Martin Nordegg

Martin Nordegg (['noɹdɛg]) (né Cohn) (18 July 1868 – 13 September 1948) was a German entrepreneur, pioneer, and founder of the community of Nordegg, Alberta.

The son of Moritz Cohn, a Jewish rabbi, and Auguste Cohn, Martin Cohn was born in Reichenbach, Silesia (current-day Dzierżoniów, Poland), which was then part of the North German Confederation. He received a classical education before joining the military. He was discharged in 1894 after suffering an injury to his arm. Moving to Berlin, Martin studied photochemistry under the direction of Professor Hermann Wilhelm Vogel at the Gewerbe Institut.

Martin began working for Georg W. Büxenstein at the Georg Büxenstein & Company Photochemigraphical Institute, a printing firm. The two men would eventually become close business partners. While working at the Institute, Martin met Colonel Onésiphore-Ernest Talbot, a Canadian Member of Parliament, who was impressed by Martin. Talbot suggested that he should to come to Canada to invest during the rapid colonization of the West. Martin consulted Büxenstein, and Martin was provided with $60,000 by German investors to travel to Canada to discover a profitable venture.

On 1 May 1906, Martin arrived in Ottawa to meet with Colonel Talbot. Martin was introduced to Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier, who suggested that Martin should invest in mining. After failing to discover nickel in Northern Ontario, Martin set his sights westward and decided to look for coal in the Canadian Rockies.

Along with geologist Donaldson Bogart Dowling (D. B. Dowling) of the Geological Survey of Canada and Stuart Kidd, Martin journeyed from Morley, Alberta to the North Saskatchewan River Corridor via the Pipestone Pass. The mining expedition discovered coal by the Bighorn and South Brazeau (now Blackstone) Rivers. Martin, who knew virtually nothing about geology or coal mining in Canada, learned quickly from his friend Dowling.

Martin took a coal sample from the South Brazeau field back to Germany with him to show to his investors. Büxenstein suggested they consult an expert on coal, Professor Potonié of the Berlin Academy of Mining. Martin's meeting with Potonié was a disaster. After claiming that he had discovered coal in the Canadian Rockies, Martin was surprised when the professor adamantly pronounced this to be impossible. According to the professor, the Rocky Mountains were Cretaceous and therefore could not possibly contain coal. Potonié pronounced Martin a liar, and Martin dashed out of the room to get away from the incensed professor, who threw the lump of coal at him. Professor Potonié was later persuaded to visit Canada to examine the supposed coalfields for himself. He was proven wrong and forced to concede the existence of coal in the Rocky Mountains. In 1909, the company Brazeau Collieries Ltd. was established, named after the South Brazeau River, where they planned to eventually construct a coal mine and community.

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