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As early as Oct 24, 1917,
Briquetting was thought of in the District.
Mr. W. J. Dick, M Sc., mining engineer from England,
wrote a report on Briquetting at Bienfait,
to the Commission of Conservation,
Carbonizing and Briquetting Plant
for treatment of Lignites in Saskatchewan.
Gas is produced as a by-product,
can be used for Brick Burning,
Power Plant or domestic heating.
The Federal government,
with the Manitoba, and Saskatchewan Governments,
established the Government Agency,
The Lignite Utilization Board.
They built an Experimental plant south of Bienfait,
between the Hudson Bay Mine,
and Western Dominion Collieries.
Feb 28, 1920,
plans are underway to build this plant.
July 8, 1920
Plant now expected to be in operation end of August 1920,
per a Mr. J. M. Leamy, Provincial Power Commissioner,
and member of the Lignite Utilization Board.
Expected output was 100 tons/day.
Operating at 90-100 days the first year.
The Foundations were being poured,
Contracts for Equipment were out,
Railway spur to the main CPR line
at Bienfait was nearing completion,
and expected cost was to be $12/ton for the Briquettes.
A Regina firm was constructing the buildings.
July 31, 1923
Problems arise in the operation of this plant
A Group known as the Lignite Utilization Board,
were the operators of the plant.
Sept 16, 1924
Hugh Sutherland tries to buy the plant
Wed- Jan 11, 1928,
almost 8 years after construction,
British Engineers, Balfour, Beatty & Co.
backed by the Industrial and General Trusts Co.
took over the Bienfait Char Plant,
and agreed to spend $500,000.
and to operate the plant for one year.
This plant was formerly dominated by Hugh Sutherland.
The plant was visited my Mr. Ernest Bury, MSc.
one of the best known Fuel engineers in the UK. in the summer of
1927.
He once worked for Brackley Coke works, in England,
and then was a Director for the Skinningrove Iron Co. Ltd, also in
England.
While teaching at the University of Mancester, in England,.
he wrote an article on by-Product of the Coking Practice.
They had tried unsuccessfully to get this plant running for many
years.
It appears with this mans help,
They were finally able to get it operating and producing briquettes,
from the formerly waste Lignite slack coal.
Before this the slack had to be removed from the mine,
and burnt on the open prairie,
due to the fact it was susceptible to spontaneous combustion.
Interesting to note, Balfour Beatty are celebrating 100 years in
operation in 2009.
The Plant was sold for a
Nominal sum
to a Company formed for the purpose,
Western Dominion Collieries,
which built a larger plant, and began production.
The Depression forced the
plant to close.
In 1937, A Mr. McDonald, from a Winnipeg firm,
Dominion Briquettes and Chemical Ltd.,
bought the plant from Western Dominion Collieries.
They began producing between 30,000-45,000 tons of Briquettes.
They produced for 20 years, until about 1958.
Oil and gas were taking over the home heating duties,
So after much study,
and spending $500,000 on new Equipment,
they switched to making BBQ Briquettes,
and had the largest capacity on the continent.
March 1960 was the start of the new operation
and their first production run.
Their competition was Carbonized Wood Briquettes.
The plant was in high gear in 1962.
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