Yellowknife (Oct 04/06) - Yellowknife's oldest mines have closed down, the miners have left, the equipment no longer runs.

However, a group in town is determined that the city's rich mining history will not be lost, nor forgotten.

The NWT Mining Heritage Society held a barbecue on Saturday to open its first display to the public.

The society is working to hold on to as much of Yellowknife's mining past as it can.

"We're trying to preserve our mining history before it's all gone," said society vice-president Mike Vaydik.

A mining heritage museum and interpretive centre located at the old Giant mine town site is the group's ultimate goal.

Society president Walt Humphries estimates that it will take $2 million to accomplish everything they envision.

The society, which was conceived in 2003, has $50,000 pledged right now. They will use the money for building maintenance."We use the money as it comes in," Humphries said, "it's an ongoing project. We don't visualize it being done, we'll improve it as we go."

If all continues well, more of the old mine should be open for visitors next summer, he said.

The buildings on the old Giant mine town site are full of artifacts: everything from aging diamond saws to scales for gold beads to framed photographs of the miners that used to descend into the mines daily. All have been salvaged by society members.

Outside, some bigger artifacts make up the society's first display - a long track covered with mine carts and other large equipment that they brought up from underground.

The display and the barbecue held to celebrate it brought about 80 people to the site.

Emily Bevan, 10, was especially appreciative of the equipment laid out.

She did a project on mines at school and was excited to see some pieces of local mining history.

"I think it's cool to learn about how they got gold and diamonds," she said as she peered at an old underground cart.

Mayor Gordon Van Tighem was also at the barbecue. The city is involved in funding the project. It's an important thing to do, he said.

"It's our roots. Before there was mining there was nothing," said Van Tighem.

Ken Hall, a member of the society, grew up at Giant Mine.

His Dad was mill foreman and his family moved to the mine when Hall was nine.

He and his brothers all worked at the mine once they were old enough. He left Giant only when he finished his education and left home at 25.

Hall speaks of his childhood at Giant with fondness.

"When we lived in town as kids and found out we were moving to Giant we thought we were going to the end of the world," he said, chuckling.

He said that they quickly discovered that it was a great place to grow up.

"It was a real adventure out there," he said of exploring the older areas of the mines, playing on the equipment, skating on the frozen lake, and building forts.

Beyond what the mines gave to the individuals that lived there, he said people must remember how much they gave to Yellowknife as a town when it was just beginning.

"The mines contributed as well to the development and betterment of Yellowknife as a community," he said. "I think it's important that we recognize that and remember that."