Coalspur, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Coalspur is an abandoned coal-mining community in Yellowhead County, Alberta
. Situated in the Alberta
foothills
, the community was home to a substantial coal mine, and acted as a transportation hub
for the Alberta Coal Branch. The community began after a group of British
financiers founded the Yellowhead Pass Coal and Coke Company in 1912. The original mine employed 70 men, produced 500 tons a day, and witnessed the development of a small community.
At the peak of production the mine employed 400 men, although by 1950 production was intermittent. A massive underground fire occurred in 1915, hampering production. The community exists yet today, and is inhabited by a dozen or so residents.
One of the earliest oil wells in the central Alberta
foothills
was drilled near Coalspur. In 1924 Imperial Oil
sank a test well
near the community, and discovered a significant flow of natural gas
that was used to heat boilers in the camp. No commercial quantity of petroleum
was found however, and drilling ceased in the area.
Yellowhead County, Alberta
Yellowhead County is a municipal district in west central Alberta, Canada.It is the only county in Alberta Division 14, and shares the boundaries with this census division.-History:*1994: Established as a Municipal District of Yellowhead No...
. Situated in the Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
, the community was home to a substantial coal mine, and acted as a transportation hub
Transportation hub
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include train stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stop, airports and ferry slips. Freight hubs include classification yards, seaports and truck...
for the Alberta Coal Branch. The community began after a group of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
financiers founded the Yellowhead Pass Coal and Coke Company in 1912. The original mine employed 70 men, produced 500 tons a day, and witnessed the development of a small community.
At the peak of production the mine employed 400 men, although by 1950 production was intermittent. A massive underground fire occurred in 1915, hampering production. The community exists yet today, and is inhabited by a dozen or so residents.
One of the earliest oil wells in the central Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
was drilled near Coalspur. In 1924 Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
sank a test well
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
near the community, and discovered a significant flow of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
that was used to heat boilers in the camp. No commercial quantity of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
was found however, and drilling ceased in the area.