Hiway16 Magazine... about people and places in north-central British Columbia, Canada

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In the Pits at Huckleberry Mine

by Debi Osborne

May is Mining Month, so I caught a ride on the "Huckleberry Hound" bus with some Houston Secondary School students and set off on a tour of Huckleberry Mine.

The Farwest bus operator, Rick Kisch, is usually commissioned to run miners back and forth to work at the mine, four days on, four days off. He is quick to tally the wildlife he has seen for the day : six moose, a porcupine, three deer, two eagles, two hawks, geese, ducks, rabbits and of course, one black bear, over the 123 km ride south of Houston.

Rick doesn't miss a thing through his large windshield that has over 2 dozen rock chips in it. A microphone lays across his lap so he can call his position every few kilometers. "I have the most valuable cargo that ever runs up and down this road," he tells me. I agree.

Click here is an extra photo of the mine site.

(photo courtesy of Herb Neubrand, Houston)

Huckleberry Mine - giant machinery

Already, seven schools and two other public groups have taken up Huckleberry's generous offer to be shuttled down this route that is full of wildlife and a scenic snow-covered mountain range. We pass a cross on the side of the road, a reminder of what happens when you are in a hurry on this, the Morice River road. The Grade 10 and 11 students on board stop asking if the hour-and forty-five minute ride is almost over.

The largest of the mining truck fleet holds 142 tonnes of material (can you find the teenager?)

We arrive and are met by Wendy Curtis who sees that we are divided into two groups and equipped with hardhats and safety goggles. Some of our group has family working here and all necks crane with every passing mine truck to see if we recognize the driver. The seats inside these trucks are at least twenty feet above our heads, so some of us only glimpse a blur. Employee pictures and job titles are hanging in a hallway of the Recreation building and we are surprised at how many of them we know!






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