No trip to the Drumheller Valley is complete without a visit to the town that almost disappeared: East Coulee.
Once a thriving coal town with over 3000 residents, the memory of the former mining boomtown is still well preserved within the Valley walls.
East Coulee now has a population of 200, many of whom are dedicated to the town's rich history. The road to East Coulee is a trip back in time, down the valley of the dinosaurs, where petrified forests once stood, and miners toiled for coal in the many mines tunnelled into the river valley walls.
Highway 10 is dotted with a number of small communities such as Rosedale, Lehigh, Cambria, Wayne and East Coulee that were once populated with the families of thousands of coal miners who worked in the Valley’s 140 mines.
The ‘golden era’ from 1911 to 1947 drew thousands of men seeking work, some as young as 14, and the population in towns like East Coulee, Wayne, Nacmine and Drumheller soared.
One of the Valley’s most prominent mines, the Atlas Coal Mine, remained open until 1979 and with its closing the last echoes of an era fell into silence.
Now the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site has become one of the Valley’s most treasured tourist attractions and a quick visit can take you through the everyday life of a coal miner.
Ride the actual electric train that the coal miners rode each and every day in and out of the underground tunnels.
Follow in the footsteps that thousands of men took up to the top of the Atlas Coal Mine tipple, the last wooden tipple in Canada. At eight stories high the tipple is a truly exhilarating structure and portrays an honest depiction of the duties and working conditions of a coal miner's life.
The Atlas Coal Mine has also been named a Provincial Historic Resource and has been designated a Canadian Historical Site. Described as the most complete mining museum in Canada, the Atlas Coal Mine still has everything but the hole in the ground.
To get there, simply travel 15 minutes east of Drumheller on Highway 10, across the river from the community of East Coulee.
Another spectacular attraction in East Coulee is the “BIG” School Museum. The experience of walking down the hallway of the large 12 room school built in 1930 with its creaky floors will remind you of the thousands of children who lived and received their education in this coal mining town.
The museum has immaculate displays featuring a restored classroom with original desks, blackboards, schoolbooks, photos, etc. Other highlights include an old miner’s house completely restored with period furniture and artifacts.
They have also turned one of the classrooms into the Willow Tea Room & Cafe, which serves wonderful lunches and desserts.
Perhaps the most amazing part of the museum is the restored 1932 coal-fired steam boiler. This steam boiler is still used today to heat the museum in the winter - in fact, it consumes more than 60 tons of coal every winter.
The history of the community is evident in the streetscapes of the town site. Former miner shacks still dot the streets as well as more modern dwellings. There are artisan shops and studios that celebrate the history and as well as the present, such as the Caracol Clay Studio where local artist Janet Grabner creates and sells fine pottery wares.
On the way to East Coulee on Highway 10 be sure to stop and visit the acclaimed Hoodoos site. Hoodoos are sandstone formations that have been eroded by the elements over millions of years and the end result is a unique mushroom like shape carved out of stone. The hoodoos are a perfect stop to completely absorb the natural, distinctive landscape of the Drumheller Valley.
Like looking at an old photograph, a visit to East Coulee is a unique experience that will take you back to a time where dinosaurs roamed and miners delved. For a town that almost disappeared, it is now a town that is truly dedicated to its rich history.
