List of mines in British Columbia
This is an incomplete list of mines in British Columbia , Canada and includes operating and closed mines, as well as proposed mines at an advanced stage of development (e.g. mining permits applied for). 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 / 49.98389; -119.51944 (Blue Hawk )
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 / 52.09667; -120.90750 (Boss Mountain )
Hendrix Lake (43 km SE of Horsefly )
Cariboo
NMC Resource Corp
1917–
a.k.a. 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 / 50.77778; -122.82222 (Bralorne )
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 / 49.61111; -123.14111 (Britannia )
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]
Brucejack mine
Au , Ag
56°28′03″N 130°11′29″W / 56.46750°N 130.19139°W / 56.46750; -130.19139 (Brucejack )
Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine
Newmont
2017–
[ 7]
Bullion Mine
Au
52°37′38″N 121°38′21″W / 52.62722°N 121.63917°W / 52.62722; -121.63917 (Bullion )
Bullion (near Likely )
Cariboo
Placer Dome
1859–1942
a.k.a. the Bullion Pit and China Pit, one of the largest placer gold mines in the world
[ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 11]
Cariboo Amelia Mine
Au , Ag , Pb , Zn , Cu , Pyrophyllite , Silica
49°6′57″N 119°11′02″W / 49.11583°N 119.18389°W / 49.11583; -119.18389 (Cariboo Amelia )
Camp McKinney /Bridesville (N of Rock Creek
Okanagan Highland /Boundary Country
Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company
1894–1962
a.k.a. Cariboo Mine, Camp McKinney Mine, various; British Columbia's first dividend-paying gold mine
[ 12] [ 13] [ 14]
Cariboo Gold Quartz Mine
Au , Ag , W , Bi , Pb , Zn
53°05′23″N 121°33′41″W / 53.08972°N 121.56139°W / 53.08972; -121.56139 (Cariboo Gold Quartz )
Wells
Cariboo
1870s onwards, peak years 1833–1987
[ 15]
Cassiar Mine
Asbestos , Chrysotile , Jade/Nephrite , Gemstones , Mg
59°19′30″N 129°49′05″W / 59.32500°N 129.81806°W / 59.32500; -129.81806 (Cassiar )
Cassiar
Cassiar Country
1950-
asbestos mining ended in 1989, now in development for magnesium
[ 16]
Coal Mountain Mine
Coal
49°30′37″N 114°39′16″W / 49.510316°N 114.654458°W / 49.510316; -114.654458 (Coal Mountain Mine )
Corbin
Teck Resources
1905–2018
care and maintenance status
[ 17]
Copper Mountain Mine
Cu , Au , Ag
49°19′52″N 120°32′03″W / 49.33111°N 120.53417°W / 49.33111; -120.53417 (Copper Mountain )
Copper Mountain & Allenby
Similkameen
a.k.a. Similco, amalgamated with Ingerbelle 1977–78
[ 18] [ 19]
Craigmont Mine
Cu , Fe , Ag , Au
50°12′27″N 120°55′34″W / 50.20750°N 120.92611°W / 50.20750; -120.92611 (Craigmont )
Merritt
Nicola Country
1962–82 (copper), 1992–present (magnetite)
[ 20] [ 21]
Elkview coal mine
Coal
49°45′08″N 114°52′38″W / 49.752273°N 114.877327°W / 49.752273; -114.877327 (Elkview coal mine )
Sparwood
Elk Valley
Elk Valley Resources
Estella Mine
Ag , Pb , Zn , Cd , Cu , Au
49°46′10″N 115°36′19″W / 49.76944°N 115.60528°W / 49.76944; -115.60528 (Estella )
Wasa
East Kootenay
United Estella Mines, Giant Mascot Mines, Giant Soo Mines
[ 22]
Fording River coal mine
Coal
50°13′15″N 114°51′34″W / 50.22083°N 114.85944°W / 50.22083; -114.85944 (Fording River )
Elkford
East Kootenay
Elk Valley Resources
[ 23]
Galore Creek mine
Cu , Au , Ag
57°07′35″N 131°27′14″W / 57.12639°N 131.45389°W / 57.12639; -131.45389 (Galore Creek Mine )
Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine
Teck Resources (50%) Newmont Corporation (50%)
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 / 49.48361; -121.48472 (Giant Mascot )
Hope
Southern Lillooet Ranges
a.k.a. Giant Nickel, Choate
[ 24] [ 25] [ 26]
Gibraltar Mine
Cu
52°31′47.31″N 122°17′11.53″W / 52.5298083°N 122.2865361°W / 52.5298083; -122.2865361 (Giant Mascot )
McLeese Lake
Cariboo
Taseko Mines
1972–1998; 2004–
[ 27]
Golden Cache Mine
Au
50°38′30″N 122°04′55″W / 50.64167°N 122.08194°W / 50.64167; -122.08194 (Golden Cache )
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
[ 28] [ 29] [ 30] [ 31]
Granisle Mine
54°56′40″N 126°09′26″W / 54.94444°N 126.15722°W / 54.94444; -126.15722 (Granisle )
Granisle (nr Smithers )
Babine Lake /Omineca
Granby Mining and Smelting ; Noranda
1965–1982
[ 32]
Hat Creek Coal Mine
coal (lignite )
50°46′11″N 121°36′15″W / 50.76972°N 121.60417°W / 50.76972; -121.60417 (Hat Creek Coal )
Pavilion –Upper Hat Creek
Lillooet Country
1893–
minor past producer; proposed for major coal-thermal power plant
[ 33] [ 34]
Hedley Mascot Mine
Hedley
Similkameen
Hedley Mascot Gold Mines
1936–1949
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 / 55.43917; -129.82417 (Hidden Creek )
Anyox
Observatory Inlet
1914–1936
a.k.a. Anyox Mine
[ 35]
Highland Valley Copper
Cu , Mo , Ag , Au , Pb , Zn
50°29′08″N 121°02′54″W / 50.48556°N 121.04833°W / 50.48556; -121.04833 (Highland Valley Copper )
Logan Lake
NW Thompson Plateau
Teck Resources
1962-
various mines: Bethlehem, Lornex, Highmont, Highland Valley
[ 36]
Island Copper
Cu , Au , Ag , Mo , Rhenium
50°35′59″N 127°28′32″W / 50.59972°N 127.47556°W / 50.59972; -127.47556 (Island Copper )
Port Hardy
Vancouver Island
Utah Mining
1971–1995
Produced 1.3 million tonnes Cu, 31,000 tonnes Mo, 10.9 million ounces Ag, and 1.03 million ounces Au
[ 37] [ 38]
Kemess Mine
Cu , Au , Mo , Ag (Zn , Pb )
57°00′21″N 126°45′03″W / 57.00583°N 126.75083°W / 57.00583; -126.75083 (Kemess )
N/A
Thutade Lake (Omineca Mountains )
Northgate Resources
1998–2011
officially Kemess South is only producer; Kemess West and Rat 1 are Showings, Kemess North is a developed prospect
[ 39] [ 40]
Kitsault Mine
Mo , Ag , Pb , Zn , Cu , W
55°25′19″N 129°25′10″W / 55.42194°N 129.41944°W / 55.42194; -129.41944 (Kitsault )
Kitsault /Alice Arm (near Anyox )
Alice Arm , Observatory Inlet
Amax
1967–1972/1982
[ 41]
Lenora Mine
North Cowichan
Vancouver Island
Lenora, Mt. Sicker Copper Mining Co.
1898–1902
Minto Mine
Au , Cu , Ag , Pb , Zn
50°53′55″N 122°45′05″W / 50.89861°N 122.75139°W / 50.89861; -122.75139 (Minto )
Minto City
Bridge River Country
W.G. "Big Bill" Davidson
1934–1940
[ 42]
Mount Polley mine
Cu , Au , Ag
52°30′48″N 121°35′47″W / 52.513437°N 121.596309°W / 52.513437; -121.596309 (Mount Polley mine )
Likely (nr. Williams Lake )
Cariboo Country
Imperial Metals Corp
1997–
New Afton mine
Au , Cu
50°40′34″N 120°20′27″W / 50.67611°N 120.34083°W / 50.67611; -120.34083 (Kamloops )
Kamloops, BC
Thompson Valley
New Gold
1960–1988, 2006–present
Nickel Plate Mine
Hedley
Similkameen
Marcus Daly , Hedley Gold Mining Co., Kelowna Exploration
1900–1955
Northair Mine
Au , Ag , Pb , Zn , Cu , Cd
50°06′52″N 123°06′13″W / 50.11444°N 123.10361°W / 50.11444; -123.10361 (Northair )
Whistler
Cheakamus Valley
1974–1982
[ 43]
Phoenix Mine
Cu , Au , Ag , Pb , Fe , Talc
49°05′27″N 118°35′58″W / 49.09083°N 118.59944°W / 49.09083; -118.59944 (Phoenix )
Phoenix (Greenwood )
Boundary Country
Granby Mining and Smelting (among others)
various mines at this location, see second ref
[ 44] [ 45]
Pioneer Mine
Au , Ag , Pb , Zn , Cu , Sb , W
50°45′40″N 122°46′50″W / 50.76111°N 122.78056°W / 50.76111; -122.78056 (Pioneer )
Pioneer Mine (Bralorne )
Bridge River Country
1897–
Later amalgamated with Bralorne Mine
[ 46]
Premier Mine
Au , Ag , Pb , Zn , Cu , Cd
56°03′06″N 130°00′51″W / 56.05167°N 130.01417°W / 56.05167; -130.01417 (Premier )
Premier (nr. Stewart –Hyder AK )
Portland Canal
1918–1988
[ 47] [ 48] [ 49]
Quinsam Coal Mine
Coal, Fireclay, Clay
49°56′07″N 125°29′15″W / 49.93528°N 125.48750°W / 49.93528; -125.48750 (Quinsam )
Campbell River
Mid Island
Hillsborough Resources
Care and maintenance status
[ 50]
Quintette Mine
Coal
55°01′40″N 121°11′45″W / 55.02778°N 121.19583°W / 55.02778; -121.19583 (Quintette )
Tumbler Ridge
Hart Ranges (Northern Rockies )
Conuma Resources
1982–2000; 2024–
[ 51] [ 52] [ 53] [ 54]
Snowfield mine
Gold
[ 55]
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 / 49.70750; -116.00528 (Sullivan )
Kimberley
East Kootenay
[ 56]
Surf Inlet Mine
Au , Cu , Ag , Mb
53°05′29″N 128°52′56″W / 53.09139°N 128.88222°W / 53.09139; -128.88222 (Surf Inlet )
Port Belmont a.k.a. Surf Inlet
Princess Royal Island
1917–1926; 1935–1942
[ 57]
Tasu Mine
Fe , Cu , Ag , Au
52°45′24″N 132°02′36″W / 52.75667°N 132.04333°W / 52.75667; -132.04333 (Tasu )
Tasu
Moresby Island
1908–1987
Magnetite lode discovered by Haida people in the late 18th century
[ 58]
Tulsequah Chief Mine
Zn , Cu , Pb , Ag , Au , Cd
58°44′09″N 133°36′04″W / 58.73583°N 133.60111°W / 58.73583; -133.60111 (Tulsequah Chief )
N/A
Taku River
Redfern Resources Ltd.
1925–
[ 59] [ 60]
Tyee Mine
North Cowichan
Vancouver Island
Tyee Copper Co.
1900–1907
See also
References
^ 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
^ 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.
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Blue Hawk Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Bralorne Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Britannia Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Brucejack Mine
^ BCGNIS|49996|Bullion (mining camp) [permanent dead link ]
^ BC Govt Property File search
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ Infomine listing
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Cariboo-Amelia Mine
^ Infomine.com listing "Camp McKinney
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, McKinney Creek Placer
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Copper Mountain Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Ingerbelle Mine
^ "Craigmont Mines" . Archived from the original on 2009-04-05. Retrieved 2009-08-28 .
^ BC MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Estella Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Fording River Coal Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Giant Mascot
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Star of Emeory 3 (Giant Mascot)
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Pride of Emory (Giant Mascot)
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Gibraltar East
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Golden Cache
^ Short Portage to Lillooet , Irene Edwards, self-publ., Lillooet, 1976
^ Halfway to the Goldfields: A History of Lillooet , Lorraine Harris, Sunfire Publications
^ The Great Years: Gold Mining in the Bridge River Valley , Lewis Green, Tricouni Books, 2000
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Granisle
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Hat Creek Coal, Hat Creek No. 1, Hat Creek No. 2
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Pacific Bentonite/Hat Creek
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Hidden Creek Mine/Anyox Mine
^ Various: see MINFILE Search "Highland Valley"
^ Pratt, Morton E. (1990). "Island Copper Mine" . In Kennedy, Bruce A. (ed.). Surface Mining (2 ed.). Littleton, Colorado: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration. pp. 1163– 1175. ISBN 9780873351027 . Retrieved 6 August 2019 .
^ Wilton, Mike J.; Lawrence, Gregory A. (1998). "The Evolution of the Island Copper Mine Pit Lake" (PDF) . Proceedings of the 22nd Annual British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium . Penticton, BC: The Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation. Retrieved 6 August 2019 .
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Kemess South
^ MINFILE Search, "Kemess"
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Kitsault Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Minto Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Phoenix (Knob Hill)
^ MINFILE Search "Phoenix"
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Premier Mine/Premier Silbak
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Northern Lights/Premier Border
^ Vancouver Mine/Premier Extension
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quinsam Coal
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quintette
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quintette Shikano)
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Babcock (Quintette)
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Quintette (Frame)
^ "World gold deposits" (PDF) . nrh.co.il. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 29, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-18 .
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Tulsequah Chief Mine
^ MINFILE Mineral Inventory, Big Bull/Tulsequah Chief