which was then transported by ship to the smelters at Crofton on Vancouver Island or Tacoma, Washington.
Boom is a multi-sensory special effects show in The Mill, bringing the historical mine back to life. Boom refers to the 1920 – 30’s, when the mine was very prosperous and produced 800,000 tons of chalcopyrite or copper. Miners were expected to mine 6,000 to 7,000 tons per shift and incentive pay was available for drillers and muckers who exceeded their quota. As for the demand of copper, it’s used today in countless industries and products including cooking pots, copper wire, cars plus cell phones and a plethora of electrical equipment.
Dennis Begin
The entrance to Britannia Mine Museum.
Going Underground
It is the mine shaft that attracts the many tourists here, going underground for .5 km (.31 mi) into solid rock. Grab a hardhat and climb aboard the train that takes you into what resembles a real working mine. There are stops along the route, displaying where dynamite was stored in the Explosive Magazine, three different types of drills, a mucker ore car to remove rock and even a portable honey wagon.
This was hard rock mining. Workers were muckers, drillers or blasters and worked an eight-hour day with shift work of 5 days a week. Working underground meant working in cold, low light conditions with dripping water and extreme noise from the drillers. The ‘widowmaker’ drill created silica dust that caused lung disease and early death. Over the years, 98 men were killed in mining accidents. Working conditions improved after the union was created in 1946 and average wages in the 1920s were $3 per day, increasing to $6 by 1950.
Dennis Begin
The Britannia A to Z Exhibits.
Company Town
Britannia was the quintessential company town, providing everything from a hospital, recreational facilities, plus a school and three-story company store. Married men had a house to rent while single men had room and board. Since there was only one store, miners could find themselves in constant debt. On the other hand, it was difficult to retain good miners. Women were not allowed in the mine as it was considered bad luck, although they worked in the offices.
Visit the Britannia Story in the Beaty Lundin Visitor Centre and the Britannia A to Z exhibits, which illustrate the life of miners and their families. Britannia Beach and Mount Sheer were close-knit communities with a thriving social life, including live theatre, dances, movies and sports, despite being isolated from Squamish or Vancouver. The Sea to Sky Highway was not completed until 1958.
Dennis Begin
Compressed Air Locomotive with Ore Car and Mucking Machine.
Other Activities
There are numerous other points of interest including gold panning, mineral gallery, machine shop, family play area, gift shop and the Chatterbox Café. Britannia is only 34 miles [55 km.] north of Vancouver on Highway 99. The Sea to Sky Highway is a beautiful drive as it winds along the rugged Howe Sound Mountains. Plan on spending two to three hours on site and if you’re into ‘staycations,’ you’ll leave the museum impressed and amazed by this local tourist attraction.
Britannia may look familiar as the site has been used for many television shows and movies. Some examples are Scooby-Doo2, The Flash, Dual Spires, Travelers, MacGyver and the popular X-Files.
Squamish is only 12 km (7 mi) north of Britannia Beach and has RV facilities. Do some research on Klahanie Campground, Squamish Valley Campground and Squamish Municipal Campground. Porteau Cove Provincial Park is 10 km (6 mi) to the south.
Special thanks to Mike Sokolowsky of Surrey who worked in the Britannia Mine in 1950 and contributed his memories as a mucker.