It was a great day to hold an outdoor Open House at Highland Valley Copper mine.
Billed as “celebrating 29 years of success”, the popular event was back this year after an absence in 2014 - one of three uneventful years since the open house began.
Hundreds of people flocked to the open house to tour the mine, the mill, the lab and other areas of the giant copper/molybdenom operation.
Children enjoyed the “Copper Challenge Games” and the giant equipment, the science booth and the magic shows with Uncle Chris the Clown. Adults joined in at the prospecting area where minerals glittered in rocks that were strewn around the front of the tourist trailer, the concession stands with proceeds that went to many service groups in the area, and the mine rescue demonstrations.
HVC’s Mine Rescue team has close to 100 members, but there are only seven on the competition team. This year, they’ve won the zones and the provincials and are looking forward to the Western Canada competition in Fernie next month.
Gerry Wong, one of the organizers of the Open House, says the event takes a lot of work to prepare for, such as looking over the grounds beforehand for safety hazards that are part of an industrial work site, but as the event unfolded, everyone was starting to relax and enjoy it.