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Princeton Cemetery cairn for men killed in 1928 Copper Mountain fire restored

An employee of the mine who is also a stonemason restored the cairn in May
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The memorial for the nine men killed in the 1928 fire at Copper Mountain Mine has been restored.

The cairn, placed near the centre of the Princeton Cemetery by the mine, had accumulated sediment, rust and moss over the decades.

Then last year, apprentice heavy duty mechanic Mark Butler got a call from the human resources manager at the mine.

In addition to working at the mine, Butler is a Red Seal-certified bricklayer and stonemason who runs a Similkameen and Otter Valley Masonry business on the side.

The manager asked Butler if he would restore the cairn and he set to work on the stone when winter subsided, for about five days in May.

After acid washing, Butler said he cut out the old joints in the stone and regrouted.

He also restored the plaque affixed to the front of the cairn that lists the names of the men who were killed in the blaze.

Since the plaque was tarnished, Butler said he polished it and painted the inlay “to give it more life as well.”

Big changes underway at Copper Mountain Mine


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