Brazeau Collieries Ltd. was established in 1909 by Martin Nordegg of the German Development Company in partnership with Mackenzie, Mann and Company, both of which were major shareholders in the Canadian Northern Railway. The company’s purpose was clear: to secure a reliable coal supply to fuel the expanding railway network.

In 1910, significant coal deposits were discovered along the North Saskatchewan River near Rocky Mountain House. By 1911, Brazeau Collieries was in operation and by 1913 the town Nordegg had developed and grown around it. At its peak, the mine produced more than 250,000 tonnes of coal annually. To boost heating coal production, briquetting presses were installed in 1937. However, as railways transitioned from steam to diesel power and coal demand declined, the company’s prosperity declined alongside with it. The mine closed in January 1955, and Brazeau Collieries Ltd. soon declared bankruptcy.

Today, the site is recognized as one of Canada’s largest industrial heritage landscapes. Abandoned since the mid-1950s, Brazeau Collieries and the Nordegg townsite once thrived in the first half of the twentieth century, sustained by steam-powered trains that relied on its coal briquettes. In recent decades, the Nordegg Historical Society has led efforts to stabilize and restore many of the remaining structures. The site is now managed by Clearwater County, with guidance from the Clearwater County Heritage Board.

Over the past seventeen years, numerous restoration projects typically ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 have been completed. Funding has come from provincial grants, contributions from Clearwater County, and extensive volunteer-led fundraising through book sales, tours, and community initiatives. In partnership with the Alberta Historic Resources Foundation, the mine was designated a Provincial Historic Site in 1993 and later recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in February 2002.

On February 21, 2002, Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps formally designated the Nordegg coal mining landscape a National Historic Site of Canada. Since 1995, the federal government had evaluated several sites in Alberta and British Columbia for national historical significance. Criteria included associations with nationally important events; contributions to entrepreneurship, technology, labour, mining communities, and government; and outstanding examples of planning and technological development in coal mining.

Nordegg was selected in part for its pivotal role in the second phase of steam coal development, which significantly advanced Alberta and southeastern British Columbia’s coal industry from the end of the First World War to the mid-1950s. The site preserves key features including mine entries, a powerhouse, briquette plant, and rail line. Brazeau Collieries also represents the most complete surviving coal-mining surface plant in the region.

Although the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada reviewed the site in 1985 and 1987 without recommending designation, it ultimately received national recognition in 2002. A plaque dedication ceremony was held on July 29, 2005.

Due to its remote location and the nature of the abandoned industrial landscape, the site is accessible by guided tour only.

Drone View 2025

The Brazeau Collieries National Historic Site and the Nordegg Discovery Centre are managed under the Clearwater County Heritage Board, a volunteer advisory board that provides guidance to Clearwater County Council and Administration on heritage matters throughout the County.

These sites were previously managed by the Nordegg Historical Society. Clearwater County became involved in heritage preservation efforts in Nordegg in 1992, when the Society (then known as the Nordegg Historic Heritage Interest Group) was facing financial challenges while working to protect and restore historic buildings in the town and at the Brazeau Collieries mine site. Recognizing the national significance of the mine site, County Council appointed a manager to oversee daily operations, address financial pressures, and support ongoing restoration efforts.

For over eighteen years, Clearwater County has provided management and resources to support the stabilization and restoration of the site. In August 1993, the Brazeau Collieries were designated an Alberta Historic Resource, followed by designation as a National Historic Site of Canada in February 2002. In recognition of these preservation efforts, both the Nordegg Historical Society and Clearwater County received Heritage Conservation Awards from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation in 2007.

Grading & Drainage

Brazeau Collieries, an abandoned coal mine that operated from 1911 to 1955, was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1993 and a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002. As the largest existing coal extraction and processing site in Canada, it stands as a remarkable example of early industrial architecture and coal processing history.

To help preserve this nationally significant site for future generations, a major grading and drainage project began in Fall 2024 and is scheduled for completion in 2025. Funded in part by the Government of Alberta, the project is designed to improve site stability and protect historic structures from water-related damage.

Clearwater County remains proud to offer public tours throughout this work, providing visitors the opportunity to explore and experience this extraordinary piece of Canadian history.

Coming soon.