Those interested in geology and mining history will want to attend a free lecture at Centre 64 on Tuesday, May 8.
Rihanna Gibson will be delivering a non-technical presentation. She will repeat the presentation in Cranbrook on May 23 at the history centre.
“I’ll discuss regional geology in the context of earth history, followed by mining history in the region,” she said.”The mining history covers placer, coal, and metal mines in the East Kootenay and the development of the region – from the placer mining gold rush days when there was a rush to build the Dewdney Trail, the dovetailed development of coal mines and railway, the growing pains and eventual large-scale development of the Sullivan, eventual mine reclamation, and current mining. I focus a bit on the Sullivan but cover a bunch of mines in small detail.”
The history of the East Kootenay was sculpted by prospectors, miners, and fortune seekers chasing deposits of metal and coal that formed through a rich geologic history, Givson says. This project shares these geologic and mining history stories with public presentations and a pamphlet.
This project brings free presentations and a short pamphlet on the geologic and mining history of the East Kootenay to the region. Rocks that formed over the last hundreds of millions of years contain valuable minerals such as gold, silver, lead, and coal. Historic mining of these minerals sculpted the history and culture of the East Kootenay, and modern mining continues to define the economic and social landscape. This project aims to teach people why mining happens here, explore the impacts of mining, and discuss what mining means to the East Kootenay.
The public presentation will introduce regional geology, place regional mining history in a historical context, and share stories of mining in the region. The aim is to introduce the general public to mining and how it has shaped the region. The public presentations will be offered free of charge in several communities (Invermere, Kimberley, Cranbrook, Creston, and Fernie).
The pamphlet features geologic and historic timeline both with global and local events. This pamphlet will be free of charge and distributed at the public presentations and through local museums.
Rohanna Gibson is a geologist by trade and mountain-lover at heart. Her work in geology has taken her from Himalayan heights to arctic tundra (and many places in between!). After moving to the East Kootenay, Rohanna quickly became intrigued in the stories of the rocks that formed the mountains and the miners that worked them. The wealth of mining history and how it shaped the early development of the region enriches her exploration of the Kootenays, and she hopes to share this experience.
