Britannia Mine: A Canadian Innovation with a Lasting Environmental Impact

Abstract

The Britannia Mine, situated on the east shore of Howe Sound, 45 km (28 miles) north of Vancouver, produced more copper than any other mine in the British Empire between 1925 and 1930. Dr. A. A. Forbes originally discovered minerals there in 1888. When it ceased operations in 1974, it had produced over 517,000 metric tonnes (mt) of copper, 125,000 mt of zinc, and significant quantities of lead, cadmium, silver, gold and pyrite. The mine applied and improved a froth-flotation system that was particularly efficient in separating and concentrating the ore: the Britannia deep-cell flotation system helped triple the yield at one of their mills. The steep local mountain slopes were used to generate hydroelectric power that provided compressed air for the mine ventilation system, and to transport ore through the concentrator by gravity. Old rails were recycled to make grinding balls for the mills, many years before recycling technology and the circular economy were recognized to be desirable practices. They used IBM punch cards for time keeping in 1929. The mine also leaves an environmental legacy, however, as one of the largest sources of metal pollution in North America. Remediation efforts to protect Howe Sound and the Squamish River from acid rock drainage will be necessary for the foreseeable future.