Passburg is a

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

in the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in

southern Alberta Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2016, the region's population was approximately 291,112. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The region is known mostly for agricultural production, but o ...

, Canada that was formerly a coal mining community. It is on

Highway 3 The following highways are numbered 3, H-3, PRI-3, AH3, E03 and R3. For roads numbered A3, see A3 roads. For roads numbered M3, see M3 (disambiguation)#Roads, M3. For roads numbered N3, see N3 (disambiguation)#Roads, N3. For roads numbered 3A, see ...

(the

Crowsnest Highway The Crowsnest Highway is an east-west highway in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. It stretches across the southern portions of both provinces, from Hope, British Columbia to Medicine Hat, Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection ...

) approximately west of

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

and southeast of

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to: Places Australia * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales Canada * Bellevue, Alberta * Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...

History

In the 1880s, the Passburg area was originally a haven for cattle rustlers and their stolen stock destined for the United States due to availability of grass, multiple water sources, and shelter. In response, the

North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian paramilitary police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory to ...

established a post in the area, which then became known as Police Flats. William Hamilton founded the Leitch Collieries Ltd. Coal Company, also known as the Leitch Collieries Coal and Coke Company, in the Police Flats area in 1907. The first mine was developed at Byron Creek while the second mine was developed at Police Flats in 1909. Above ground infrastructure to support mining activity included 101 coke ovens, a wooden washery that was in height, and a tipple that could process 1,000 to 2,000 tons of coal on a daily basis. A subdivision plan for the Passburg townsite was surveyed in August 1907. The townsite, which was a kilometre west of the second mine, was intended to house the miners and their families. The opening of a general store, another store, a bank, a hotel, a doctor's office, church, and meat market soon followed along with numerous homes. Passburg's post office opened in one of its stores on June 1, 1908. A sandstone power house was built at the second mine that began producing electricity for the townsite in 1910. By the 1911 Census of Canada, the townsite grew to a population of 305. Strikes at Leitch Collieries occurred in 1909 and 1911.

The Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

weakened coal prices and prevented agreements to supply product to the United States, England, and the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

. Relationships became strained with its financing banks and the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

, which was both a customer and transporter of Leitch Collieries' products. The company stopped production in 1915 and placed its assets up for sale. After the death of a prospective buyer later in 1915, Leitch Collieries was unable to finance a restart of production despite the demand generated by the war. The company sold off its assets in 1919. Passburg's post office closed in 1938. The Leitch Collieries Provincial Historic Site was designated by the

Government of Alberta The Government of Alberta () is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. In modern Canadian use, the term ''Government of Alberta'' refers specifically to the executive� ...

in 1983.

Attractions

The Leitch Collieries Provincial Historic Site is located north of Highway 3 (the Crowsnest Highway) east of East Hillcrest Drive between Burmis to the east and Bellevue to the northwest. The site is self-guided from

Labour Day Labour Day is an annual day of celebration of the labour movement and its labor rights, achievements. It has its origins in the trade union, labour union movement, specifically the Eight-hour day movement, eight-hour day movement, which advoca ...

to mid-May while interpretive staff lead tours during the balance of the year.

Notable people

William Kovach, a member of the

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. Since 2012 the Legislative Assembly has had 87 members, elected first past the post f ...

between 1948 and 1966, was born in Passburg.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Crowsnest Pass, Alberta Ghost towns in Alberta Populated places established in 1907

History

Attractions

Notable people

See also

References