Britannia Mining Museum
May 18, 2011
The Britannia Mining Museum is the site of a disused copper/ gold mine, which operated 1904 -1974. It has been converted to a museum, and in recent years, enormously upgraded to a first class facility. It is located on the Sea to Sky Highway, some 30 km. north of Horseshoe Bay. (Please scroll down below the pictures for the rest of this story… You can also click on the pictures below to see them larger.)
Information is available on the Museum website, bcmm.ca. Our contact was Carol Watts, (1-604-896-2233, local 225, carol@bcmm.ca.)
Our Probus Club had visited the museum in June, 2007, in conjunction with a viewing of the then ongoing major upgrade of the Sea to Sky Highway and the Railway Museum, in Squamish.
Members of the Activities Committee visited the Mining Museum in the summer of 2010 and felt it was worth revisiting.
We departed at 9:00 AM on May 18, 2011, from the South East corner of Marine Drive and Taylor Way. We parked in the Park Royal South parking lot, which in this case was not a problem. However, we should look for alternate departure points, as malls are will sometimes tow over parked cars.
We used Charter Bus Lines, of Richmond (604-940-1707, contact Cynthia Ruggles). We had previously used this firm and find them reliable.
The group of 46 included members and guests (3 last minute no-shows). We charged $75 per head, which included the bus charter, museum entrance fee and lunch at the Furry Creek Golf Course, located some 5 km south of Britannia Beach. The Club made a modest profit on the trip.
On arrival at the Museum, we were met by tour guides and taken to the museum facilities where we viewed pictures and relics from the past, a video, restored buildings, a trip through some 1500 feet of underground workings and the old mill building. Our club was able to receive an interesting talk from one of the museum Board members, who had been raised in Britannia. He told us of life in the then remote community and of the mine operation.
We arrived back at Park Royal at about 3:00 PM. Comments and reactions indicated that most of our group felt the trip was worth while.