Former Lamaque Mine, Gold mine and heritage site in Val-d'Or, Canada
The Former Lamaque Mine is a former gold extraction site with mine shafts, processing buildings, and residential quarters spread across the landscape. The site preserves the various structures needed to run mining operations and house the people who worked here.
The mine opened in the 1930s during the economic crisis and became one of Quebec's major gold production sites over the following decades. Operations continued until the mid-20th century, when the site was eventually abandoned.
The residential quarters around the mine reveal the social hierarchy, with supervisors occupying larger homes while workers lived in modest houses nearby. This physical layout made the class distinctions of mining life immediately visible to anyone walking through the site.
Plan your visit during daylight hours for the best visibility and safety across the grounds. The site is easily reached from nearby Provincial Highway 117, though exploring the different zones involves walking on uneven terrain.
The underground passages contain veins formed from a blend of quartz, tourmaline, and carbonate minerals that yielded unusually rich gold deposits. This specific geological configuration attracted prospectors to the area and remains noteworthy from a scientific perspective today.
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