The BC Provincial Mine Rescue & First Aid Competition takes place at Britannia Mine in June. Admission to the event and historic site that weekend is free!

For more details about the competition, including dates and times, continue reading below or visit britanniaminemuseum.ca.

TIP: Another great event at the museum in early summer is Old Town, New Queens. It’s an LGTBQ2+ Pride-themed event with drag shows in the evening of Saturday, June 14th.

Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition

The Ministry of Mining & Critical Minerals, together with the Mining Association of BC, present an annual competition that showcases an important component of the BC mining industry.

The BC Provincial Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition brings rescue teams together to compete in various challenges. During their intense jobs, rescue teams are normally responsible for saving trapped or injured miners. In the competition, however, participating teams demonstrate their highly specialized techniques to the public. It’s a remarkable competition to watch, as rescue teams are essentially the paramedics and fire departments for the mining industry. Skills they perform include rope rescue, first aid, hazardous environment management, and more. One of the challenges in the competition even involves a live fire!

When and Where in 2025

The 67th edition of the BC Provincial Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition runs on June 6th and 7th in 2025.

The event takes place at Britannia Mine Museum, which is a most interesting historic site located at 150 Copper Drive in Britannia Beach. It’s on the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Squamish.

The event took place at Britannia Mine last year too. Details about the event and its location in 2026 are to be confirmed.

For more information about the competition, visit britanniaminemusem.ca.

2025 Event and Admission Details

This year’s competition happens on Friday, June 6th, and Saturday, June 7th. The challenges run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on the Friday, and then from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on the Saturday.

Four teams participate on the first day of the competition, which is held underground with limited viewing opportunities. On the second day, six teams compete in surface rescue challenges. The best place to watch the action on the Saturday is inside Mill No. 3.

Admission to the BC Provincial Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition is free for the general public. Plus, access to Britannia Mine‘s lower site exhibits is also free over the two days. The museum is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

About Britannia Mine Museum

Britannia Mine Museum is a former copper mine that’s now a National Historic Site. It’s a very interesting attraction that once produced millions of pounds of ore while housing thousands of workers. The preserved mine facility still features some of its original buildings. There are exhibits, galleries, a gold-panning station, and a kids play area.

The site also offers underground tours on normal days, but not during the BC Provincial Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition. Another event at Britannia Mine this year is Old Town, New Queens on June 14th. There are special activities during the Halloween and Christmas seasons as well.