Anyox, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Anyox was a small company-owned mining town in British Columbia
, Canada
. Today it is largely destroyed and abandoned. It is located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of Stewart, British Columbia
on the shores of Observatory Inlet
. In 1914 Anyox grew to a population of almost 3,000 residents, as a major mine and smelter were put into operation; rich lodes of copper and other precious metals were mined from the nearby mountains. Situated on Observatory Inlet, Anyox was a Granby Company town, [as that firm moved interests from Greenwood
.] Copper was mined from Hidden Creek and Bonanza deposits and smelted on site.
It was a very large operation with hydro dams, railways, machine shops, and a golf course. Ocean steamers connected the area to Prince Rupert and Vancouver. Anyox was almost wiped out by forest fires in 1923, but the townsite was rebuilt and mining operations continued at the nearby Granby Mine. Acid rain from the plant denuded the trees from the hillsides which soon became bare.
The high costs and low copper prices finished the town in the Depression and population of workers shrank to nothing. The mine shut down in 1935, and the town was abandoned. Some building shells still exist at Anyox but are in poor condition. Salvage operations in the 1940s removed most machinery and steel from the town, and a forest fire burned all remaining wood structures.
Attempts to rehabilitate the dam are currently underway and active mineral exploration continues in the area.
The recent rise in the price of copper, and the Observatory Inlet's history, has made it a more attractive target for exploration.
Former Vancouver B.C. Mayor, Jack Volrich and the celebrated and much revered Newspaper Columnist, Denny Boyd were both born in Anyox.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Today it is largely destroyed and abandoned. It is located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of Stewart, British Columbia
Stewart, British Columbia
Stewart is a small town, incorporated as a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2006, its population was about 496.-History:...
on the shores of Observatory Inlet
Observatory Inlet
Observatory Inlet is an inlet on the North Coast of British Columbia. It is a northward extension of Portland Inlet, other sidewaters of which include the Portland Canal. The entrance of Observatory Inlet, from Portland Inlet, lies between Ramsden Point and Nass Point. Ramsden Point also marks, to...
. In 1914 Anyox grew to a population of almost 3,000 residents, as a major mine and smelter were put into operation; rich lodes of copper and other precious metals were mined from the nearby mountains. Situated on Observatory Inlet, Anyox was a Granby Company town, [as that firm moved interests from Greenwood
Greenwood
- Canada :* Greenwood, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood* Greenwood, British Columbia, a city* Greenwood, Nova Scotia, a village* Greenwood, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, a community in the Halifax Regional Municipality...
.] Copper was mined from Hidden Creek and Bonanza deposits and smelted on site.
It was a very large operation with hydro dams, railways, machine shops, and a golf course. Ocean steamers connected the area to Prince Rupert and Vancouver. Anyox was almost wiped out by forest fires in 1923, but the townsite was rebuilt and mining operations continued at the nearby Granby Mine. Acid rain from the plant denuded the trees from the hillsides which soon became bare.
The high costs and low copper prices finished the town in the Depression and population of workers shrank to nothing. The mine shut down in 1935, and the town was abandoned. Some building shells still exist at Anyox but are in poor condition. Salvage operations in the 1940s removed most machinery and steel from the town, and a forest fire burned all remaining wood structures.
Attempts to rehabilitate the dam are currently underway and active mineral exploration continues in the area.
The recent rise in the price of copper, and the Observatory Inlet's history, has made it a more attractive target for exploration.
Former Vancouver B.C. Mayor, Jack Volrich and the celebrated and much revered Newspaper Columnist, Denny Boyd were both born in Anyox.