Bringing the Mill Back to Life

The grind of machinery. The shouts of workers. The boom of ore hitting metal chutes. Mill No. 3 at Britannia Mine was once a hub of noise and production, the largest copper mine in the British Commonwealth. The rock-hugging architectural wonder has been a silent symbol of Britannia Mine since 1974 when the mine officially closed and became a museum. Come 2019, we’re bringing back the noise.

We’re bringing The Mill back to life.

Launching Spring 2019, The Mill Show is a new feature attraction and immersive multi-sensory experience, telling the captivating story of this historic building when it was fully operational from the 1920s to 1970s.

"The show will transport visitors back in time for an authentic, thrilling, visceral and acoustic experience, taking advantage of the sheer mass and awe of the 20-storey historical Mill building... We are thrilled to be working with the internationally experienced team at VISTA Collaborative Arts to create and produce our Show," Kirstin Clausen, Executive Director, Britannia Mine Museum.

The new show will also feature the incredible work of Dynamic Attractions, a Port Coquitlam based company known for their incredible award-winning amusement park attractions and structures. Dynamic will be building a movable skip for the show, demonstrating how equipment was hauled up and down the 20-storey building.

“The Britannia Mine Museum is such a unique tourist attraction and their Mill show will bring a new, exciting way for people to experience it," says Hao Wang, president of Dynamic Attractions. “This project has captured our imagination and we believe it will be thrilling for guests."

The new Mill experience and the additional rehabilitation of the Museum’s infrastructure were made possible by a $1.4 million funding contribution by the Government of Canada under its New Building Canada Fund, alongside another $2.8 million the Museum has fundraised from a supportive BC mining industry and the Provincial Government of BC. 

In the Britannia Beach or Squamish community? We're hosting a Community Day to share concept designs and more information about this new show. Join us.

When: Wednesday, October 17th 6pm to 7:30pm
Where: Chatterbox Cafe, Britannia Mine Museum
Admission: Free