People around the globe can now take a virtual tour through Nordegg’s historic coal mining site.

Created by Calgary-based Kaleidoscope XR, folks can take a digital stroll to look inside historic buildings, see the mine cart rails, church, wash house, machine shop, and even read text on placards with information.

Presenting to Clearwater County council on Sept. 23, Shea Galley with Kaleidoscope said the project was a labour of love, as he has a personal interest in digital heritage.

While applauding the effort as an opportunity to promote the Brazeau Collieries to a wider audience, Coun. Genny Mehlhaff inquired whether more resources at the Nordegg Discovery Centre could be incorporated into the tour.

“There’s many people who cannot do this tour — it is a hike,” she says. “We have amazing footage at the Discovery Centre, if we could add some of the videos to [this tour], I think it would be fabulous.”

Council also suggested having the words on placards dictated for those who are visually impaired, as well as more information on buildings no longer standing.

The delegation from Kaleidoscope says technology exists to recreate buildings long demolished, having them resurrected in digital forms on people’s smartphones, although that would have to be a future consideration.

Screen shot of the Brazeau Collieries mine tour. (Kaleidoscope XR)

The project’s goals include driving traffic and service demand to Nordegg.

As well, it aims to extend the length of Nordegg’s tourism season by providing off-season channels for monetization and advertising.

The project also seeks to create a digital record of the Nordegg site, preserving the history of buildings for future generations.

You can take the whole Nordegg tour here.