Will the re-election of the sa国际传媒 Liberal Party mean a reawakened interest in the health of our provincial parks? Or, as is the case of Morden Colliery Provincial Historic Park, will it be more of the same neglect that has been the policy of successive provincial governments of all stripes over the past 40 years?
As a Class-A heritage park since 1974, South Wellington鈥檚 Morden is to be fully funded. But it has been neglected to the point of catastrophic failure. This denial of the necessary funding to maintain the Island鈥檚 last surviving headframe, one of only two such surviving concrete structures in North America, seems to be systemic, perhaps even a Canadian phenomenon. (The other headframe, in Muddy, Ill., is protected and maintained by state legislation.)
In May 2011, the sa国际传媒 editorialized: 鈥淔rugality in tough times is fine, but sa国际传媒鈥檚 parks should not be allowed to suffer long-term degradation because of short-term budget pressures.鈥�
Subsequently (May 5), the sa国际传媒 described Victoria鈥檚 iconic breakwater as 鈥渂oth an artifact and a functioning structure [that] represents the past while serving the present 鈥� a historical treasure that is not only viewed, but enjoyed. It鈥檚 history we can touch and feel.鈥�
That鈥檚 the incredible potential for Morden that the Friends of the Morden Colliery have been labouring for since 2003. With an interpretation centre, it would inform visitors of 80 years of coal mining, Vancouver Island鈥檚 first major industry, which prompted the founding of no fewer than 10 communities, including Nanaimo and Ladysmith.
Coal鈥檚 key role in propelling the Island鈥檚 economic development has been all but forgotten, marked by just a few roadside signboards, kiosks and museum exhibits.
A restored Morden Colliery, situated as it is at the head of an outstanding regional trail system that will ultimately allow recreationists and visitors to hike, cycle and horseback ride all the way to Boat Harbour along the former colliery railway grade, will spark awareness of our coal-mining heritage. It will also serve as a fitting memorial to the 1,000 or so miners known to have been killed below and above ground in the Nanaimo-area and Cumberland collieries.
The Friends of the Morden Mine Society commissioned two engineering studies of Morden鈥檚 structural integrity, as did sa国际传媒 Parks earlier this year in response to a Friends of Morden Mine delegation to Environment Minister Terry Lake. These studies confirm that it can yet be saved, although, because of safety concerns for its crumbling and eroding concrete, the six-storey-high headframe (a construction novelty in 1913, a year of grandiose building projects and schemes throughout the province) is enclosed behind wire.
Prominent Victoria contractor John Knappett has estimated it will cost $250,000 to $500,000 for 鈥渆mergency repairs鈥� and FOMM鈥檚 studies suggest it will cost $2.2 million to restore it to its original appearance, including the cost of an adjoining interpretation centre. The Regional District of Nanaimo has offered to work with the province to find funding for repairs, and regional politicians and government boards have also voiced their support for Morden鈥檚 rebirth as a tourist attraction.
Why should British Columbians want to pay for Morden鈥檚 stabilization and restoration? For one, this isn鈥檛 鈥渘ew鈥� money. It鈥檚 funding that should have been spent over the past 40 years. Had the structure been maintained, we wouldn鈥檛 now be faced with its impending loss to accelerating deterioration or an earthquake. This was the case of the Cowichan Valley鈥檚 Kinsol Trestle, which was belatedly 鈥渞ehabilitated鈥� at the cost of $7.5 million in 2011.
Secondly, Morden represents a unique opportunity to honour the Island鈥檚 working-class past. Coal was the backbone of our economy for three-quarters of a century. It provided jobs (dirty and dangerous but paying jobs) for tens of thousands of miners and their families who built the communities that we today take as our own.
This progress came at a terrible cost, and no better opportunity exists to educate Islanders and visitors to their rich mining heritage and to honour the legions of anonymous 鈥渕en of the deep鈥� and their families than the headframe/tipple at Morden.
With the election over, 鈥渋t would be refreshing indeed,鈥� says FOMM co-president Eric Ricker, 鈥渋f now the leaders of all political parties, acting in a spirit of non-partisanship the public would surely appreciate and embrace, will commit to seeing Morden fixed before another severe winter takes us beyond the realm of what鈥檚 feasible.鈥�
T.W. Paterson is a director of the Friends of the Morden Mine and a lifelong advocate for heritage and history.
