Myra Falls, Canada

Myra Falls is a region of central Vancouver Island named for the waterfall located at the south end of Buttle Lake. The region is part of the Strathcona-Westmin Provincial Park and is unusual in that it contains an active mine which predates the park. The Myra Falls area is accessible to the public via a paved road to the Myra Falls mine gate or by boat on Buttle Lake. The falls and Myra Creek were named for Myra Ellison, daughter of Price Ellison who was part of the exploratory survey in 1910 that preceded the creation of Strathcona Provincial Park.[1]:182

Myra Falls (waterfall)
Upper portion of the Lower Myra Falls waterfall and swimming hole.
Lower Myra Falls
Buttle Lake as seen from Lower Myra Falls

These spectacular falls cascade below into Buttle Lake from a small upper valley.

Scenic attractions near the mine are Upper and Lower Myra Falls plus hiking trails to Phillips Ridge, Tennent Lake, Bedwell Lake and Cream Lake.[2]

Pink Fawn Lilly found at the edge of Myra Falls

Myra Falls (mine)

There is a polymetallic Zinc, Copper, Silver and Gold Mine located above the Lower Myra Falls. The mine started as two open pits but quickly became an underground mine with the HW, Battle, Extension, Gap and South Trough mines discovered.

It seems to be a large stratiform basin somewhat bowl shaped with altered sulphides en deposit. Minerals seen include Sphalerite, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, Tennantite and the invisible but gravity recoverable Gold. The underground miners can attest to spectacular massive sulphides seen at the working faces. At the Myra Falls mine is a mineral concentrator (process plant) and a surface tailings dam. Environmentally very little contamination reaches the lake below and hydro-electric power help to win the ore from the ground and the minerals from the ore.

The mine is presently owned by Nyrstar N.V.[3] Earlier owners included Breakwater Resources, Boliden and Westmin Resources (hence the name of the park).

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References
  1. Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
  2. http://wikimapia.org/1546693/Myra-Falls-Mine
  3. http://www.nyrstar.com/operations/Pages/mining.aspx#6 accessed April 15, 2013

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