Trek to Uranium City finds abandoned buildings and diehard residents

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In the 1950s, mining of the radioactive chemical element known as uranium went into full swing in northern Saskatchewan.
The Eldorado mine at Beaverlodge, just east of Uranium City, soon became the biggest employer there. Uranium City was thriving — full of families and individuals drawn by great job opportunities.
At one point, more than 3,000 people called the place home. Now, just a few dozen people live there.
Ken Mercredi was born in Uranium City in 1953 and says life there was great.
"We had basically everything a person would want. Even out at the mine site, they had a rec hall, and they had everything in it. There was a bowling alley, a curling rink, a pool hall, big-screen TV and gyms," Mercredi said.
Hard-to-reach location
Uranium City sits north of Lake Athabasca, about 50 kilometres south of Saskatchewan's border with the Northwest Territories. It's a remote place that doesn't have an all-season road connecting it to other parts of the province.
But the community has long fascinated explorer Felipe Gomez.
Despite the distance and difficulty getting there, Gomez was determined to make the journey to Uranium City and find out who's still there, and why.
He also documented his journey for a documentary for the CBC Creator Network.
WATCH | Felipe Gomez travels to Uranium City to find out who still lives in the former boom town:
To get there, Gomez first flew from Saskatoon to Fort Chipewyan in northern Alberta.
Next was a weeklong trek across Lake Athabasca to Uranium City, skiing 170 kilometres while being battered by winds and camping in -30 C temperatures.
Gomez had some help from world-renowned explorer Eric Larsen, the only man to make it to the North Pole, the South Pole and the summit of Everest in a single year.
Once the pair made it to Uranium City, Larsen had to head to another expedition. But Gomez carried on, and began his quest to learn more about the former mining mecca.
A short history of uranium mining
The uranium industry in Canada dates to the early 1930s, but exploration didn't get going until the years after the Second World War.
Deposits in northern Saskatchewan were discovered in the 1950s and the mine at Beaverlodge began production in 1953.
In the 1970s, exploration resulted in major discoveries in the Athabasca Basin, and more mines started up in northern Saskatchewan in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1981, Eldorado abruptly announced it was shutting down the mine at Beaverlodge, citing increasing production costs and falling prices, according to news reports at the time.
Over the next few years, Uranium City's population declined dramatically.
Uncertain future in Uranium City
Dean Classen remembers the day he found out the Beaverlodge mine would close.
The business owner, who still lives in Uranium City, said people were devastated and had no idea what the future held.
"They announced it over CBC radio that Eldorado was shutting down," Classen said. "And there were people just moving into town. There were people on flights that day that were moving in to come to the new jobs to work for the mine."
The turn of events shocked the residents of Uranium City, new and old.
"People who just finished buying houses or businesses or anything, they went to zero value instantly," Classen said. "It was really weird."
On the upside, Classen said Eldorado Nuclear Ltd. was able to relocate people all over the world, even giving them $10,000 to move (the equivalent of almost $30,000 in today's economy) and helping them find new jobs elsewhere.
And other nuclear activity continued in the province. Cameco Corp., which was formed by the merger of Eldorado Nuclear Ltd. with a provincial Crown corporation, discovered the McArthur River deposit in 1988.
Mines continue to operate today, including at McArthur River and Cigar Lake, which are the largest and highest-grade mines in the world, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Abandoned city
Over the years, buildings in Uranium City gradually emptied out and deteriorated. Abandoned buildings are all over the community, including houses, apartment complexes and the once bustling school.
The hospital stayed open until 2003, where many people who still live in Uranium City were born.
Some residents say they have no plans to leave.
Samantha Sidebottom grew up in Uranium City and said it was a great experience. These days, she runs a fuel business and a bed and breakfast with her husband.
"I didn't have any thoughts about this being a weird place to live until I was a bit older. I choose to stay here because it's where I love to be," Sidebottom said.
She said she has felt the pressure to move away, when people ponder Uranium City's future. But she said it's the land that keeps her here.
"There are people here, and we're hanging on, and we don't really want to go anywhere. I'm one of them," she said.
"It's my happy place."