Cadomin

Derived from a contraction of the Canadian Dominion Mine, Cadomin was the second coal mine on the western arm of the Coal Branch. The claims were staked in 1912 and were followed by five years of exploration and minor coal extraction. In 1917, the Cadomin Coal Company LTD. was established and full scale mining began. Production at Cadomin was highly profitable, in part because the mine used the privately built and maintained Mountain Park rail line to ship its coal, much to the displeasure of the Mountain Park Coal Company. 

Cadomin became the leading community on the western Coal Branch, providing many specialized services. Among other services, the town housed an RCMP detachment and had a government liquor store, a drug store and a branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia. By 1931, the population of Cadomin was 1700. When the Cadomin mine closed in 1952, some found work at the new limestone quarry south of town, other commuted to the Luscar mine, some went to other towns and some just stayed and retired. Between the limestone Quarry and the eventual return of mining at Luscar in 1969, along with seasonal and recreational residents, the community of Cadomin survives to this day.