Mining Past and Present Vancouver Island

While Vancouver Island is most commonly associated with the resource-based industries of forestry and fishing, the island also has a strong and deep history of mining.

Coal mining began on the island (and surrounding islands) in the 1800s, with the discovery of coal in the Nanaimo region. This initial discovery was facilitated by local First Nations, who noticed the coal that Hudson’s Bay Company employees used and offered the information that coal was available locally.

Mining jobs brought many people to the island, creating small towns of workers (eg Cumberland) while areas of Nanaimo and Victoria were built upon the success of prominent mining families.

Mining became big business, first coal and then metals. The island is physically marked by the industry, with both small, abandoned mine sites and large decommissioned mine sites. There are two large mines near Campbell River, Quinsam Coal and Myra Mines (metals). Quinsam was last shut down in May 2019. Myra Mines is currently operational but has had slow-downs and shut downs in the past. Both of these large mines are affected by global demand and pricing.

In January of this year Geoscience BC released some enhanced data from a geological aerial survey that includes information which can help geologists and mining experts locate potential metals. This is positive news for people interested in mining on northern Vancouver Island.

There are still individual mine claims throughout the back country of Vancouver Island as well as on the smaller islands and on the stretch of mainland coast across from northern Vancouver Island. Whether any of these are active is hard to determine. There are also still people who pan in the local rivers, hoping to find a gold nugget or two.

north Vancouver Island old mine site

Properties that come up for sale in the more remote areas of the islands can be impacted by a mining background. Some may be actual mine sites while others can be at least partially made up of old mining claims.

there were mine sites on the hillside of Port Neville

Hatley and Cragidarroch Castles, the community of Cumberland, Newcastle Island, the IslandCopper Mine outside of Port Hardy, small mining relics and tailings piles, unused mining claims, the numerous dams around Nanaimo – all of these are part of the legacy mining has created on Vancouver Island.

It’s a Coastal Lifestyle … Live it!

BCO Coastal Gems: Zeballos

Gold mining built the town of Zeballos in the 1930s, when gold was discovered in the hills surrounding the small port at the head of the Zeballos Inlet. The inlet was named after a Spanish lieutenant, Ciriaco Cevallos, in 1972.

At the height of the gold production, Zeballos was a thriving town of over 1500 people. However, the second world war and then a lower price of gold meant an end to the gold mines and the Village slowly reduced in size. Forestry is now the mainstay of the local economy, and approx. 100 people make Zeballos home year-round.

With its road access and the open waters of the Pacific Ocean and the waterways of Nootka Sound beckoning, Zeballos has become a choice destination for fishing and wilderness recreation. There is both fresh water and salt water fishing, as the Zeballos River runs through town.

Zeballos is on the west coast of Vancouver Island, accessed by road from Hwy 19 just north of Woss. This is a Forest Service gravel road and can be in varying condition throughout the year.

The small coastal hamlet is located approximately 14 nautical miles from the open west coast Pacific Ocean and is 17 nautical miles from Tahsis, a small coastal community in the neighbouring inlet to the south.

There are limited services, including a medical clinic, general store, marina and boat fuel sales. In the summer there are a number of accommodation options. Zeballos calls itself the Golden Gate to the West Coast. It offers access to Nootka Sound and the fishing on the west coast of the island, as well as the provincial parks of the northern Island (Woss, Brooks Peninsula, Cape Scott).

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Mining on Vancouver Island

While Vancouver Island is most commonly associated with the resource-based industries of forestry and fishing, the island also has a strong and deep history of mining.

Coal mining began on the island (and surrounding islands) in the 1800s, with the discovery of coal in the Nanaimo region. This initial discovery was facilitated by local First Nations, who noticed the coal that Hudson’s Bay Company employees used and offered the information that coal was available locally.

Mining jobs brought many people to the island, creating small towns of workers (eg Cumberland) while areas of Nanaimo and Victoria were built upon the success of prominent mining families.

Mining became big business, first coal and then metals. The island is physically marked by the industry, with both small, abandoned mine sites and large decommissioned mine sites. Two large mines near Campbell River, Quinsam Coal and Myra Mines, are on-again off-again mines; with production being at the whim of global markets.

There are still individual mine claims throughout the back country of Vancouver Island as well as on the smaller islands and on the stretch of mainland coast across from northern Vancouver Island. Whether any of these are active is hard to determine. There are also still people who pan in the local rivers, hoping to find a gold nugget or two.

north Vancouver Island old mine site

Properties that come up for sale in the more remote areas of the islands can be impacted by a mining background. Some may be actual mine sites while others can be at least partially made up of old mining claims.

there were mine sites on the hillside of Port Neville

Hatley and Cragidarroch Castles, the community of Cumberland, Newcastle Island, the IslandCopper Mine outside of Port Hardy, small mining relics and tailings piles, unused mining claims, the numerous dams around Nanaimo – all of these are part of the legacy mining has created on Vancouver Island.

It’s a Coastal Lifestyle … Live it!

Mining Vancouver Island

While Vancouver Island is most commonly associated with the resource-based industries of forestry and fishing, the island also has a strong and deep history of mining.

Coal mining began on the island (and surrounding islands) in the 1800s, with the discovery of coal in the Nanaimo region. This initial discovery was facilitated by local First Nations, who noticed the coal that Hudson’s Bay Company employees used and offered the information that coal was available locally.

Mining jobs brought many people to the island, creating small towns of workers (eg Cumberland) while areas of Nanaimo and Victoria were built upon the success of prominent mining families.

Mining became big business, first coal and then metals. The island is physically marked by the industry, with both small, abandoned mine sites and large decommissioned mine sites. Two large mines near Campbell River, Quinsam Coal and Myra Mines, are on-again off-again mines; with production being at the whim of global markets.

There are still individual mine claims throughout the back country of Vancouver Island as well as on the smaller islands and on the stretch of mainland coast across from northern Vancouver Island. Whether any of these are active is hard to determine. There are also still people who pan in the local rivers, hoping to find a gold nugget or two.

north Vancouver Island old mine site

Properties that come up for sale in the more remote areas of the islands can be impacted by a mining background. Some may be actual mine sites while others can be at least partially made up of old mining claims.

there were mine sites on the hillside of Port Neville

Hatley and Cragidarroch Castles, the community of Cumberland, Newcastle Island, the IslandCopper Mine outside of Port Hardy, small mining relics and tailings piles, unused mining claims, the numerous dams around Nanaimo – all of these are part of the legacy mining has created on Vancouver Island.

It’s a Coastal Lifestyle … Live it!

BCO Coastal Gems: Texada

Texada Island is accessed by ferry from Powell River on the Sunshine Coast in the Strait of Georgia. It is a long, narrow island visible also from Vancouver Island and, like many of the islands in the region, is known for its natural beauty and sandy beaches.

Texada is also known for its mines and quarries. There are three limestone quarries currently in operation, quite visible from the water.

Population for Texada sits around 1200, and there are services and amenities on the island. There are also a number of parks and both public and private campgrounds. Gillies Bay is a very popular beach area, but there are numerous places to explore on the island. The summer vibe on the island is as laid back as the rest of the local islands, with a Farmer's Market and many local artists to discover.

As with a number of the islands in the region, Texada shows evidence of being a harvesting location and perhaps a summer residence for First Nations groups prior to settlement by Europeans in the 1800s, but there is no evidence as yet that there were any permanent villages on the island.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Mining Vancouver Island

While Vancouver Island is most commonly associated with the resource-based industries of forestry and fishing, the island also has a strong and deep history of mining.

Just this January, the last working coal mine on Vancouver Island closed down for an indefinite period of time. The Quinsam Coal Mine in Campbell River was shut down in the face of changing global economies and a decline in the demand for coal. Its closure marks the final end of an important part of Vancouver Island’s history.

Coal mining began on the island (and surrounding islands) in the 1800s, with the discovery of coal in the Nanaimo region. This initial discovery was facilitated by local First Nations, who noticed the coal that Hudson’s Bay Company employees used and offered the information that coal was available locally.

Mining jobs brought many people to the island and particularly areas of Nanaimo and Victoria were built upon the success of prominent mining families.

Mining became big business, first coal and then metals. The island is marked by the industry, with both small, abandoned mine sites and large decommissioned mine sites. Myra Mines, operating in Strathcona Park on central Vancouver Island, was the last of the large mineral mines to cease operations, with the mine being put on an indefinite shut-down in 2015. The ownership cites a downturn in global commodity prices for the shut-down, although the mine is not considered closed and keeps a skeleton crew on site to maintain environmental and safety standards.

There are still individual mine claims throughout the back country of Vancouver Island as well as on the smaller islands. Whether any of these are active is hard to determine. There are also still people who pan in the local rivers, hoping to find a gold nugget or two.

Benson River property

Properties that come up for sale in the more remote areas of the islands can be impacted by a mining background. Some may be actual mine sites, such as the property for sale near Benson River outside Port Alice. Others, such as the Quartz Bay property on Cortes Island, are at least partially made up of old mining claims.

Quartz Bay, Cortes

Hatley and Cragidarroch Castles, the community of Cumberland, Newcastle Island, the IslandCopper Mine outside of Port Hardy, small mining relics and tailings piles, unused mining claims, the numerous dams around Nanaimo – all of these are part of the legacy mining has created in Vancouver Island.

It’s a Coastal Lifestyle … Live it!