Demolition experts made a second attempt to bring down a giant potash mill in New Brunswick Thursday.
For more than thirty years, the mill building has towered 60 metres above the rural landscape. However, the potash mine has been inactive for a decade.
The first demolition was planned for 8 a.m. last Saturday. More than 100 people from the surrounding areas came out to watch.
One explosion was heard and smoke rose from the building, but it didn’t fall.
Officials say about half of the explosive charges didn't work.
Today, dozens of people sat in their cars waiting for take two.
This time, the demolition went according to plan.
The entire building gently rolled over into a heap of twisted steel.
Company officials admitted to being more than a little relieved by the outcome.
“It was supposed to come down into a pre-determined footprint and of course it's not a specific science, but they plan their cuts to do so and as it turned out, it came down exactly where we wanted it to be,” says Steve Wilson, site general foreman.
The mill was one of the final reminders that there was heavy industry here.
“It was very important to the area. In the immediate area, a lot of people worked in that mine,” says resident Wayne Hoar.
The mine was forced to close because of underground flooding.
“It came to a stage that they were not able to keep the mine ore moving because of the water,” says retired construction worker Ed Cook.
The demolition is complete but clean-up work at the site is expected to last through the summer. PotashCorp estimates that 90 per cent of the steel in the building will be recycled.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
