Wall for the Trees, Banff

Coal mining operations at Bankhead, near the popular mountain town of Banff, lasted for less than two decades at the beginning of the 1900’s. Mined primarily for the locomotives of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the coal was found not to be as suitable for that use as hoped. Production later also encompassed creation of coal briquettes for residential heating use by combining the brittle, “dust” grade coal with petroleum pitch. The economics of underground mining and extra processing work were compounded with labour strikes in the early 1920’s. These factors caused the shutdown of Bankhead mining by 1922. Most of the superstructure of the town and mining operation was removed, including equipment and buildings. Further mining within Banff National Park was banned by legislation in 1930. Now this heavy foundation wall is part of what little remains of the Bankhead briquette processing plant. The forest is reclaiming it, slowly but surely.