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produces and exports a significant amount of copper,
gold, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum, coal and industrial minerals every
year. Historically, B.C.'s vast mineral resources
have contributed extensively to the province's growth and development.
The Hudson's Bay Company first started producing coal on Vancouver
Island in the 1840s, and the discovery of gold along the Fraser River in
the 1850s sparked a major gold rush, which was ultimately responsible
for the settlement of many parts of that region. As B.C.'s
population increased, the provincial infrastructure improved, and miners
were able to explore more and more of the province's terrain, leading to
many new mineral deposit discoveries.
Throughout the century
following the Fraser River Gold Rush, most mining activities in British
Columbia took place underground. But in the early 1960s, the
feasibility of open-pit production increased tremendously, and as a
result, several huge copper mines opened, including Highland Valley
Copper—the largest open-pit operation in all of North America.
More Information
about B.C.'s Mining History
Last Updated
June 02, 2006 |
