The Britannia Mill is getting a facelift thanks to millions in private and public donations. The B.C. Museum of Mining in Britannia Beach announced its core contributions last week, which include $750,000 from Teck Cominco Ltd., $100,000 from Hallbauer Family Foundation, $100,000 from Robert Dickinson, Chairman of Hunter Dickinson Inc. and in-kind project management services contributed by BC's largest mining engineering firm, AMEC.
The $3.5 million clean up will be made possible with financial support from the mining industry donors combined with $1 million from the federal government and $1 million from the provincial government.
The work will focus on the massive Concentrator #3 building, built in 1922 for $1 million on a mountainside overlooking the community of Britannia Beach.
Since the mine closed more than 30 years ago, the building has served as an educational and tourist destination for more than one million people interested in the unique, gravity fed system that allowed 90 per cent of the mill's copper to be extracted.
As one of the last of its kind in North America, the structure continues to be used as an instructional tool for students learning architecture and engineering. The renovations will involve replacing more than 18,000 windowpanes, new cladding and paint, and a clean up of the site.
The BC Mining Museum is inviting stakeholders and residents to join the 樱桃视频Lillooet Regional District, technical representatives and the Britannia Development Corporation to a forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday (July 26) at the Britannia Beach Community Hall. Museum staff will provide an update on the project's major accomplishments and timelines.
[email protected]
