2013-summer-magazine

DiGGiNG DEEp
iNTO alBErTa’S hiSTOrY
By Kathy Fitzgerald
Before Alberta was “big oil,” it was “big
coal.” A century ago, industrialists and
labourers by the thousands rushed west to
find their fortunes in Alberta’s rich coal
deposits. wanting to know more, our
family decided to dig deeper into history
over a couple of weekends this spring.
nothing like a road trip into the past to
fire up the imagination.
atlas coal mine
we started our history trip in the canadian
Badlands at the Atlas coal Mine national
historic site (atlascoalmine.ab.ca)
near drumheller. The 100-year-old site
preserves the last of the area mines. we
were mesmerized by tales of “the man in
the small dark place.” coal mining was not
for the faint of heart.
Threats of explosions, cave-ins, and deadly
gases meant that small acts of courage
were required just to go to work each day.
We hiked halfway up the valley and entered
the mine. Peering into the pitch black, we
tried to imagine the reality of a miner’s
workspace: if the coal seam was 1.5 metres
high, he crouched; if less than that, he had
to work on his belly.
Climbing to the top of the last wooden
tipple in Canada, my teenaged sons were
astonished to learn the coal was sorted and
cleaned by boys as young as 15. It was easy
to imagine the wind gusting through the
walls, filling the air with swirls of black dust
as the workers scrambled to pick out rocks
from the endless stream of coal.
We loved the above ground tour, with all of
us loaded into coal cars pulled by an antique
battery-operated locomotive. After we left
the site, we visited the nearby East Coulee
School Museum which gave us a glimpse
into the lives of the miners’ families.
continued on next page
Enjoy the wonders of
Jasper National Park.
With cozy guest cabins,
fully equipped kitchens, lush
mountain views and pet
friendly, Tekarra Lodge offers
an unforgettable experience.
1.8 00.709.182 7
www.tekarralodge.com
Highway 93 A South, Jasper, Alberta
50 travelalberta.com 1-800-ALBERTA 51