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Abandoned Quebec mine named to heritage group’s endangered sites list

Jun 8, 2017 | 2:30 PM

MONTREAL — An abandoned mine in western Quebec that was almost demolished due to its popularity has been named by a heritage group as one of Canada’s 10 most endangered places.

The National Trust for Canada describes the Wallingford-Bak mine as a natural treasure whose stunning interior long attracted a steady stream of illicit visitors.

In 2016, the Quebec government asked the regional municipality to choose between demolishing the mine or developing it as a tourist site after a surge in the number of trespassers.

In the end, the local governing body accepted the province’s recommendation to permanently fence off the former quartz mine after local residents opposed its redevelopment.

The mine’s listing on the endangered places list is good news to the head of a group that launched a petition to save the site from demolition.

Chantal Crete says she hopes the new attention will motivate local actors to find a long-term solution to preserve the mine.

“This is a major support for our struggle to preserve the mine site and it is a powerful tool for raising public awareness of the current threats to the site,” she said. 

The group had hoped to see the site developed as a tourist attraction.

The Canadian Press