Approximately 21 kilometres southeast of Drumheller, lay the
hamlet of East Coulee. Today, one can still find small reminders
of the area's mining heritage interspersed throughout the
Valley, the Atlas Mine being the most impressive and
significant. At the entrance of the mine is an eight storey
wooden tipple that looms imposingly over its visitors. Here,
standing at the mine entrance, looking across the Valley, the
history of East Coulee unfolds.
Established in 1924, by renowned entrepreneur John Nicholas
Murray, the East Coulee mine was located in remote land, with no
roads or railway leading to it. A steep bank just west of the
mine caused even the Canadian National Railway (CNR)who had
built a line through Drumheller in 1912to be reluctant to build
a new spur line to East Coulee due to high cost. Instead,
farmers and ranchers hauled coal using their horse-drawn
sleighs, across the frozen Red Deer River in the winter. Another
shipping method involved moving the coal upriver to Rosedale,
where the CNR cars shipped the product to Calgary.
It was not until 1928, when the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CPR) built a line to Drumheller, that East Coulee expanded. The
same year the CPR tunneled though the obstructing hill, charging
the area with explosives. With all traffic halted, the CPR
exploded the side of the hill and started building tracks on the
newly formed inner shelf.
Prior to the railway, East Coulee residents lived in relative
isolation. With no viable transportation, miners had nowhere to
go and found little to do during leisure hours. Ultimately,
similar to many Drumheller Valley communities, businesses
catering to a predominantly male population (such as brothels,
bars, gambling dens, and night restaurants) opened to success.
The overall appearance of the town seemed rather thrown
together, as if it grew overnight and in the absence of
municipal bylaws. Contributing to the sense of impermanence in
East Coulee was the fact that most miners wanted to make quick
money and settle elsewhere. Their work was difficult, seasonal,
and dependent on current coal prices; in times of economic
strain, miners needed to be ready to move on. As a result, most
felt no permanent attachment to the community and the town
reflected this.
At its height, the town grew to 3,000 people. Additional
mines were built in the area and included the Aetna and
Bullocks Empire Mine. Today, the Atlas mine in East Coulee
remains open as a tourist destination. Visitors may explore the
more than 120 metres of underground passageways. The historic
site caters to the curious, and stands as a testament to the
working conditions of a Drumheller Valley mine.
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