The Coldstream copper mine was reopened in 1957, North West of Thunder Bay, Ontario. This place was like a “cat with nine lives”. In 1957 we moved to Kakabeka Falls while Dad worked at the mine site and came home on weekends.
What an abysmal year that was! The house we rented did not have running water or a bathroom. I don’t think that Dad noticed when he rented it. The high school was 18 miles away in Fort William. The school in itself created a cultural shock! Ft. Wm Collegiate was an enormous high school to navigate. I had skipped from Grade 8 to Grade 10 and was ill prepared for this huge lifestyle change on top of a different curriculum, (not to mention just being 15 and without a shower.) I have often thought that 13-15 year old girls should be locked up in an asylum or a convent for their own good or at least for their parents own good. I rebelled. I drank, smoked, dyed my hair platinum blond, failed and thankfully, did not get into anything that was irreparable before I came to my senses. I made good friends in Kakabeka who remained in my heart throughout my life and I was fortunate to reconnect with them in later years. I think that we were typical teenagers-full of angst and chaos. I have many very good memories of my friends, if not of school or home that year.
At 15, I thought my parents were stupid. At 20, I was amazed at how much they had learned in 5 years. (I wish I had said that).
The move to Coldstream Copper and Kakabeka Falls was short lived, the mine ran into financial difficulty after a year, and we moved on to Elliot Lake.
I went on to the next town with a new found philosophy and a much better understanding of myself and the world I was doing my best to live in and fit in.
PS, Burchell Lake lived another of it’s “lives” in the ’60’s.
See more on Burchell Lake:
http://matt.wandel.ca/burchell_lake/
http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/burchell.shtml
PS, You may like to read on to Eastman, and The Haunted House.
September 21, 2007 at 4:27 pm |
It is nice to see some history of Burchell lake…my father worked there at the mine before I was thought of…but talked about it many nights…he passed away 2 years ago and I am enjoying the readings and pics…he has pics that he took of the miners but there are no names attached..if he was here he could tell us…but he is not…thank you for the enjoyable readings
Sincerely Deanna Miller(William A Miller)
September 21, 2007 at 11:04 pm |
Hi Deanna,
I hope that someone reading these stories takes the initiative to talk to their Mom’s & Dad’s and get all the history they can. Today it’s easier with lots of recording devices. I wish that I had listened more carefully & asked more questions. Of course, we all think that our parents will live forever! They don’t, we won’t).
My Dad passed away in 1979 & I guarantee that I only know a fraction of what was a terrific family & mining history, and one that my children & grand children will love to know. (That’s why I started writing about it).
Please let me know what years your Dad was at Coldstream- I have friends who were there in the 60’s.
I’m sorry that you have lost your Dad, it’s difficult at any age.
Best luck- Keep Posted- My next post will be a funny one: “A letter from Elmer” coming soon…xx