The Hollinger Open Pit Lookout opened in July 2022, offering the public an opportunity to look down into an active open pit gold mine. It's a great place to watch the haul trucks and drill rigs in action.
Note: this cache is generally accessible from 8:00 to 20:00, but closed for blasts (at time of publication 11:30-12:00 and 15:30-16:00 but a sign with up-to-date information is located at Brunette and Water Tower Road). The lookout is also closed in the winter.
Mining at this location began in 1909, when Benny Hollinger first discovered gold here. Underground mining operations continued for some 60 years, until this ended in 1968. By that point, there were nearly 1000 km of tunnels in the mine. Some small-scale open pit mining continued from the 1970s onwards. In the mid-2010s, work began on the current large open pit. At the time this cache was placed, there is a year or two of life expected in the mine.
In the future, the plan is to flood the open pit and turn the whole area into a recreational area centred on Hollinger Lake.
Enjoy the views of the mines and the city. A few fun things to look out for:
- Underground tunnels that open up into the open pit (how many can you find?)
- Mount Jamieson ski hill (about 18 km to the west)
- Kidd Creek mine headframes (about 24 km to the north)
Let me know what you spy with your little eye!
