Just west of the Continental Divide, the small town of Sparwood (population 4,200) is the most easterly town in British Columbia.
Those who travel Highway 3 know the town as the home of the Terex Titan – the world's largest tandem axle dump truck. One of the highest-elevation towns in Canada, Sparwood is all about the open pit coal mining that takes place on a gargantuan scale in the mountains on the east side of the Elk Valley.
Sparwood's Mining History
The mining history of the area is represented in the murals that adorn the slab concrete sides of buildings, and in the antique mining equipment that is placed in key locations around the downtown core.
Read More
Comfortable Suburbia
A large sign above the highway entrance reads, "MINING benefits all of us." It certainly benefits the mineworkers and their families that make their home in Sparwood. People live in well kept homes, most of which were built in the 1950s and 1960s. There's a quality here that is reminiscent of the elusive suburban utopia, but the perfectly weed-free lawns seem a little out of place high in the Canadian Rockies.
Things to Do in Sparwood
Almost everyone gets photographed in front of the giant truck that stands outside the Sparwood Visitor Centre. However, this is not the only piece of large scale mining equipment on display. Pick up a copy of the Sparwood Mining History Walking Tour Guide and learn about the practice of underground mining in the latter half of the 20th century.
Elkview Open Pit Mine
Take a tour of the Elkview Operations open pit mine. Although almost invisible from the valley bottom, the scale of the Elkview mine is thoroughly mind-boggling. Mine tours are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, leaving the Sparwood Visitor Centre at 1pm. They move mountains here – literally!
For more information on things to do in Sparwood, contact the Visitor Information Centre.
Read Less