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The Sterco Mine |
| Mining operations at Sterco began in 1918 when Senator Oliphant staked claim and started the Rocky Hard Collieries. In 1912, he merged the mine with other interest in the area and changed the name of the name of the mine to the Sterling Collieries Ltd and the name of the town from Basing to Sterco. The original mine was surface stripped using hand shovels and wheelbarrows. During the 1921 changes, steam shovels were brought in to remove overburden and to mine the coal. Opening pit mining allowed for huge production figures with lower personnel requirements. Sterling could produce 1200 tons of coal a day. Despite production capacity, the mine faced seasonal shut downs as the domestic market for coal fluctuated each summer. The mine remained in production until 1954, when like so many mines, the change of industry to diesel fuel and the domestic market to natural gas forced its closure. Mining eventually returned to the area in 1977 when Luscar Sterco (1977) Ltd reopened mining operations on the Lovett Branch. |