Bruce Ramsey’s Britannia: The Story of a Canadian Mine provides an industrial and social history of the Britannia copper empire, which operated on the eastern shoreline of Howe Sound from 1904 to 1974. Ramsey chronicles how mineral deposits discovered on Britannia Mountain were developed into one of the largest copper producers in the British Commonwealth, mapping deep underground workings, aerial tramways, and gravity mills directly into the coastal mountains. The text examines the isolated coastal logistics of the community, detailing how mine workers and their families depended exclusively on Union Steamship vessels running between Vancouver, Porteau, Minaty Bay, Furry Creek, and Britannia Beach prior to the completion of the railway and highway. Ramsey documents the devastating 1915 Jane Mine avalanche and the catastrophic 1921 flood and fire, highlighting the corporate resilience, multi-ethnic labor forces, and technological adaptations that sustained operations across seven decades.

Britannia Beach (B.C.) History, British Columbia Britannia Beach, British Columbia Howe Sound, Copper mines and mining British Columbia Howe Sound History, Darrell Bay (B.C.), Furry Creek (B.C.), History, Minaty Bay (B.C.), Porteau (B.C.), Woodfibre (B.C.)

Commissioned for the Britannia Beach Community Club and Britannia Mine management. Includes historical maps and production tables.

Commissioned for the Britannia Beach Community Club and Britannia Mine management. Includes historical maps and production tables.