CANADA’S NEW GOVERNMENT COMMEMORATES THE NATIONAL HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF COLEMAN

August 04, 2007

COLEMAN, ALBERTA – On behalf of the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Ted Menzies, Member of Parliament for Macleod, today unveiled an Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating Coleman as a site of national historic significance. The ceremony was held on the grounds of the Crowsnest Museum located on the Coleman National Historic Site of Canada.

“Today’s commemoration will help Canadians to appreciate and understand this important chapter in Canada’s history,” said Mr. Menzies. “It recognizes the importance of the coal industry in the economic development of western Canada and of the vibrant communities which were formed around it.”

Coleman played a vital role in making the Crowsnest Pass one of Canada’s most productive coalfields until the 1950s. Between 1903 and 1913, the International and McGillivray mines helped to fuel the boom years of the region. Coleman is one of the few Canadian sites where substantial physical evidence exists of the surface plant and of the town. A commemorative plaque will now be on permanent display in the heart of the Coleman community, within a short distance of many of the original buildings, coke ovens and machinery.

“The Coleman community and surviving coal processing plant, coke ovens and auxiliary buildings make it a significant site to represent the connection between the coal industry in Canada and the dynamic evolution of its towns and cities,” added Mr. Menzies.

The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, created in 1919, advises the Minister of the Environment about the national historic significance of places, people and events, that have marked Canada’s history. The placement of a commemorative plaque represents the official recognition of historic value. It is one means of educating the public about the richness of our culture and heritage, which must be preserved for future generations.