The incredible scenery of Strathcona Provincial Park
is a natural draw for many hikers.
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Myra Falls is incised into thin beds of the Sicker Group.
These volcanic rocks are called tuffs and are deposited as fine, volcanic ash settles out
of the water following an eruption.
Introduction
The scenery of Strathcona park is dramatic. High
mountain peaks, deep shaded valleys, lakes and waterfalls are all there in magnificent
profusion. From the valley floors, clothed in mature forest, to the wildflower-carpeted
alpine meadows it is easy to be impressed.
It is also easy to forget that beneath your feet lies a history stretching back 380
million years. It is a history of violent volcanic eruptions on ancient seafloors and
quiet interludes when gardens of sea lilies waved in gentle ocean currents. It is a
history of rocks torn and folded by the extraordinary forces which can move continents,
and of mountain ranges sculpted by the immensely thick ice sheets which only vanished a
few thousand years ago. No matter how long your visit, or whatever your interest, a
knowledge of the geology of Strathcona Park will enhance your enjoyment of this
spectacularly beautiful area.
Whether you are planning an adventurous hike, or do not intend to stray far from the
highway, the rocks are there for you to contemplate and enjoy. They are the key to the
past and the source of great mineral wealth. This website is intended to help the curious
visitor read the story in the rocks and understand some of Vancouver Island's turbulent
history.
The Westmin Mine is surrounded by a Class A park and the boundary of its mineral claims
fall entirely within the Strathcona-Westmin Class B Park. Hence all mining activities, and
the eventual reclamation and rehabilitation of the sit, fall under a park-use permit.
Constant monitoring ensures that environmental concerns and public safety are an integral
part of the continuing mine program. It is interesting to note that not only are
recreational activities not impeded by mining activities but mine tour have become an
important additional attraction for park visitors.
Remember that, like the animals and plants, the rocks, minerals and fossils are part of
Strathcona Park's invaluable heritage; please don't destroy or remove them.
Park Facts
Strathcona Park, named for Lord Strathcona, the
driving force behind the Canadian Pacific Railway, was created in 1911 as B.C.'s first
provincial park. With 2200 square kilometres, it is about half the size of Prince Edward
Island and 7 percent of Vancouver Island. It extends from sea level on Herbert Inlet to
the highest point on Vancouver Island (Golden Hinde, 2210 metres). Strathcona Park also
contains Buttle Lake, one of the largest lakes on Vancouver Island, Della Falls, B.C.'s
highest waterfall, and the Westmin Resources mine, one of the largest copper-lead-zinc
mines in the province. Its geological history is the history of Vancouver Island and its
story is an integral part of the story of western North America.
View from Comox Glacier looking southwest towards Mount
Harmston, across Milla Lake.
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