List of mines in British Columbia

This is a list of mines in British Columbia, Canada and includes both operating and closed mines. Mines that are in operation are in bold. Past producers which are under re-exploitation, re-development and/or re-promotion are in italics. Also in italics are major projects under development or subject to controversy.

Mine Commodities[1] Coordinates Associated town Region/locality Owner(s)[2] Dates Comments References
Blue Hawk Mine Au, Ag, Pb, Cu, Zn 49°59′02″N 119°31′10″W / 49.98389°N 119.51944°W Westbank (West Kelowna) Okanagan 1930s-1988 [3]
Boss Mountain Mine Mo, Cu, Zn, W, Ag, Bi 52°05′48″N 120°54′27″W / 52.09667°N 120.90750°W Hendrix Lake (43 km SE of Horsefly) Cariboo 1917- aka Hendrix Lake Mine, Timothy Mountain Mine [4]
Bralorne Mine Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, W 50°46′40″N 122°49′20″W / 50.77778°N 122.82222°W Bralorne Bridge River Country Founders were Frank and Delina Noel of the Lorne Mine, major developer was David Sloan. One of Canada's deepest mines. [5]
Britannia Mine Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag, Au, Cd 49°36′40″N 123°08′28″W / 49.61111°N 123.14111°W Britannia Beach Howe Sound Britannia Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd. (1904–1963) Anaconda (1963–1974) 1904–1974 Now the Britannia Mine Museum; often used as film set [6]
Bullion Mine Au 52°37′38″N 121°38′21″W / 52.62722°N 121.63917°W Bullion (near Likely) Cariboo Placer Dome 1859- aka the Bullion Pit and China Pit, one of the largest placer gold mines in the world [7][8][9][10]
Cariboo Amelia Mine Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, Pyrophyllite, Silica 49°6′57″N 119°11′02″W / 49.11583°N 119.18389°W Camp McKinney/Bridesville(N of Rock Creek Okanagan Highland/Boundary Country Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company 1894–1962 aka Cariboo Mine, Camp McKinney Mine, various; British Columbia's first dividend-paying gold mine [11][12][13]
Cariboo Gold Quartz Mine Au, Ag, W, Bi, Pb, Zn 53°05′23″N 121°33′41″W / 53.08972°N 121.56139°W Wells Cariboo 1870s onwards, peak years 1833–1987 [14]
Cassiar Mine Asbestos, Chrysotile, Jade/Nephrite, Gemstones, Mg 59°19′30″N 129°49′05″W / 59.32500°N 129.81806°W Cassiar Cassiar Country 1950- asbestos mining ended in 1989, now in development for magnesium [15]
Copper Mountain Mine Cu, Au, Ag 49°19′52″N 120°32′03″W / 49.33111°N 120.53417°W Copper Mountain & Allenby Similkameen aka Similco, amalgamated with Ingerbelle 1977-78 [16][17]
Craigmont Mine Cu, Fe, Ag, Au 50°12′27″N 120°55′34″W / 50.20750°N 120.92611°W Merritt Nicola Country 1962-82 (copper), 1992-present (magnetite) [18][19]
Estella Mine Ag, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Au 49°46′10″N 115°36′19″W / 49.76944°N 115.60528°W Wasa East Kootenay United Estella Mines, Giant Mascot Mines, Giant Soo Mines [20]
Giant Mascot Mine Ni, Cu, Cr, Co, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Zn 49°29′01″N 121°29′05″W / 49.48361°N 121.48472°W Hope Southern Lillooet Ranges aka Giant Nickel, Choate [21][22][23]
Golden Cache Mine Au 50°38′30″N 122°04′55″W / 50.64167°N 122.08194°W Lillooet Cayoosh Creek, Lillooet 1897–1901 Caused a local gold rush and helped launch discoveries in the nearby Bridge River Valley; later seen to have been a speculatory scam based on salted prospects [24][25][26][27]
Granisle Mine 54°56′40″N 126°09′26″W / 54.94444°N 126.15722°W Granisle (nr Smithers) Babine Lake/Omineca Granby Mining and Smelting [28]
Hat Creek Coal Mine coal (lignite) 50°46′11″N 121°36′15″W / 50.76972°N 121.60417°W Pavilion-Upper Hat Creek Lillooet Country 1893- minor past producer; proposed for major coal-thermal power plant ,[29] see also [30]
Hedley Mascot Mine Hedley Similkameen Today a mining museum
Hidden Creek Mine Copper, Gold, Silver, Cobalt, Zinc 55°26′21″N 129°49′27″W / 55.43917°N 129.82417°W Anyox Observatory Inlet 1914–1936 aka Anyox Mine [31]
Highland Valley Copper Cu, Mo, Ag, Au, Pb, Zn 50°29′08″N 121°02′54″W / 50.48556°N 121.04833°W Logan Lake NW Thompson Plateau various mines: Bethlehem, Lornex, Highmont, Highland Valley [32]
Kemess Mine Cu, Au, Mo, Ag (Zn, Pb) 57°00′21″N 126°45′03″W / 57.00583°N 126.75083°W N/A Thutade Lake (Omineca Mountains) Northgate Resources 1983- officially Kemess South is only producer; Kemess West and Rat 1 are Showings, Kemess North is a developed prospect [33][34]
Kitsault Mine Mo, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, W 55°25′19″N 129°25′10″W / 55.42194°N 129.41944°W Kitsault/Alice Arm (near Anyox) Alice Arm, Observatory Inlet Amax 1967–1972/1982 [35]
Minto Mine Au, Cu, Ag, Pb, Zn 50°53′55″N 122°45′05″W / 50.89861°N 122.75139°W Minto City Bridge River Country W.G. "Big Bill" Davidson 1934–1940 [36]
Morrison Mine Cu, Au, Mo 55°11′24″N 126°19′07″W / 55.19000°N 126.31861°W Granisle (nr. Smithers) Stikine Country Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. Advanced porphyry-style Cu-Au-Mo property and planned mine, denied Environmental Assessment Certificate on 1 October 2012. [37][38]
New Afton Mine Au, Cu 50°40′34″N 120°20′27″W / 50.67611°N 120.34083°W Kamloops, BC Thompson Valley New Gold 1960–1988, 2006–Present
Northair Mine Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd 50°06′52″N 123°06′13″W / 50.11444°N 123.10361°W Whistler Cheakamus Valley 1974–1982 [39]
Paradise Mine Ag, Cu, Pb, Au Panorama, British Columbia Columbia Valley / East Kootenay Private mine road access and Paradise Cabin maintained by Toby Creek Adventures - ATV and Snowmobile Tours. For additional information http://tobycreekadventures.com/the-paradise-mine [40][41]
Phoenix Mine Cu, Au, Ag, Pb, Fe, Talc 49°05′27″N 118°35′58″W / 49.09083°N 118.59944°W Phoenix (Greenwood) Boundary Country Granby Mining and Smelting (among others) various mines at this location, see second ref [42][43]
Pioneer Mine Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, Sb, W 50°45′40″N 122°46′50″W / 50.76111°N 122.78056°W Pioneer Mine (Bralorne) Bridge River Country 1897- Later amalgamated with Bralorne Mine [44]
Premier Mine Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd 56°03′06″N 130°00′51″W / 56.05167°N 130.01417°W Premier (nr. Stewart-Hyder AK) Portland Canal 1918–1988 [45][46][47]
Quinsam Coal Mine Coal, Fireclay, Clay 49°56′07″N 125°29′15″W / 49.93528°N 125.48750°W Campbell River Mid Island Hillsborough Resources [48]
Quintette Mine coal 55°01′40″N 121°11′45″W / 55.02778°N 121.19583°W Tumbler Ridge Hart Ranges (Northern Rockies) [49][50][51][52]
Sparwood Mine Coal Sparwood Elk Valley
Sullivan Mine Pb, Zn, Ag, Sn, Cu, Au, Fe, S, Sb, Cd, Bi, In, W 49°42′27″N 116°00′19″W / 49.70750°N 116.00528°W Kimberley East Kootenay [53]
Surf Inlet Mine Au, Cu, Ag, Mb 53°05′29″N 128°52′56″W / 53.09139°N 128.88222°W Port Belmont a.k.a. Surf Inlet Princess Royal Island c. 1900- [54]
Tasu Mine Fe, Cu, Ag, Au 52°45′24″N 132°02′36″W / 52.75667°N 132.04333°W Tasu Moresby Island 1908–1987 Magnetite lode discovered by Haida people in the late 18th century [55]
Tulsequah Chief Mine Zn, Cu, Pb, Ag, Au, Cd 58°44′09″N 133°36′04″W / 58.73583°N 133.60111°W N/A Taku River Redfern Resources Ltd. 1925- [56][57]
Windy Craggy Mine Cu, Co, Au, Ag, Zn 59°44′09″N 137°44′37″W / 59.73583°N 137.74361°W N/A Tatshenshini-Alsek Falconbridge / Geddee Resources proposed, never developed, region now provincial park/ world heritage site [58]

See also

References

  1. ↑ By order of importance in showing/production. Commodities shown in brackets are from showings and prospects associated with the producing mine, but are not under production
  2. ↑ In the case of sequential or multiple owners, only the last owner, or the largest shareholder, will be named, or the company best known for association with the mine, either by stature or longevity. For more details see the references in each case. Founders/discoverers or notable individual promoters/investors may be named in the "Comments" column.
  3. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Blue Hawk Mine
  4. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  5. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Bralorne Mine
  6. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Britannia Mine
  7. ↑ BCGNIS|49996|Bullion (mining camp)
  8. ↑ BC Govt Property File search
  9. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  10. ↑ Infomine listing
  11. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Cariboo-Amelia Mine
  12. ↑ Infomine.com listing "Camp McKinney
  13. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, McKinney Creek Placer
  14. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  15. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  16. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Copper Mountain Mine
  17. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Ingerbelle Mine
  18. ↑ Craigmont Mines
  19. ↑ BC MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  20. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Estella Mine
  21. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Giant Mascot
  22. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Star of Emeory 3 (Giant Mascot)
  23. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Pride of Emory (Giant Mascot)
  24. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Golden Cache
  25. ↑ Short Portage to Lillooet, Irene Edwards, self-publ., Lillooet, 1976
  26. ↑ Halfway to the Goldfields: A History of Lillooet, Lorraine Harris, Sunfire Publications
  27. ↑ The Great Years: Gold Mining in the Bridge River Valley, Lewis Green, Tricouni Books, 2000
  28. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Granisle
  29. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Hat Creek Coal, Hat Creek No. 1, Hat Creek No. 2
  30. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Pacific Bentonite/Hat Creek
  31. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Hidden Creek Mine/Anyox Mine
  32. ↑ Various: see MINFILE Search "Highland Valley"
  33. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Kemess South
  34. ↑ MINFILE Search, "Kemess"
  35. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Kitsault Mine
  36. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Minto Mine
  37. ↑ Morton, Brian (1 October 2012). "Morrison Lake mine rejected by B.C. government over concerns about salmon". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  38. ↑ "Morrison Mine project denied Environmental Assessment Certificate". British Columbia Information Bulletin 2012ENV0061-001446. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  39. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  40. ↑ MINEFILE Mineral Inventory
  41. ↑ Minelistings.com
  42. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Phoenix (Knob Hill)
  43. ↑ MINFILE Search "Phoenix"
  44. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  45. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Premier Mine/Premier Silbak
  46. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Northern Lights/Premier Border
  47. ↑ Vancouver Mine/Premier Extension
  48. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quinsam Coal
  49. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quintette
  50. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quintette Shikano)
  51. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Babcock (Quintette)
  52. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quintette (Frame)
  53. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  54. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  55. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
  56. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Tulsequah Chief Mine
  57. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Big Bull/Tulsequah Chief
  58. ↑ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Windy Craggy