Britannia Beach

Britannia Beach is a small unincorporated community in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District located approximately 55 kilometres north of Vancouver, British Columbia on the Sea-to-Sky Highway on Howe Sound. As of 2021 it had a population of about 400.[1] It includes the nearby Britannia Creek, a small to mid-sized stream that flows into Howe Sound that was historically one of North America's most polluted waterways.

The community first developed between 1900 and 1904 as the residential area for the staff of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company. The residential areas and the mining operation were physically interrelated, resulting in coincidental mining and community disasters through its history.

Today, the town is host to the Britannia Mine Museum, formerly known as the British Columbia Museum of Mining, on the grounds of the old Britannia Mines. The mine's old Concentrator facilities, used to separate copper ore from its containing rock, are a National Historic Site of Canada.[2]

History

The first settler/European person to sail the South Western inlet of what is now British Columbia was George Vancouver in 1792. When surveying the waters, George Vancouver gave name to the area, Howe Sound, in honour of Admiral Richard Howe.[3] Britannia Beach took its name from the nearby Britannia Range of mountains, which form the east wall of the mountainous shore of Howe Sound south of Britannia Beach. About 1859 Royal Navy hydrographer Captain Richards of HMS Plumper named the range of mountains for HMS Britannia, the third of a series of vessels to bear that name. The Britannia was never in these waters.[4][5]

Population (1888-1974)

Though the early settlers of Britannia Beach were primarily single white men, the company town was considered quite diverse. According to the Britannia Mine Museum:

"Workers at the Britannia Mine came from far and wide. It was recorded that people from 50 nationalities came to work here. Most of those came from Canada and Europe - for example in 1948, 48% of workers were Canadian, 47% were European, 2% were classed as 'Oriental', and 1% was American."[13]

Though there was a minor Asian population in Britannia Beach, they played a prominent role in the town. Since Bill No. 47 was passed in 1900 by the Canadian Government, Japanese and Chinese workers were not permitted to work underground, but were able to take jobs above the ground.[14]

Britannia Creek pollution

Prior to the reclamation work undertaken by the University of British Columbia and the Provincial Government, the clear and transparent water in Britannia Creek suggested a pristine environment, however the clear water was actually an indication that no living creatures could survive in it. The water could not be consumed by humans either.

Although mining at Britannia Creek stopped in 1974, runoff and rainwater that flow through the mine's abandoned tunnels combine with oxygen and the high sulfide content of the waste rock to create a condition called acid rock drainage (ARD).[15][16] As a result of ARD, Britannia Creek became severely polluted. And, for close to a century prior to December, 2001, polluted run-off was being deposited directly into Howe Sound via Jane Creek and Britannia Creek; as much as 450 kilograms (close to one thousand pounds) of copper was entering Howe Sound daily.[17]

A 2 km strip of coastal waters along Britannia Beach was seriously polluted, affecting 4.5 million juvenile chum salmon from the Squamish Estuary. A federal fisheries report revealed that spring salmon held in cages off Britannia Creek died in less than 48 hours because of the toxic metals in the water, whereas fish held off Porteau Cove to the south, had a 100% survival rate.

Events and Activities

During its successful years, Britannia Beach had many events for people to enjoy. The first of these being Miners Day. This was a day of celebration to honour those who kept the town going, the miners. Many events took place during Miners day which included drilling, mucking, diving (aquatic), running, and bicycle decorating competitions.[27] The second major event was the Copper Queen pageant which was held from 1926 to 1966 during Victoria Day celebrations in May.[13] The school children voted who should be named as Britannia Beach's Copper Queen and with each new Queen came a different variation of the crown she was presented, making each year unique to their own. Being Copper Queen had some responsibilities too as they had to attend local events and holiday festivities during their reign. Although Britannia Beach was essentially remote until the 1950s, there were plenty of recreational activities for everyone. In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, former resident Frances McKilligan stated that "Sports clubs, amateur theatre, hobby clubs and annual community celebrations took place throughout the year. Dances, parties, movies and picnics were held and there were ample areas for hiking, swimming and fishing with the beautiful Howe Sound as a backdrop."[28]

In the media

The 1995 Season 3 Episode 2 Paper Clip of the US TV show The X-Files was filmed specifically around the Britannia Mine Museum.[29] The 2010 episode of the US TV show Psych, Dual Spires, was filmed almost entirely in Britannia Beach.[30] In 2017, many scenes for The Crossing (TV series) were filmed in and around the village.[31][32] In the same year, scenes for Travelers (TV series) were also shot in Britannia Beach.[33] Parts of the second season of the HBO show The Last of Us

Bibliography

Province of BC Britannia Mine Remediation Project: www.britanniamine.ca

External links

http://www.vaisbord.com/britanniabeach/

• Portal To Britannia Beach
• Britannia Mine Museum
• Britannia Mine's Mill No. 3 National Historic Site
• Province of BC Britannia Mine Remediation Project
• Britannia Beach Community Portal

Other sources

• An Analysis of Britannia
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region
• North Shore News