WELCOME to the Galt #8 Mine Historic Site Society website!
The Galt #8 Mine Site Historic Society is committed to saving the site of the historic Galt #8 Mine in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada for the citizens of Lethbridge and for visitors with an interest in the industrial history of Southern Alberta.
Although the mine ceased operations in 1958, its buildings remain standing. Silhouetted against the western skyline of the City of Lethbridge, the Galt #8 Mine structures present a powerful reminder of a time when “Coal Banks”, as Lethbridge was once known, was a hub of industrial activity in Southern Alberta, providing much needed coal for local industry, homes, and the great railways as they forged westwards to the Pacific.
Long past its prime, the Galt #8 Mine site is now the home of a cement works.
Galt #8 Mine Headframe
The site and buildings, described as
“one of the most important abandoned coal mines in Canada… the headframe of the shaft mine is the last remaining structure of this type in Canada… the brick buildings area also a valuable heritage resource because of their distinctive architecture and their good condition.(1)”
run the risk of being lost.
The Galt #8 Mine Historic Site Society has proposed the purchase of the site and the redevelopment of the industrial buildings as a museum, interpretive centre, neighbourhood park and neighbourhood community facilities.
Help us realise this goal by joining our Society, volunteering your time, or donating toward our activities, and saving the last remnants of the history of coal mining in Lethbridge.
Please have a look around our website – it is new and growing – to see what we have done in the past and what our vision is for the future. We look forward to your support.
Sincerely,
Les Toth
President, Galt #8 Mine Historic Site Society
(1) Larry Chrismas, past chairman, History and Heritage Committee of the Coal Association of Canada