ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti, hiː wɛnt nˈɔːɹθ ɪn sˈɜːtʃ ʌv ɡˈoʊld tə fˈɔːɹt wˈuːpˈʌp, ɐ wˈɪskitɹˈeɪdɪŋ pˈoʊst stˈɑːɹɾᵻd baɪ hˈiːliz ˈoʊldɚɹ ɐdˈɑːptɪv bɹˈʌðɚ dʒˈɑːn dʒˈeɪ hˈiːli nˌɪɹ wʌt ɪz nˈaʊ lˈɛθbɹɪdʒ, ælbˈɜːɾə wˌɛɹ hiː fˈaʊnd kˈoʊl ɪnstˈɛd.
In 1870, he went north in search of gold to Fort Whoop-Up, a whiskey-trading post started by Healy's older adoptive brother John J Healy near what is now Lethbridge, Alberta where he found coal instead.