History of Cominco
For more than a century, the Teck-Cominco smelter overlooking Trail has been at the heart of British Columbia’s mining industry. What started as a modest smelting plant to process Rossland’s ore grew into one of Canada’s most influential metallurgical companies. Since the incorporation of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada (later Cominco and Teck Resources) in 1906, the company has pioneered new refining technologies, helped shape the economic development of the West Kootenays, and expanded operations internationally. Cominco's story is inseparable from the history of Rossland’s mines, so the story begins with the discovery of gold on Red Mountain. The discovery that sparked a mining boom that shaped the region's history and laid the foundation for over 130 years of smelting operations in the Kootenays.
2304.0151 - Josie, Le Roi, and Black Bear mines, circa early-1900s
The Start of Cominco’s Story
A2023.000.010.517 - Columbia & Western train at the Trail narrow gauge station, circa late-1890s
In 1890, Joe Moris and Joe Bourgeois — two French Canadian prospectors — came to the region that would become Rossland looking to strike it rich. After months of prospecting around the area, they staked the first five mine claims on Red Mountain in July 1890. Over the next few years, word of Rossland’s gold discovery spread, and by 1895 Rossland’s population was booming, and thousands of tonnes of ore were flowing from its mines. In the early days, ore was processed by smelters across the border in Washington and Montana. It was taken to Trail by wagon and then loaded onto steamships bound for railroads in the United States.
As Rossland’s mines continued to grow, this method quickly became outdated — Rossland needed railroads and smelters. This need for change interested many investors, one of whom was Fritz Augustus Heinze, an American businessman in the smelting industry. Coming to Rossland in 1895, Heinze developed a plan. He was going to build a smelter in Trail and a railroad connecting it to Rossland, allowing all of Red Mountain’s ore to be processed locally.
2306.0233 - Trail smelter taken by the Hughes Brothers, circa early-1900s
In early 1895, Heinze negotiated a one-time deal with the Le Roi Mine guaranteeing his company access to 75,000 tons of ore for their start-up. With this deal underway, construction on a smelter in Trail began, and by February 1, 1896, it was complete and in production. Shortly after the plant’s opening, Heinze built the Columbia & Western Railway, which would run from Rossland’s mines down to his smelter.
2309.0220 - Columbia and Western depot located southside of LeRoi Avenue between St. Paul and Monte Christo streets, circa 1897
On June 11, 1896, the first load of gold-copper ore from Rossland was delivered to Heinze’s smelter. The smelter’s capacity was 250 tons of ore daily, achievable through a water-jacket furnace and two matte furnaces feeding into one 135 ft high smokestack. With his operations running smoothly, Heinze incorporated the smelter and railroads into a new company: the British Columbia Smelting and Refining Company Limited, the first of many names by which Cominco would be known.
2320.0031 - Walter Hull Aldridge, circa early-1900s
Two years later, the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) was in the midst of completing a cross-country railroad. With Heinze owning the railway rights throughout the Rossland region, his company had become a hot commodity. The CPR made multiple offers to buy Heinze’s railroad, but was unsuccessful until they appointed Walter H. Aldridge to negotiate the sale. Aldridge and Heinze went back and forth, but Heinze eventually agreed to sell his railroad on one condition: if CPR wanted the railroad rights, they had to take the smelter as well. The CPR agreed and purchased the smelter and railroads from Heinze on February 11, 1898, for around $800,000; $600,000 for the railroads and $200,000 for the smelter.
A Smelter Takes Shape
With the smelter in the hands of the CCPR, Aldridge was appointed general manager and put in charge of expanding operations. Along with the change in leadership, the smelter found a new name: Canadian Smelting Works. Starting in 1899, Aldridge planned major renovations to the plant. Under his leadership, two new blast furnaces for copper-gold ore and two lead furnaces for silver-lead ore were constructed. Alongside these furnaces, a second, 175 ft high smokestack was added. This period of renovation also saw the smelter switch to electrical power, supplied by the West Kootenay Power & Light Company’s (WKPL) Bonnington dam.
2318.0162 - The first electrolytic lead refinery building at Trail, circa early-1900s
The new copper-gold furnaces were operational in August 1899, doubling copper and gold production. The silver-lead furnaces began operation a few months later in January 1900. However, despite the new smelting capacity, ores were still being refined in the United States, costing Canadian companies money. This changed in 1901, when a group of mine owners and businessmen from the Kootenays proposed to the Canadian government a “bounty” to incentivise lead refining within Canada. They succeeded, and the Canadian government placed a $5/ton bounty on lead refined in Canada.
This provided the financial incentive to smelt and refine locally. With the new bounty in mind, Aldridge and the CPR decided to add a lead refinery to the Trail smelter in 1901.
Construction on the refinery was completed in 1902 and utilized a new refining technology: the Betts process of electrolytic refining. This was the first commercial usage of this technology, and was extremely successful. After completion, the plant could refine eight tons of lead per day, a number which doubled by 1904 and reached 70 tons by 1906. This success marked the Trail smelter as a pioneer in lead refining, both in Canada and on a global scale. With the success of in-house lead refinement, Canadian Smelting added further silver refining capabilities to the smelter over the next few years.
2318.0164 - Interior of the first electrolytic lead refinery in Trail, circa 1902
2346.0031 - Workers at the lead refinery , circa 1910s
2346.0025 - Inside the lead refinery, circa 1910s
2346.0022 - Charging matte to converter at the lead refinery, circa 1910s
2346.0010 - Tapping lead slag, circa 1910s
2320.0015 - Lead Casting at the Trail Smelter, circa 1902
2320.0016 - Canadian Smelting Company (predecessor to CM&S) mineral display, 1902
The success of Aldridge's renovations did not go unnoticed. With these early upgrades completed, Aldridge had taken what was once a primitive copper-gold smelter and turned it into “probably the largest and most complete [smelter] of its kind in America,” according to the director of the 1909 geological survey. Looking at the upgrades monetarily, Aldridge had taken a smelter worth around $200,000 in 1898 and raised its value to over a million dollars by 1905. Only one issue was causing Aldridge to lose sleep — the Rossland mines were not supplying enough ore to keep the smelter profitable. The initial deal with the Le Roi Mine had expired, and the mines that were using the Trail smelter couldn’t make up for the shortfall of the Le Roi sending ore to the US to be processed. Mine owners were worrying too. By 1904, Rossland’s mines were faced with worker strikes, diminishing ore returns, and excessive competition.
2304.0041 - Centre Star and War Eagle mines, circa 1910s
Luckily for the mine owners and Aldridge, amalgamation was an option. By choosing to amalgamate (combine into one larger company), the mine owners would become less dependent on the output of individual mines, providing them economic security. Additionally, the amalgamated mines would be able to provide the Trail smelter with enough ore to run smoothly. Throughout 1905, Aldridge met with many of the local mining companies and CPR executives to discuss bringing the Trail smelter, various Rossland mines, and the Rossland Power Company into one company. In January 1906, executives of the Centre Star, War Eagle, and St. Eugene mines, the Rossland Power Company, and the CPR decided to combine their efforts and the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada (CM&S) was born. Oddly, the Le Roi Mine, whose owners had originally proposed amalgamation, opted to stay independent.
A Giant is Formed
2346.0019 - underground train about to enter the Sullivan Mine, circa 1910s
On February 26, 1906, CM&S shareholders received their first report from the company. Within the report, Aldridge stated that CM&S would not be “dependent upon any single mine nor upon any single mining district” and that its “interests and business… will also be so diversified as to minimize… the speculative element.” Following through with what he had promised, and in the face of Rossland’s inconsistent ore production, Aldridge began searching for a new silver-lead mine to feed the smelter's furnaces. In 1909, CM&S had organized a deal with the Sullivan Mine in Kimberley. Aldridge negotiated a two-year lease with the option to purchase the mine at a later date. Initial reports from CM&S stated that “the mine responded fairly well to development,” and by the end of 1910 CM&S purchased the Sullivan Mine.
The Sullivan Mine was discovered in 1892, but the difficulty of treating the complex lead-zinc-iron ore had dissuaded large-scale operations. Despite inefficient methods of selective mining and hand-sorting, the Sullivan Mine was producing a reasonable amount of lead for CM&S, but it was not yet profitable. All that changed in 1914.
The outbreak of World War One led to an increased demand for zinc due to its importance in making brass, an alloy used in munitions. With the price of zinc skyrocketing, methods that had before been unprofitable were now on the table. Adding even more incentive for CM&S, the Canadian Government offered them a wartime contract to produce zinc. The contract asked CM&S to produce 25 tons of zinc daily, and by the summer of 1917, Canada’s first electrolytic zinc plant was constructed in Trail. Surpassing the 25 ton contract, the plant was capable of processing 30 tons of zinc each day. With the influx of production throughout the war years, CM&S needed more electrical power, and in 1916, acquired a controlling interest in WKPL, bringing it under the CM&S banner and expanding its operations.
2320.0021 - Ralph Diamond (left) and Selwyn G. Blaylock, two of the influential men at CM&S in the 1910s - 1940s
Despite the wartime success, CM&S knew that high zinc prices would not last and that a more profitable method of refining was needed. With this in mind, CM&S recruited R.W. Diamond, a metallurgist and engineer with experience in flotation, in 1917. Following multiple years of research, Diamond and his team discovered a new process of differential flotation that allowed them to separate the complex lead-zinc-iron ore into high-grade lead and zinc concentrates. In 1923, the product of Diamond’s hard work was realized, and on August 24, 1923, the Sullivan concentrator went into operation, refining up to 3,000 tons of ore daily.
With the war in the past, CM&S was hoping for a few years of calm. However, in the latter half of the 1920s, environmental concerns shattered the peace. The sulphur-laden smoke pouring from the Trail smelter’s smokestacks was causing damage to crops, forests, and waterways in Washington, and farmers from the region were looking to sue. In 1927, a formal complaint was brought against CM&S and an international tribunal assessed damages at $350,000. Little did they know at the time, but this lawsuit would end up creating a multi-million dollar business.
CM&S employee filling ammonium phosphate fertilizer bags in the company’s Warfield fertilizer plant, circa 1940s.
By 1930, CM&S had installed three sulphuric acid plants capable of recovering a combined 336 tons of sulphur emissions, bringing their emissions far below contemporary standards. A year after the sulphuric acid plants were installed, CM&S opened a fertilizer plant in Warfield and began using the emissions to create fertilizer. The fertilizer business found success, and CM&S expanded operations throughout the early 1930s, acquiring phosphate mines, potash deposits, and fertilizer plants throughout North America. The fertilizers were sold under the “Elephant Brand” name and were an important aspect of CM&S’s operations until the fertilizer company was sold to Agrium in 1995.
2320.0113 - D.H. Gypsy Moth on the beach (owned Jimmy Harper and Bill Purcello) circa 1935. The CM&S exploration program used similar planes
Early Expansion and CM&S Exploration
The 1930s were a time of vast expansion for CM&S. Aside from their unexpected venture into the fertilizer business, CM&S was also interested in expanding their mining operations. This desire for expansion led to CM&S purchasing a fleet of planes and exploring Canada’s north. Alongside the planes, CM&S needed a way for pilots to communicate, in real-time, with prospectors on the ground. At the time, most communication was done through telegraph and utilized Morse code. This method was too slow, as the messages had to travel to home base before being relayed to those on the ground. This led Donald Hings to create the first portable two-way air-to-ground radio at CM&S’s request. He called it the Light Aircraft Emergency Set. By 1937, these “packsets,” as they were nicknamed, were standard issue in CM&S exploration. In 1939, with the outbreak of World War Two, Hings gifted the Canadian Government the patent for his radio. Hings’ packset proved to be an essential tool in World War Two, and in 2006 Hings was recognized by the Telecommunications Hall of Fame for "[creating] the world's first functional and operational walkie-talkie, [which] saved the lives of thousands of British, Canadian, and American troops during the Second World War.” Utilizing this new technology, CM&S’s northern exploration resulted in the Con Mine (Yellowknife, N.W.T.) being brought into operation and CM&S acquiring a majority share in the Pine Point Mine. Other mines were found, but none went into production. As S.G. Blaylock—CM&S’ third general manager—once remarked: “Three things are necessary to find a mine: brains, guts and luck.”
Cominco dairy token
In spite of their northern expansion, CM&S made sure to give back to the communities they were founded in. During the Depression, CM&S contributed money and time to many local projects. One of the projects that CM&S helped out with was the construction of the Rossland Swimming Pool in 1932, to which they donated a concrete mixer and volunteer time. Around the same time, CM&S established a dairy farm near Warfield to provide milk to employees and other locals.
2318.0051 - Rossland Co-operative Transportation Society Garage on north side of 1st Avenue between Washington and Queen St, 1933
The Depression saw CM&S workers in Rossland struggling to get down to Trail. Bus tickets cost 40 cents, and paying that twice a day quickly added up. To combat this, a group of CM&S workers started the Rossland Co-operative Transportation Society in 1932. The Co-operative pooled their money together and bought an automobile to make the trip from Rossland to Trail three times a day; each ride cost only 30 cents. The Co-operative lasted well into the 1990s, until enough Rosslanders owned cars that it was no longer needed.
Glass elephant filled with mercury from the Pinchi Lake Mine
1939 saw the beginning of World War Two, and once again CM&S was tasked with extra wartime production. There was a need for tungsten and mercury, both of which, due to its exploration program’s success, CM&S was able to quickly begin mining. Two years prior, in 1937, CM&S found cinnabar (the most common ore source for mercury) at Pinchi Lake. By 1939, CM&S had bought the Pinchi Lake Mine, and in 1940 they shipped 77 tons of mercury to the Canadian government. This number rose to 840 tons by 1943. In 1940, CM&S bought the Red Rose Tungsten Mine (near Hazleton, B.C.) and began exploration on the site for ore. By 1942, CM&S began mining and was soon milling 25 tons/day. A year later, with the aid of a wartime government grant, the Red Rose Mine was producing 400 tons of tungsten concentrate, the most of any tungsten mine globally.
A2023.011.023 - employee carwash at the fertilizer plant in Warfield, circa 1960s. Note the P-9 tower in the background on the right
In 1942, Blaylock signed an exclusive contract with the U.S. government to produce heavy water for the Manhattan Project, the U.S.’s nuclear bomb program. At the time, CM&S was the only company in North America with the capacity to produce the deuterium oxide needed for moderate nuclear fission. The War Department of the United States sponsored the development of a heavy water facility in 1943 that cost $2,000,000 (~$38,000,000 in 2026). Under the codename Project Nine, this facility produced 100 pounds of heavy water each month that was shipped to Dayton, Ohio, for use in nuclear research.
Post-war Expansion and a Notable Name Change
The late forties and early fifties after the war saw CM&S rapidly expanding, increasing production nationally and exploring international markets. Within British Columbia, CM&S opened the Bluebell lead-zinc mine in 1952 (Riondel, B.C.), the Tulsequah zinc-lead mine in 1951 (Atlin, B.C.), and the H.B. zinc-lead mine in 1955 (Salmo, B.C.). These mines, alongside the Sullivan, were able to keep the ever-expanding Trail smelter fed.
Despite CM&S branching out, Rossland was not forgotten. In 1947, Rosslanders were in the midst of constructing the Red Chair — one of the first ski lifts in Canada. To help out, CM&S donated several pieces of equipment, including an automatic compensator and the 50-horsepower motor that powered the lift. Rossland’s mining history was vital to the construction of the chair lift, with the project’s engineers, many of them from CM&S, basing the lift on the aerial tramways that once carried ore down Red Mountain. On completion, the Red Chair was a staggering 3,600 feet long and climbed 1,400 feet, making it the largest in all of Canada.
Not solely focused on new mining ventures, the post-war era also saw CM&S branching out and forming (or purchasing) many subsidiary companies. This began with the acquisition of a lead fabricating operation, The Canada Metal Company, and a die casting company, National Hardware Specialties Limited. Later, in 1964, CM&S also branched into steel production, acquiring Western Canada Steel Limited, which was a vital part of the company until it was sold in 1988.
CM&S power supply map, 1949
To power the constant growth of their smelters, CM&S increased their electrical capabilities, constructing the giant Waneta Dam where the Pend Oreille and Columbia River meet. CM&S’s international expansion included the formation of multiple subsidiary companies. Notably formed were Cominco Products Inc. (1956) and Cominco American (1966) in the United States; Cominco Binani Zinc Ltd. in India (1962); Consolidated and Mitsubishi Metal Mining Company in Japan (1964); and Cominco Australian Ltd in Australia (1966). Topping off this era of expansion, and in line with their diversification, CM&S officially changed its name to Cominco Ltd. on May 16, 1966.
Turbulent Times and the Cominco-Teck Merger
After two decades of post-war expansion, Cominco finally got a moment of peace, entering a period of slow growth. Yet, it wouldn't last long, as the 1980s were a turbulent time for the company. The 1980s saw a slowing of the United States economy, and metal prices were dropping fast. In 1982, the company saw its first year in the red in over 50 years. The situation only worsened, and by the end of 1985, the company was $1B in debt.
Despite these hardships, the 1980s were still filled with exploration and expansion. In 1977, Cominco initiated a modernization of the Trail Smelter that was completed in 1984. In 1981, Cominco opened the Polaris zinc-lead mine, which they had purchased in 1964, and in 1983 they opened the Highland Valley Copper Mine.
2320.0030 - promotional photo taken when Cominco poured their 9 millionth ton of zinc, 1979
Large zinc bottle opener made from zinc from the Red Dog Mine
One of the most important events of the 1980s for Cominco was the opening of the Red Dog Mine in Alaska. First staked in 1982, the Red Dog entered production in 1989 after an agreement was reached with the NANA Regional Corporation—a Regional Alaska Native corporation owned by the Iñupiat of northwest Alaska. The Red Dog Mine was a huge boon for Cominco and continues to benefit the company today, accounting for 10% of the world's modern zinc production. In 2022, the Red Dog produced “553,100 metric tons (1.22 billion pounds) of zinc and 79,500 metric tons (175.3 million pounds) of lead.”
Despite the openings of these mines, Cominco’s financial situation was dire. To reduce debt, Cominco sold its interest in a number of non-vital assets, and in 1986, CPR sold its 52.5% stake in Cominco. Nunachiaq Inc, a holding company composed mainly of Teck Corporation, purchased a 32% interest and CPR’s remaining shares were sold publicly. Through these methods, Cominco’s debt was greatly reduced, and earnings began to increase.
Having made it through the worst of their economic hardships, the 1990s brought Cominco a period of prosperity. In 1994, the Quebrada Blanca copper mine (Pica, Chile) began production, and a year later, Cominco found major new ore reserves at Red Dog. In 1995, Cominco also bought the Cajamarquilla zinc refinery in Peru, continuing their international expansions. Further, in 1990, Cominco discovered the Cerattepe copper-gold deposit in Turkey and the Pebble copper-gold deposit in Alaska, both of which the company later sold to other organizations for development.
2306.0227 - Trail featuring the Teck Smelter, circa 1950s
In 2001, Cominco saw another large change. Teck Corporation had gained full control of Nunachiaq Inc. and had increased its holdings in Cominco to nearly 50%. On April 29, 2001, Teck Corporation and Cominco reached a merger agreement, leading to the creation of Teck Cominco Ltd. In 2008, Teck Cominco Ltd. began the process of rebranding the company. Branding would refer to the company simply as Teck, and its legal name would become Teck Resources Limited. A shareholder vote officially changed the legal name in April 2009.
Teck Resources Today
Today, Teck continues to be one of Canada’s largest mining companies, bringing in nearly $2.7B in gross profit in 2025. Supplied mainly by ore from the Red Dog Mine, Trail’s metallurgical operations produce refined zinc and lead alongside a variety of precious metals, specialized chemicals, and fertilizer products. Teck’s Trail Operations is still one of the region's largest employers, employing over 1,400 people in 2020. In late 2025, Teck and Anglo American announced a merger of equals to form Anglo Teck. Upon completion of the merger, Anglo Teck will be one of the five largest copper mining companies globally, adding to Teck’s already strong critical minerals portfolio. Teck continues to partner with local initiatives, being named community partner of the Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games, supporting local housing initiatives, and sponsoring many youth sports teams throughout the region. For Teck, 2026 marks 130 years of smelting operations in the Trail area. Starting with Heinze’s smelter in 1896, the last 130 years of Teck’s history have not been easy, but through these years Teck has built a legacy of industry, innovation, and community investment.
Researched and written by: Ronan Hinds (August 2026). Edited by RMDC
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