Crowsnest Pass, Alberta
Ready?
Put on your miner's helmet and lamp and tour the underground corridors travelled by early coal miners.
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About the Ecomuseum Trust
Ecomuseum Supporters
Admission Information
Regular Admission
Adults $ 10.00
Children (under 5) Free
Senior (65+) $ 9.00
Youth (6-17) $ 8.00
Family $ 30.00
Family rate applicable for two adults plus dependents under the age of 17
Pre-Booked Tours (15-25 people, one person pays for the group)
Adults $7.00
Youth $5.60
Seniors $6.30
School Group Tours
Youth Groups (Schools, Scouts, Girl Guides, etc) $4.00 each
Adult Groups (Colleges, Universities) $4.50 each
1 free adult for every 8 students, remaining adults at student rate
Off-Season and After Hours Tours
Minimum charge $150.00
Put on an authentic miner's helmet and lamp and follow the corridors taken by early coal miners as they worked this mine from 1903 to 1961.
Walk underground through a portion of the old West Canadian Collieries mine at Bellevue. On the route you will see a "room", a coal chute, and original mine artifacts while coal mine interpreters explain the techniques of turn of the century underground mining.
The 300-metre coal mine tour is wide and level -- easily traveresed by young and old alike. Oh, and by the way, it's very cold in the mine! Be prepared with appropriate footwear and a warm jacket.
Bellevue Underground Mine tours run daily from May 9th to September 5, 2011, each one an hour-long journey back through time.
We are the only underground coal mine tour in Western Canada, and we promise a safe and extraordinary experience you will never forget.
Bellevue Underground Mine Tours Crowsnest Pass 21814 - 28th Avenue, Bellevue, AB Canada T0K 0E0 403-564-4700 / 403-564-4711 email: cpets_shaw.ca
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Crowsnest Pass Ecomuseum Trust Society
Bellevue Underground Mine staff and board volunteers research, interpret, and promote knowledge of coal mining, a significant industry in the Crowsnest Pass.
Interpreters provide visitors with a unique insight into our mining heritage through guided tours of an underground coal mine and educational programming.
Visitors don authentic mining gear and, with an interpretive guide, experience part of life as a miner as they walk 300 meters through hundred-year-old tunnels of Alberta's only underground coal mine tour.
The Crowsnest Pass Ecomuseum Trust Society is a not-for-profit organization established in 1986 whose main project is the Bellevue Underground Mine.
Mission Statement
To preserve, promote, and enhance the Bellevue Underground Mine Tour and Museum. Through collection, preservation, exhibition, research, interpretation, and programming, we will educate and inspire the public about the unique application of art and science to underground mining in the Crowsnest Pass and the important part it played in shaping our diverse community.
In 1990, the Ecomuseum opened the re-timbered 300 meters of underground mine tunnel and established displays for daily tours from May until September. We endeavor to make available booked tours for the remainder of the year.
History
Of the 13 million tons of coal extracted from the mine, about 90% was sold to the C.P.R. for its steam engines, making it the mine's number one customer. The influence of the C.P.R., both direct and indirect, was very strong and was felt right up to the day the mine closed.
The major tragedy the mine encountered was the 1910 explosion.
There were actually two explosions during the year, but it was the second, on December 9th that proved to be deadly. In all, 31 men were killed, all due to a lack of oxygen and carbon monoxide poisoning (afterdamp) in the aftermath of the explosion.
In 1901 Jules Fleutot and C. Remy of British Columbia Gold Fields Limited came to the Crowsnest Pass to prospect for coal. Rich coal deposits were found at the present site of Bellevue and on April 2, 1903, West Canadian Collieries Limited was incorporated.
The company purchased 20,000 acres of land that encompassed Lille to the north, Blairmore to the west and Byron Creek to the south. Under the direction of Mr. Fleutot, active development on the Bellevue Mine began in 1903, and by December 2nd of that year, the mine loaded its first C.P.R. box car.
By 1905 development of the mine and town were well under way. There were over 150 men on the mine's payroll and worker's housing, stores and a hotel were added to Bellevue to accommodate the steadily increasing workforce.
Click here to learn more of the history of Bellevue Underground Mine.
The death toll could have been much higher, however, if it had occurred during the day shift instead of the night shift: there would have been over 200 men in the mine instead of 42. The mine was also forced to shut down for several months for repairs and then a 7 month strike came along which closed the mine until November 1911. It was not until 1912 that operations were back to normal.
The next two decades at the mine were ones of high production and good profits. There were several major strikes during this period as the miners became more organized and their unions became stronger.
The late 1940's and 1950's were very difficult times for the mine. The C.P.R.'s continuing conversion from coal to diesel was, by the late 1950's, all but complete and thus the Bellevue mine's largest customer no longer required coal.
Attempts were made to find new markets for its coal overseas and for steam power plants, but these were unsuccessful. All efforts to persuade the government to give financial assistance failed and due to a lack of orders, the mine was forced to shut down in January 1961.
The dominant issue in these strikes was wages, with the miners demanding increases, but there were other disputes such as those over mining methods and over union affiliation that led to work stoppages.
There were major strikes in 1919, 1920, 1922, and 1924. Of these, the six month strike in 1924 was the most important. It reduced the miner's wages to a level that remained virtually unchanged until about 1939.
Archives & Articles
Click on each article to read full story
continued here
Capturing the Miner's Image continued
1910 Bellevue Mine Explosion continued
SCHOOL GROUPS
MANTRIP PROJECT
Programs & Events
EVENTS CALENDAR
Discover the dynamic, intriguing history of the Bellevue Underground Mine while viewing this newly released film highlighting both the powerful past and exciting present day underground mine tours.
This presentation is shown daily at the Bellevue Underground Mine, and is available for sale in our gift shop.
2011 Season
Bellevue Mine -
A Walk into History
Join us for an experience you'll never forget!
In the not so distant past, underground coal mining was the economic mainstay in the Crowsnest Pass of Alberta.
Now the mines are closed and that way of life is only a memory. The Crowsnest Pass Ecomuseum Trust Society is committed to ensuring the underground memories are not lost.
Shool Programs
Bellevue Underground Mine Tours school programs enrich the learning opportunities for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The educational programs support students in learning about the mining history of Crowsnest Pass while also broadening their horizons through exhibitions , guest speakers, and programs.
Guidelines for School Groups
It is essential that adult supervisors familiarize their group with appropriate conduct to ensure the safety of the mine displays and the comfort of other visitors. Bellevue Underground Mine visitors come from all around the world and are of all ages. All visitors appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the mine tour in a safe, quiet environment, and for this reason we ask all visitors to follow some essential guidelines.
Bellevue Underground Mine staff will be happy to provide you our standard guidelines -- please inquire at the time of your booking.
We look forward to presenting an experience at Bellevue Underground Mine you and your students will never forget!
Please call the Booking Office to book a school program.
Bellevue Underground Mine Booking Office
Phone: 403.564.4700
Email: cpets_shaw.ca
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Instinct and judgement cannot be taught, but miners learned to trust their intuition. The individual stories from these brave individuals will help the rest of us understand this uncanny sense of danger and responsibility.
Mantrip Project
The primary goal of this project is to research and collect the names of underground coal miners in the Crowsnest Pass.
With the collection of supporting information the goal of this project is to weave a comprehensive profile of each individual miner, and as a result create a time capsule of mining in the 20th century.
Data will be gathered about the miners, as well as individual or group photos. Each miner has his own story, and this could be considered a time capsule and part of the unique history of underground coal mining.
Investigation has shown that with the twinning of science and technology in mining, and the role that non-scientific learning and knowledge played in the miner’s work and life in the community can help to explain the creative aspect of mining.
The data-base will be centralized, comprehensive and easy to access on an interactive website. These stories of miners and their experiences will allow our interpretive guides to convey an element of personal ownership for our guests, that would ensure a unique and memorable experience as a result of their journey through mining history at the Bellevue Underground Mine Tour.
Current Opportunities
Summer Employment
How to Apply & FAQs
Employment Opportunities
Employees of The Crowsnest Pass Ecomuseum Trust Society are part of a unique cultural environment. CPETS is recognized as an important and significant cultural organization in Canada.
Staff members contribute to the collective effort to educate and inspire the public about the unique application of art and science to underground mining in the Crowsnest Pass and the important part it played in shaping our diverse community.
Bellevue Underground Mine Tour interpreters and other staff members are the first to experience and share in the awe of first-time visitors, new events and programs, and exciting new discoveries as they appear at Bellevue Underground Mine Tours.
Bellevue Underground Mine staff and Board volunteers research, interpret, and promote knowledge of coal mining, a significant industry in the Crowsnest Pass. Interpreters provide visitors with a unique insight into our mining heritage through guided tours of an underground coal mine and educational programming.
Click here to discover Crowsnest Pass
FAQs
Rental accommodation is available from private landlords. We can introduce you to some options if you would appreciate assistance. Shared accommodation may be available as well.
Presently, there is no public transportation in Crowsnest Pass. If you do not have access to private transportation (eg, personal vehicle, bike, car pool) you should consider living in the town of Bellevue so you can walk to work.
You will complete a paid two-week training period after which you will lead your first solo tour!
Overalls, hardhats and lamps are provided and we will assist in the purchase of safety footwear.
Come spend the summer in the Canadian Rockies!
If you would like to become a member of the
Bellevue Mine Family, we are looking forward to hearing from you.
Interested applicants can mail, fax, or email resumes and cover letters to:
Diane Peterson, Executive Director
P. O. Box 519
Bellevue, AB T0K 0C0
Phone: 403-564-4711
Fax: 403-564-4717
Have more questions? Please call or email -- we'll be happy to answer all of your questions about working at Bellevue Underground Mine.
BELLEVUE UNDERGROUND MINE INTERPRETERS
Do you desire an amazing, life changing experience this summer?
The Bellevue Underground Mine, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta is seeking six individuals longing for an opportunity to communicate with visitors of all ages during an interactive experience in the unique setting of a historically authentic underground coal mine.
This opportunity is available for those that wish to join a rewarding, enthusiastic and motivated team in a customer service oriented environment. Tour guides will be trained in the historical and technological aspects of coal mining in the early twentieth century.
Duties include guided mine tours and educational programs for school groups as well as the general public from around the world, admission and gift shop duties, assistance with special events, as well as the development of an individually created project. Related interpretive or educational experience is an asset. Training is provided. Successful applicants will require a current standard first aid certificate.
Employment Period: April 23– -September 3, 2012
Wages: $11.50 - $12.50 per hour (30-37 hr/week)
Application Deadline: February 10, 2012
Interviews: February 20 – 24, 2012
Phone interviews can be arranged.
Interested applicants may send cover letters, resumes and references to:
Bellevue Underground Mine
P. O. Box 519, Bellevue Post Office,
Crowsnest Pass, Alberta T0K 0C0
Phone/Fax: Administrative Office - 403-564-4711
Email:
Please refer to
Summer Employment Page
for further information.
Contact Us
Bellevue Underground Mine Tours
21814 - 28th Avenue
Bellevue, AB T0K 0E0
Ph: 403.564.4700 or 403.564.4711
Our Season & Hours
Directions & Map
Links
Please use directional arrows to zoom and pan.
From Highway 3, turn North into Bellevue at 213 Street.
Travel on 213th Street for approximatley 1 KM.
Turn East at this sign:
Once you begin descending the hill to the mine site, please observe the posted speed limit -- 20 KM/HR. Thank you!
Print the PDF Map
PDF Bellevue Underground Mine Directions.pdf
Bellevue Underground Mine Tours Crowsnest Pass 21814 - 28th Avenue, Bellevue, AB Canada T0K 0E0 403-564-4700 / 403-564-4711 email: cpets_shaw.ca Follow Us
ACCOMMODATIONS & LODGING
Bed and Breakfast:
A Safe Haven
Hillcrest Hide A Way
Anglers Ridge
Cabins, Resorts, Hotels
Best Canadian Motor Inns
Crowsnest Mtn. Resort
Goat Mtn. Get Away
Lost Lemon Cabins
Sierra West Cabins
Holiday Homes, Resorts
Country Encounters
Mountain Peace
Crowsnest Riverside
RECREATION, ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Community Swimming Pool
Tourism, Parks & Recreation
Events in Crowsnest Pass
Alberta Community Profile
Crowsnest Museum
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
Treadsoftly Adventures
Knotty Pine Meadows
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www.asafehavenbb.ca
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www.lostlemon.com
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www.mountainpeace.com
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www.town.crowsnestpass.ab.ca
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