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| 'A diamond in the rough': Canadians aim to save fantastical abandoned mine 'A diamond in the rough': Canadians aim to save fantastical abandoned mine | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| It was once one of the largest mines in North America: a string of manmade caverns carved out along a seam of quartz, mica and feldspar deep beneath the forests of Québec. | It was once one of the largest mines in North America: a string of manmade caverns carved out along a seam of quartz, mica and feldspar deep beneath the forests of Québec. |
| Wallingford-Back mine closed for good in 1972, but in recent years, tourists and adventurers flocked to its cathedral-like void where enormous rock pillars reflected in the site’s turquoise waters. | Wallingford-Back mine closed for good in 1972, but in recent years, tourists and adventurers flocked to its cathedral-like void where enormous rock pillars reflected in the site’s turquoise waters. |
| Now, however, the mine is facing demolition after its sudden surge in popularity prompted complaints about noise, rubbish left behind and traffic issues. | Now, however, the mine is facing demolition after its sudden surge in popularity prompted complaints about noise, rubbish left behind and traffic issues. |
| “A diamond in the rough”, is how Chantal Crête describes the mine. She and a handful of others in the area have formed a group aimed at saving the mine, launching a petition to rally others to their cause. | “A diamond in the rough”, is how Chantal Crête describes the mine. She and a handful of others in the area have formed a group aimed at saving the mine, launching a petition to rally others to their cause. |
| Lured by local blogs which have likened the abandoned site to an underground cathedral or the backdrop of a fantasy novel, recent months have seen a spike in the number of visitors to the site some 35 miles north-east of Ottawa. | Lured by local blogs which have likened the abandoned site to an underground cathedral or the backdrop of a fantasy novel, recent months have seen a spike in the number of visitors to the site some 35 miles north-east of Ottawa. |
| Hundreds made the trek this summer, heading down the narrow road that leads to the mine and overwhelming the 250 or so locals in the area. “There’s no toilet, no garbage, no place to sit, there’s no parking,” said Crête. “Of course it became a big nuisance for the people that reside in the area.” | Hundreds made the trek this summer, heading down the narrow road that leads to the mine and overwhelming the 250 or so locals in the area. “There’s no toilet, no garbage, no place to sit, there’s no parking,” said Crête. “Of course it became a big nuisance for the people that reside in the area.” |
| Residents turned to local authorities to vent their grievances. The wave of complaints, said Crête, triggered an ultimatum from Québec’s ministry of energy and natural resources to the regional municipality of Papineau: either do something with the mine or it will be demolished. | Residents turned to local authorities to vent their grievances. The wave of complaints, said Crête, triggered an ultimatum from Québec’s ministry of energy and natural resources to the regional municipality of Papineau: either do something with the mine or it will be demolished. |
| The municipality is expected to decide on the mine’s fate in mid-October. The Québec ministry of energy and natural resources and the municipality of Papineau did not respond to interview requests. | The municipality is expected to decide on the mine’s fate in mid-October. The Québec ministry of energy and natural resources and the municipality of Papineau did not respond to interview requests. |
| Much could be done with the mine, said Crête. “It has a lot of historical value and cultural value.” She highlighted a museum of mining history as a potential use for the site. | Much could be done with the mine, said Crête. “It has a lot of historical value and cultural value.” She highlighted a museum of mining history as a potential use for the site. |
| Others who have joined forces with her to save the site point to its tremendous tourist potential. “It’s staring us in the face,” Paul Malouf said. “Dynamiting a site as beautiful as that – one that attracts so many people – it’s just an affront to common sense.” | Others who have joined forces with her to save the site point to its tremendous tourist potential. “It’s staring us in the face,” Paul Malouf said. “Dynamiting a site as beautiful as that – one that attracts so many people – it’s just an affront to common sense.” |
| The summer brings visitors to the site to swim, kayak and rock climb. In the winter, the mine has become an underground skating rink, he said, offering a year-round tourist attraction that could create jobs and bring hotels and restaurants to the rural area. The neighbours’ complaints could be alleviated by building another road into the mine from the federal lands that surround it. | The summer brings visitors to the site to swim, kayak and rock climb. In the winter, the mine has become an underground skating rink, he said, offering a year-round tourist attraction that could create jobs and bring hotels and restaurants to the rural area. The neighbours’ complaints could be alleviated by building another road into the mine from the federal lands that surround it. |
| Malouf said that reports commissioned on the mine have flagged structural issues, but he argued that all are manageable. “There are issues with the site, for sure. It’s an old mining site, you need to put grills on some of the rock formations because they chip away and even a small rock can hurt.” | Malouf said that reports commissioned on the mine have flagged structural issues, but he argued that all are manageable. “There are issues with the site, for sure. It’s an old mining site, you need to put grills on some of the rock formations because they chip away and even a small rock can hurt.” |
| In the coming days, the group is organising a tour of the mine for local politicians in hopes of showing them why it is worth protecting. “Some of nature’s beauties are natural. Sometimes they have a little help from man,” said Malouf. “And this one is a mine that’s cavernous and sits beside a lake and marshes. It’s stunning.” | In the coming days, the group is organising a tour of the mine for local politicians in hopes of showing them why it is worth protecting. “Some of nature’s beauties are natural. Sometimes they have a little help from man,” said Malouf. “And this one is a mine that’s cavernous and sits beside a lake and marshes. It’s stunning.” |