Conservation

Hedley Mascot Mine

Preserving a Cultural and Historic Landmark
Timeline

Apr - Sep 2025

Location

Nickel Plate Mtn

Project Type

Conservation

Perched on the slopes of Nickel Plate Mountain, the Hedley Mascot Mine stands as a monumental relic of British Columbia’s industrial heritage. Our team was commissioned to protect the deteriorated structures from extreme alpine conditions and maintain the site for future tourism access.

Executed in a remote and rugged environment, this project required rigorous planning and logistics. The site is situated on a sheer mountain face, accessible only by a 702-step decent. Before restoration, the lower bunkhouse was missing windows and had substantial material decay. Our work was to restore the complete weatherproofing of the lower bunkhouse and secure the mine entrance portal, ensuring the site remains a safe and important historical landmark for the community and its visitors.

Objectives

  • Safety & Access: Improving site standards to support safe access and a better visitor experience.
  • Re-establishing Building Envelope: Securing vulnerable openings and structural components ahead of harsh seasonal conditions. Rainwater and snow ingress was rapidly increasing deterioration of interior structural components.

Unique Challenges

Remote Access

With no road access, all materials and equipment were transported by helicopter. Our crew camped on-site to maintain efficiency and site safety while working away from the nearest services. Additionally, we worked closely with remote first-aid and safety specialists to comply with standards for remote and dangerous work.

Topography

The steep terrain and difficult access required careful coordination and material staging to ensure we met safety protocols.

Hedley Mascot Mine
Hedley Mascot Mine

Technical Scope of Work

This phase of restoration works on the Hedley Mascot mine was an excellent collaboration of many talent tradespeople across many disciplines. Materials were loaded by helicopter, scaffolding erected on sheer cliffs, security doors designed and fabricated by metal workers, and windows custom-built and installed by a team of talented carpenters.

Key Conservation Measures

  • Envelope Re-instatement: Custom window installations to secure the bunkhouse against extreme weather.
  • Roadway Infrastructure: Replacement of a new timber access bridge to improve site accessibility.
  • Mine Entrance Controls: Installation of a new portal door at the mine, built for durability and to prevent public access to a dangerous and uncontrolled space.

Collaboration

All work was coordinated with the Upper Similkameen Indian Band to improve on the economical potential of the region by re-instating a tourism link to the First Nations community. The project also involved collaboration with HeritageWorks Ltd. to ensure conservation goals were met according to national standards.

Transformation

Before

  • A site in advanced decay with an exposed bunkhouse facing significant moisture ingress and the resultant deterioration. Uncontrolled public access to the site.

After

  • A stabilized structure ready for winter conditions, featuring new access infrastructure and a controlled mine portal entrance.
Hedley Mascot Mine
Hedley Mascot Mine

Results

Despite the constraints of a remote, helicopter-supported location, our team delivered meaningful conservation upgrades to this historic gold mine. This site reflects our expertise in managing technically and logistically demanding projects and our commitment to preserving heritage structures with modern techniques.

Hedley Mascot Mine

Preserving historic places requires precision, planning, and respect for materials. If you’re planning a conservation project with complex access or stakeholder coordination, connect with Heritage Masonry to discuss scope and approach.

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