No. 1 Mine - Nanaimo, BC
N 49° 09.950 W 123° 56.077
10U E 431867 N 5446311
An interesting application of the old tourist signs that were quite prevalent around the Province. As it seems to be a copy, although a little larger. I believe it was done by the city to replace the old sign that has long disappeared.
Waymark Code: WM6MBJ
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 06/20/2009
Views: 19
The sign is cast metal and placed on a wall along Front Street. It is new.
From the sign/plaque:
"Nanaimo was founded as a coal-mining settlement in 1852. Its most productive mine, No. 1, opened in 1881. From the bottom of the main shaft, one-half mile south of here, a labyrinth of workings extended for miles under the sea. These operations were served also by a shaft on Protection Island at the harbour's entrance. Until No. 1 closed in 1938, it was the oldest operating mine in the province."
On another note, this mine was the site of the of the worst mining disaster in BC history. On May 3, 1887, 150 mine workers were killed in an explosion. There were a total of 7 survivors. The small display at the shaft location lists all the white workers by name but the 53 Chinese workers are only listed by a tally number. In fact, BC employers did not have to report the deaths of Chinese employees until 1897. This province and country was built on the graves of many Chinese.
Type of Marker: Geographical / Natural History
Type of Sign: British Columbia Tourism Sign
Describe the parking that is available nearby: There is pay parking quite close but free is a short walk away.
What Agency placed the marker?: The Province of BC 1966 ? 2009
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