Morden Headframe and Tipple Today

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1 MORDEN MINE A VANISHING AND IRREPLACEABLE INDUSTRIAL AND CULTURAL TREASURE

2 Location Morden Colliery Historic Provincial Park, a four-hectare park open year round, is 7 km or 20 minutes south of Nanaimo. Access by turning off Trans Canada Highway 1 (Island Highway) onto Morden Road. The western portion of Morden Colliery Regional Trail starts at the mine site.

3 The significance of Morden coal mining heritage industrial i innovation sculptural/aesthetic qualities educational and cultural importance

4 Coal Mining Heritage Morden s spectacular 1913 headframe, tipple and dumping chutes are the only large above- ground landmark- artifacts related to coal mining history in the Nanaimo area and on Vancouver Island. Morden Headframe and Tipple Today

5 In fact, its reinforced concrete above- ground headframe and tipple, seen here in photos of Morden Colliery when operating, are unique in North America.

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7 The only other existing large memorials to Vancouver Island coal mining history are huge mounds of coal slack in South Wellington, a result of coal mining activities there.

8 As well as old coal miners cottages still prevalent in old Nanaimo, scattered about in some other areas. They are unsung heritage landmarks. Look for pyramidal, gabled, gambrel roofs.

9 Industrial Innovation The reinforced concrete structures at Morden are the only example on Vancouver Island of the early yp period of experimentation in the use of concrete in pure, structural framing.

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11 Those years prior to the First World were an innovative period for building, a time when the technology of reinforced concrete became increasingly identified with building construction.

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13 Reinforced concrete is so widely used in today s column and-beam building construction that it is difficult to understand that in 1913, when Morden was constructed, reinforced concrete was a novelty.

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15 Sculptural/Aesthetic Qualities Morden s structures were intended as purely functional industrial i creations similar il in form to headframe structures widely built of timber and steel.

16 But today we can reinterpret them in an aesthetic way as found art, and as such they can be seen as beautiful and powerful abstract sculptural forms.

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18 Their aesthetic appeal, expressed in their height and majesty, is wonderfully apparent to anyone who pauses to appreciate them.

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21 Educational and Cultural Importance Miners brought their own culture, a melding of customs of immigrants i from England and Scotland, China and Europe.

22 They moved from mine to mine depending on which one was still operating. Their common bond was the camaderie created by the knowledge that each time they went down they might not come up.

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24 They left a rich and diverse legacy of cultural l customs. But what are we doing to preserve their heritage? Existing kiosks at Morden and at site of former No. 1 Mine, Esplanade at Milton.

25 Coal mining was the economic o c catalyst for founding of a number of Vancouver Island communities, including Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Lantzville, Cumberland, Union Bay, South Wellington, and Protection Island.

26 Our coal mining history is laudably remembered in a few museums, some kiosks, a number of annual festivals, as well as Lynne Bowen s Boss Whistle, Tom Paterson s s articles and books, including Ghost Towns & Mining Camps of Vancouver Island.

27 Lantzville Coaltown Music Festival 2007

28 But there are no significant commissioned public sculptures dedicated to Vancouver Island s s 100 years of coal mining history and the 600 miners who lost their lives on the job.

29 What better way to draw attention to Vancouver Island s coal mining history than public sculptures dedicated to our coal miners and our coal mining history prominently displayed on public squares?

30 Here is one concept for a public sculpture commemorating our coal mining heritage. It was created by Roger Kemble, architect and artist, now living in Nanaimo.

31 Tableau to Our Mining Heritage, by Roger Kemble.

32 There is no dedicated orientation centre at Morden Colliery Historic Park or nearby South Wellington mine sites. Why not?

33 Consider what an orientation centre located at Morden Colliery could offer school children, visitors and residents. A chance to view remains of existing structures first hand while examining murals and photos of Morden s history.

34 Orientation Centre Concept by Roger Kemble Glass viewing wall, corrugated aluminum building, ceramic Glass viewing wall, corrugated aluminum building, ceramic wall of mining history.

35 Morden Colliery Today Morden s remaining structures became an Historic Provincial Park in Since then, BC Parks has neglected to do anything major to restore Morden s rapidly deterioriating 1913 innovative concrete structures.

36 But since 2003, Friends of Morden Mine have been working towards Morden s preservation, with the support of our BC Parks regional parks planner, although with little assistance from those who allocate BC Parks funding.

37 \ Friends of Morden Mine have raised monies for two engineering studies, the first, a preliminary cost assessment of remediation in 2005, the second, a 2006 study of supporting structures needed for remediation. Some of this money came from funding raised by David Gogo s benefit concert, as well as other events.

38 2006 David Gogo Benefit Concert for Morden.

39 Now Friends of Morden Mine s first priority is how to raise sufficient monies to start on remediation. Time is running out to preserve Morden s unique, spectacular, but rapidly deteriorating structures.

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41 Here are excerpts from a report by John Hofman, a Nanaimo structural engineer, on the state of Morden s 1913 headframe and tipple today. The full article is on our website

42 Unfortunately, natel sustained stained exposure e to the elements for a period of approximately 90 years, without ih any or little l maintenance, has taken its toll on the capability of the concrete elements of these structures.

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45 Repairs to the concrete elements of the head frame and the tipple are urgently required to maintain the stability of these structures.

46 In this context, maintaining stability bl implies that part of the tipple structure could collapse on its own from gravity loads, if the supporting columns are not repaired.

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50 How You Can Help By taking your visitors i to Morden Colliery Historic Provincial Park By yp publicizing Morden and its uniqueness By becoming a member By volunteering your time By making a donation Check for more information. Or contact info@mordenmine.com

51 Slideshow Credits Watercolours: Roger Kemble Structural photos, photos of coal slack: John Hofman Historical photos: B.C. Archives and Ray Knight Collection Miscellaneous photos: Helen and Nicole Tilley, C.J. Christopherson Text: A number of descriptions taken from C.J. Christopherson article in Morden Mine News