http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/
‘In so many ways, coal has laid the foundation for the island,” says historian
The last working coal mine on Vancouver Island has halted production indefinitely, marking the end of an industry that established towns, a railway, and some of the province’s first labour unions, says a B.C. historian.
The owners of Quinsam coal mine near Campbell River suspended operations earlier this month, stating the move is in response to a decline in coal prices and market demand.
“In so many ways, coal has laid the foundation for the island,” said University of Victoria history professor John Lutz. “Between the 1850s and the early 20th century coal was the main economic resource on the island.”