Galt No. 1 and No. 2 Mines Galt No. 8 Mine

The buildings of Galt No. 8 Mine, along our western coulees and to the right of the CPR viaduct, have been familiar landmarks since 1935. The mine’s water tower and tipple stand like exclamation points on the western horizon.

Galt No. 8 Mine got its start in 1934 when the Canadian Pacific Railway sunk the first shaft. Work crews dismantled the tipple from the recently closed No. 6 Mine and brought it over to the new site by rail. No. 8 stayed in operation until 1957. It was the last mine to close within the City of Lethbridge proper and was one of the last within the Lethbridge Coal Field. Between 1874 when the first mine in the district opened, and 1957 when Galt No. 8 closed, almost 24 million tons of coal had been taken from the ground.

The Galt No. 8 Mine Historic Site Society is negotiating with the present owners to purchase the property and to develop an historical interpretive centre that will preserve and enhance existing mine buildings. The Society hopes to develop the site as a centennial legacy project that will celebrate our mining heritage and provide both an educational and virtual reality experience to the visitor. The existing property will be developed to allow the public controlled access to the park for a variety of community uses that will not interfere with the integrity of the site.