History of Canmore, Alberta, Canada
N 57° 05.380 W 115° 21.679
11V E 599301 N 6328559
This black and white mural mimics the stark history of Canmore, and memorializes it's coal mining past.
Waymark Code: WMC8FN
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 08/08/2011
Views: 2
The city of Canmore was established in 1886, when Queen Victoria granted a coal mining charter to the area. The first mine opened in 1887, and coal mining was a major source of income for the town, with peak production in 1944 when mining employed 300 men. The work enticed men from all over Canada and also Europe to come work in Canmore. The town boomed, and businesses were built to accommodate the needs of the citizens. Mercantiles, barber shops, hotels, bars, eaterys, churches, all sprang up in the town.
By the 1970’s the market for coal was declining. Mines in Georgetown, Anthracite and Bankhead all closed. Then, on July 13, 1979, 140 men lost their jobs, when declining markets and the expense of transporting the coal caused the Canmore Mines LTD to close permanently. It was the last mine in the Bow Valley. In the year that followed, nearly all of the mining structures were torn down, as a safety measure, with the exception of the lamp house and a couple of mine entrances. The future of Canmore appeared dismal, sure to follow in the footsteps of the other coal towns, which had closed decades earlier and slowly dissolved into ghost towns.
But Canmore proved to have a different, if unexpected future! Canmore was selected as the site for the Nordic Ski Events (Canmore Nordic Center), held during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, and when those crowds cleared, the spunky town developed into a major tourist destination.
From its beginning in 1886, Canmore grew to 3000 by the 1940s, dropped in the 1980s, and currently brags of over 10,000 permanent residents.
City: Canmore
Location Name: Alley between 8th & 9th Street, on rear wall of public restrooms
Artist: "Francis" (the only name found)
Date: 199x (pipe obstructs the last digit)
Media: Paint on concrete brick wall
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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