An old trackside conveyer belt

I have been going through some old negatives and found a shot I took as a kid, sometime between 1960 and 1963 of a long conveyer belt along a CN rail line in northern British Columbia.


I had a model railroad then and was snapping interesting rail line shots whenever I could. I am not sure if it was near my home in Kitimat or taken somewhere else during a vacation.

I remember wandering what the conveyer was used for then and I am even more curious now.

I am going to post this picture on one of the forums to find out what the answer may be.