The Story of Allenby BC & Copper Mountain

What remains of a once thriving company town built in the shadow of one of British Columbia’s great copper mines? In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales, we travel to the Similkameen Valley to uncover the story of Allenby and Copper Mountain, BC. From the early discovery of copper and the arrival of Granby Consolidated to the construction of the massive Allenby concentrator, the Kettle Valley Railway spur and the community that grew around it, this is a story of ambition, industry, tragedy and a town that has nearly disappeared. We spent time at the former Allenby townsite exploring what remains today and walking through a landscape that once echoed with blasting, trains and the sounds of one of BC’s major copper operations. Through incredible historical photographs, we also step inside the Allenby concentrator while it was under construction and see its ball mills, rod mills, flotation tanks and other machinery that processed ore from Copper Mountain. But this story is also about the people who lived and worked here. We look back at daily life in Allenby, the devastating 1928 fire at Copper Mountain’s Bunkhouse No. 3 and the memorial at Princeton Cemetery honouring the men who lost their lives. We also explore how lessons from that tragedy influenced the rebuilding of the bunkhouse. Allenby may have largely disappeared, but Copper Mountain certainly has not. Today, the enormous modern mining operation is impossible to miss as you approach Princeton along Highway 3. Look closely at the surrounding landscape, though, and pieces of the earlier story are still there. A special thank you to the Princeton Museum and Archives for granting us access to their archives and allowing us to spend time researching this episode. Their assistance and extensive photographic collections helped us bring the story of Allenby and Copper Mountain back to life. PHOTO CREDITS Princeton Museum and Archives Allenby Photograph Collection (ALBY) Copper Mt Photograph Collection (COPMT) Harry Day Collection Edna Slater Collection Chris Wright Collection Al Eastcott Collection Dave Taylor Collection Hedley Ring WV Collection Arthur Norman Reston Collection Priest Collection STORY & RESEARCH CREDITS British Columbia Ghost Town Series: Okanagan Similkameen by T.W. Paterson Allenby and Copper Mountain: A Pictorial History by Growers Press Join us as we explore the places, photographs and stories left behind by one of the Similkameen Valley’s most fascinating chapters in mining history. If you enjoy discovering BC ghost towns, abandoned places, railway history and the forgotten stories of British Columbia, subscribe to Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales and come along for the journey. Lost places. Hidden trails. Real stories. #allenby #coppermountain #princetonbc #similkameen #bchistory #britishcolumbiahistory #ghosttowns #bcghosttowns #mininghistory #coppermining #kettlevalleyrailway #kvr #canadianhistory #trackstrailsandforgottentales Now streaming on: 🎥 YouTube – full video episodes & highlights 🎙 Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio & Apple Podcasts – audio episodes on the go. 📍 What to expect: Ghost towns like Phoenix, Sandon & Greenwood The historic Kettle Valley Railway Abandoned mines, smelters & pioneer trails Outdoor adventure: camping, hiking & exploring BC’s backroads 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and hit the bell 🔔 to join us on every journey into the past. Stay Curious. Stay Adventurous. Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales. ☕ Support and help FUEL the adventure and help us keep exploring! Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/exploringdirt PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/exploringdirt 👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more Canadian adventures, abandoned places, and off-the-beaten-path stories. #trackstrailsandtales #exploringdirt #ghosttowns #bchistory #abandonedmines #explorebc #adventurepodcast