Each year our grade five students travel to the Kootenays for some first-hand experience of mining in this region.  We depart Penticton heading for our first destination, the “Le Roi Mine” in Rossland.  Here a tour through the museum exhibits and mine provides the students with a wealth of interesting information, which enhances the learning done in the classroom.
Students are greatly impressed with smallness of the tools and equipment, which were once used by the miners to dig their way through the mountain rock.  As they trace their way through the mine tunnels formed long ago, students experience that “underground” feeling and begin to appreciate the time and effort that was required of early miners as they blasted their way through the walls of rock. 
The tour completed, students now enjoy the real fun of the first stage of our trip as they attempt to increase their wealth by doing a little gold panning.  They understand that, “There’s gold in them there hills!”
     
The next morning we set out along Highway 6 heading north to Silverton and New Denver.  At Silverton students spend time at the outdoor mining museum.  Here they see the wonderful displays of a variety of tools and drilling equipment used in this area during the silver mining boom.  In New Denver we visit the museum located in the old Bank of Montreal building.  This visit provides students with an understanding of the ways of life of the mining families that first settled this town
     
The next stop on our journey is Kalso.  We leave the mines but learn about communications between the mining settlements. 
We visit the refurbished S.S. Moyie where students enjoy an exciting tour of this wonderful old paddle wheeler, which played such an important part in linking the communities along the Kootenay and Slocan Lakes in times gone by.  The students picture themselves as students heading for school by paddle steamer hooting the ships whistle to warn everyone of their arrival!
     

Unfortunately our trip must come to an end and we must return to the real world once again.  The annual trip has become a highlight of the grade five students’ year.  They are presented with the opportunity to experience the history of mining in the Kootenays and bring to life and enhance the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom.