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Home>> People and Communities>> Geographical Communities |
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Geographical Communities | |||
These communities were dwarfed by mine buildings and the coal refuse that was a part of any mining operation. Frequently, even amid the splendour of the Rocky Mountains, they were grim and unattractive places. Houses were huts or shacks and had an air of impermanence about them. In some cases, enlightened mine owners wished to create "ideal communities" with attractive "cottages" designed to lure competent men and their families. Martin Nordegg is one example. Since the mines generated their own electricity, they often supplied the power to nearby towns. The communities surrounding a mine were the first to use electric light, and soon the towns grew. Even though established in a particular community, when work
ceased, there was no option but to move on and miners did this
frequently. When the mine closed for whatever reason, the
town shut down as well unless there was another economic
activity to sustain it. Places such as
Bankhead and
Lille
ceased to exist. Later on, with the end of the historic
era of coal mining in the 1950s, Coal Branch communities also
ceased to exist and mining equipment and houses. |
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