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Home>> People and Communities>> Geographical Communities>> Regional Profiles>> Drumheller Valley>> Newcastle |
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Newcastle | |||
On an earlier business trip to the Valley, Gouge had chanced upon a man carrying coal from the Newcastle banks. Knowing quality coal when he saw it, Gouge hurried to the land office in Calgary to lease the Newcastle Land.
Miners were a large reason for the success, their jobs were difficult, dangerous, and often stressful. Outside of the mines, conditions could be even worse. The unofficial nickname of Newcastle was the Western Front, a reference to the more undesirable elements in town. Thieves were rampant in the area, and often struck their victims walking home at night, their cheques just cashed.
Today, despite its notorious past, Newcastle has quieted.
Since the closure of the mines in the 1950s, many residents have
moved on. There is a small population that still lives in the
area, those who are older reminding younger generations of the
coal mining history. |
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