Country Canada Census Division No. 3 Highways 774, 507 Local time Wednesday 4:46 AM Waterway Castle River | Region Southern Alberta Time zone MST (UTC-8) Elevation 1,300 m Province Alberta | |
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Municipal district Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9 Weather -7°C, Wind W at 27 km/h, 77% Humidity | ||
Beaver Mines is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9. It is located in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies on Highway 507, approximately 19 km (12 mi) west of Pincher Creek.
Contents
Map of Beaver Mines, AB, Canada
History
The community was formed with the opening of a coal mine in the early 1900s. At one time Beaver Mines had over 1,500 residents. Because of the requirement for steel (rail tracks) during the wars and the reduction in the need for coal, the coal mines eventually closed and the community residents moved away. The last mine shut down its operations in 1971 and currently the mine site and many of the building foundations are on private land. For the past 30 years Beaver Mines has been considered a ghost town and has had numerous write-ups in ghost town books.
Contemporary issues
Currently, due largely to the expansion of Castle Mountain Resort and the growth of Calgary to the north, the hamlet has begun to grow again as a popular recreational destination.