Ready to dig a little deeper and get on track with the history of Squamish? Two major historic and heritage sites draw visitors to this Howe Sound-area municipality: the BC Museum of Mining, and the West Coast Railway Heritage Park.
BC Museum of Mining
Visit the BC Museum of Mining to discover the inner workings of what was once the largest copper mine in the British Empire. Located in Britannia Beach on the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Highway 99), the Britannia Beach Mine operated between 1904 and 1974, opened as a museum in 1975, and received the status of a National Historic Site in 1988.
On the museum's Underground Adventure, visitors can pan for gold (keeping what they find), take an underground mining train ride through a tunnel that naturally maintains a temperature of 12°C/58°F year-round, check out dynamiting and drill operations, and admire the huge, 1923-built gravity concentrator mill. The Britannia Beach Mine has been used to film everything from movies like Insomnia and Scooby Doo 2 to episodes of The X-Files.
Also, check out photos and artifacts that document the mine's history, from the 1915 avalanche that devastated the Jane Camp to the May Day celebrations where a "Copper Queen" was crowned annually in the burgeoning boomtown. Since 2008, tours of the innovative new EPCOR Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant have also been offered.
The BC Museum of Mining is open from Monday to Friday in the winter, seven days a week from mid-March to mid-October. Check with the Museum directly for opening hours.
West Coast Railway Heritage Park
For train buffs, the West Coast Railway Heritage Park (36495 Government Rd.) offers Western Canada's largest assortment of heritage railway locomotives, cars, and other vintage rolling stock. Founded in 1994, the park is best-known as the home of the Royal Hudson, a picturesque steam train that formerly ran between North Vancouver and Squamish.
Family fun abounds at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. Kids enjoy viewing lovingly detailed miniature train displays or ride a mini-train around the 4.9ha/12ac site. The annual "Day Out With Thomas" celebration of Thomas the Tank Engine, a whimsical cartoon character, is a favourite with young children each June. Year-round, check out restored railcars that date back to the 19th century, and pick up souvenirs at the gift shop.
The park is open daily (except Christmas Day and New Year's Day). Check opening hours. To get there, turn left off Highway 99 at Industrial Way, drive to the stop sign at Queens Way, turn right and follow the signs.