Cape Breton 1sland - Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board

Transcription

Cape Breton
1sland
A SELECT VIEW
by Raymond M. Kavanaugh and W. Martin Schwartz (Revised 1/18/2016)
1 William Davis(1888-1925) New Waterford Coal Miner shot
and killed by company troops during 1925 strike.
2 Marshall Desveaux- Player/New Waterford Strands 1947
Canadian Championship Team.
3 Ann Terry MacLellan (1924-1985) - Nationally acclaimed
Cape Breton broadcaster.
4 Rita MacNeil - Internationally renowned Cape Breton
singer/songwriter.
5 AlanTighe (1954-1979) –Graduate of Breton Education Centre - Killed in Mine Accident, Lingan Colliery.
6 Winston Scottie Fitzgerald (1914-1987)- Cape Breton's best
known fiddler.
7 Jack McKenzie (1912-1973)- Coach/New Waterford Strands
1947 Canadian Championship Team.
8 Bryden MacDonald- Chairman, New Waterford Coal Bowl
Classic.
9 Helen (MacKinnon) Maclsaac- Widow of Colin MacKinnon
(1903-1954)- Killed in Mine Accident, #18 Colliery.
10 Stephen MacDonald- Mini Coal Bowl Player (1988).
11 Charlie Pyle (1922-1983)- One of New Waterford's most
outstanding athletes.
12 Frank McNeil- Miner, Lingan Colliery, New Waterford
(1988).
Cape Breton
Island
A SELECT VIEW
by Raymond M. Kavanaugh and W. Martin Schwartz in association with
the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Park
A Publication of Breton Education Centre
in co-operation with the
Cape Breton Development Corporation, Industrial Development
Division.
A Maritime Location Map
AtlanticOcean
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The province of Nova Scotia, with an area of 66,491 sq. Km., juts
out into the Atlantic connected only to continental North America
by the 22 km. Isthmus of Chignecto.
Cape Breton Island accounts for the north east quarter of the
province. It is connected to mainland Nova Scotia by the Canso
Causeway, a land and bridge link which took ten million tons of
rock to construct.
Whether on Cape Breton Island or mainland Nova Scotia, it is
impossible to stand anywhere and be more than thirty-five miles
from the sea.
Unit 1
Our Island / Our People
Cape Breton: The Image of an Island
For many people it is simply a place of high
unemployment. A have-not part of Canada that is beset with
economic woes. This is the image that generally makes it to
the news.
For others, those who have visited before, Cape Breton is
an island of breathtaking beauty. It is a place of dramatic
vistas and charming tranquility. This is the Cape Breton of
The Cabot trail, the Margaree Valley, Lakes Bras d'Or and
Ainslie.
Lately, a third image has arisen, that of a rich musical
isle; home to a vibrant local culture of fiddlers and singers. The
kind of place that gives birth to many musical artists, most recently
Rita MacNeil.
Can we reconcile such different images? Of course, for in
one sense there is not just one Cape Breton but several. Like any
province or region, Cape Breton is a mix, a blend of problems and
opportunities. There is both industry and beauty. And while
there are definite economic difficulties in the short term, there is
great optimism about the future. An optimism bred of past
successes and based on the resilient character of its people.
The Arts in Cape Breton
Over the past 20 years there has been a significant cultural
revival in Cape Breton, similar to what has been taking place all
across Canada. Cape Breton's hosting of the Canada Winter Games
in February 1987 offered an opportunity to showcase the culture
of the island to a national audience. In a televisionextravaganza,
Cape Breton featured a sample of its varied cultures, ranging from
Mi’kmaq dancers to Acadian folksingers to Scottish pipebands.
There has been a tremendous development of musical
talent in Cape Breton. In the late 1960's there were fears that the
traditional Scottish fiddler was disappearing, but now there are
well lover 200Cape Breton fiddlers on the Island. Today,
individual fiddlers such as Winnie Chafe, Lee Cremo, and numerous
others give regular performances throughout the year at various
Scottish festivals, including Glendale & Broad Cove. Other Cape
Breton musicians and singers range the gamut from folk singers to
rock to rhythm and blues. Performers such as Alister MacGillivray,
Matt Minglewood, Kenzie MacNeil, Raylene Rankin, and of
course, Rita MacNeil, to name only a few, are gaining national
reputations. In the summer of 1987, thirty thousand people saw the
performance of the Cape Breton Summertime Revue, a troupe
featuring Cape Breton music and humour.
The development of indigenous music in Cape Breton is only
a segment of a burgeoning arts community on the Island. Cape
Bretoners often comment that there is so much happening on the
cultural scene that it is difficult to choose what to attend on any
particular night.
There has been an outpouring of live theatre in Cape
Breton that has been nothing short of remarkable. The
University College of Cape Breton has led the way with its
theatre festival, but there has also been live theatre in
downtown Sydney, Glace Bay, St. Ann's, Inverness and New
Waterford among other communities.
While music and drama have been in the forefront of
the cultural revival in Cape Breton, there has been
considerable progress made on other fronts. The Cape
Breton Artists Association, for instance, has approximately
180 members and they recently opened a permanent
exhibit at the Cape Breton Hospital.
Of course, we can have all the talent in the world, in
terms of the performing and visual arts, but we require
schools and lines of communication which can nurture
and foster that talent. Breton Education Centre, for
example, one of the largest high schools in Cape Breton,
has had a significant impact on the cultural life of New
Waterford. A most significant development for
cultural growth throughout all of Cape Breton in the
past 20 years has been the establishment of the
University College of Cape Breton as a degree-granting
institution. Through education and a commitment to
excellence in all walks of life, Cape Bretoners are now
confidently looking ahead to the future.
The Nova Scotia Context
Cape Breton Island has been a part of the Province of Nova
Scotia twice in history. First, from 1763 to 1784, and then from 1820
to the present. Today it accounts for the northeastern quarter of
the province.
In terms of population, the island is home to about
180,000 individuals, or approximately one-fifth of the Nova Scotia
total of 875,000. Nearly two-thirds of these Cape Bretoners live in
one county, Cape Breton County. This is where the industrial cities
and towns of Sydney, North Sydney, Sydney Mines, Glace Bay and
New Waterford are located. The other three counties on the
island-Inverness, Victoria and Richmond-are a mix of rolling
mountains, cozy villages, beautiful lakes and rugged coastline.
Nova Scotia's capital (since its founding in 1749) has been
Halifax. Dartmouth, acrossthe harbour from Halifax, is second in
terms of size, and the third is Sydney. Over the last few decades,
Halifax has emerged as not just the economic center for Nova
Scotia, but indeed for all of Atlantic Canada.
· Nearly 77 percent of Nova Scotia's population is of
British extraction, but both the mainland and Cape Breton contain
significant communities of Acadians. The province and the island
are also home to several thousand people of the Mi’kmaq nation,
whose ancestors were living here long before the arrival of the
first Europeans. In addition, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton have
welcomed newcomers from Asia, Africa and Latin and South
America.
The two most dominant physical features of Nova Scotia
are its rugged coastline and its extensive forest cover. The first
gives the province its most valuable industry, the fishery. Inshore
and offshore, from lobster to cod or swordfish, the fisheries of
Cape Breton and the mainland bring employment to thousands and
circulate millions of dollars in the local economy. During the
summer months, when people's thoughts turn to swimming,
sailing and wind-surfing, Nova Scotia's coastline becomes Canada's
Ocean Playground.
As for the forests of Nova Scotia, they cover nearly 75
percent of the province. Like the fishery, the lumbering and pulp
and paper industries are essential elements in the provincial
economy. The forests are also a shelter to wildlife. Hunting and
fishing are popular recreational pursuits throughout the
province. Cape Breton boastssome of the best salmon fishing
streams and pools in North America.
Though much of Canada's southern boundary is defined by
the 49th parallel, it must be pointed out that all of Nova Scotia
lies south of that latitude. Its most northerly tip, Cape North,
Cape Breton, tips the scale at around the 47th parallel. Thanks
to that "southerly" location, roughly mid-way between the North
Pole and the equator, as well as to its being almost completely
surrounded by water, the entire province enjoys a maritime climate.
The result is that winters are usually only moderately cold while
summers are pleasantly warm.
Cape Breton- The Island
Cape Breton has an international reputation as a place of
outstanding beauty. Tourists come from all over the world to see and
to experience its mountains and streams, seascapes and valleys.
The Cabot Trail is the most famous of the island's many
attractions. Here is one of North America's great motoring
adventures. The road begins by twisting through the pastoral
scenery of the Margaree Valley, then hugs the coast along a stretch of
highway known locally as ''Where the Mountains Meet the Sea.”
When the trail begins its ascent, climbing to dizzying heights into
the highlands of Cape Breton, it is an unforgettable experience.
Though the highland heights of Cape Breton are the best known
feature of the island – the comparison is usually with Scotlandthere are many other areas that rival the Cabot Trail for beauty and
interest. The vast interior lake system known as the Bras d'Or
Lakes is certainly one. These are not fresh water lakes, but rather
long arms of the ocean that stretch in and around much of the land
mass of Cape Breton. From summer sailing to fish farming, these
lakes are an invaluable resource for the island.
Another distinct part of Cape Breton is what is sometimes called
the ''Historic East.” This is the east and southeast coast, and it
bears little resemblance to the pastoral or highland areas. Instead, it
is rocky and rugged, more of a seascape than a landscape. The trees
don't grow very tall, buffeted as they are by strong winds and salt
spray off the Atlantic. Life along this coast is a test, but some
communities, like St. Peters, date back. over 300 years.
The Ethnic Mix
Cape Breton is a varied land, and so are its people. Many
have remarked on the island's strong Scottish heritage. Certainly they
are the most numerous group and the ones who have made the
most obvious contributions to island life. The piper, the clans, the
tartans: these are all part and parcel of the usual Cape Breton
image. More will be said about the richness of Cape Breton's Gaelic
inheritance later, ina special section. For now it is enough to point
out that many islanders have come out of other backgrounds, with
other traditions.
The Mi’kmaq
A typical scene depicting the early lifestyle of Cape Breton's
Mi’kmaq people.
Detail of a painting by Lewis Parker, reproduced courtesy of the University
College of Cape Breton Art Gallery.
The Mi’kmaq
The Mi’kmaq people came to Cape Breton about 13000 years
ago. Until the arrival of the first Europeans, they had the island
to themselves, pursuing their traditional lifestyle.
Detail of a painting by Lewis Parker, reproduced courtesy of the University College
of Cape Breton Art Gallery.
The Mi’kmaq come first to mind. They are the island's original
inhabitants. For them, Cape Breton was "Unama' Ki' or land of fog.
With the arrival of the Europeans, the Mi’kmaq found a new role
as traders and guides, and later as military allies for one side against
the other. In the very early years it was the Mi’kmaq who came to the
aid of the European settlers, showing them how to survive in the
new land. Today there are five Mi’kmaq communities on Cape
Breton: Chapel Island, Whycocomagh, Nyanza, Eskasoni and
Membertou. The first four are in rural areas; Membertou is within
Sydney’s city limits.
Next, there are the Acadians. Some can trace their familytrees
on the island back to the mid-18th century, from the Louisbourg
era. Others came a generation later, from St. Pierre and Miquelon at
the time of the French Revolution.
Today there are two principal Acadian areas, in and around
Cheticamp on the west coast and in Arichat/Isle Madame area on the
southeast coast.
The industrial area around Sydney has the greatest mix of
nationalities. At the time of the extensive development of the coal
mines and steel mills, in the late 19th and 20th centuries, thousands of
workers from around the world were attracted to the island.
Ukrainians, Poles and Italians from Europe, Lebanese from the
Middle East, blacks from the West Indies, and many more. This
blend of backgrounds and cultural traditions gives the
industrial area a cosmopolitan flavour.
Elsewhere on the island there are pockets, or communities, of
people of English or Irish descent, German or Dutch, or most
recently, emigrants from the United States. Put together, the ethnic
mix on Cape Breton makes for as distinct and colorful a people as can
be found.
Loyalist Settlement of Sydney
The loyalist relocation to Cape Breton was not easily achieved. Many
hardships had to be endured before the settlers were able to begin
their lives anew in their new homes.
Island History
Giovanni Cabota, 1497
Giovanni Cabot & (John Cabot) is thought to have landed in
northern Cape Breton in 1497, claiming the Island on behalf of the
English monarch, Henry VII.
Cape Breton's history might be said to begin with the arrival of
the Mi’kmaq people, perhaps 13000 years ago. They replaced the
Maritime Archaic peoples that had been in the region before them.
For over a millennium the Mi’kmaq had the island, and indeed
the rest of Nova Scotia to themselves. They were a people who
moved frequently, following the seasons and the game and fish upon
which their lives depended.
Who the first Europeans were to sail in Cape Breton's waters,
and come ashore, is not known. Perhaps it was a Norse group headed
by someone like Leif Erikson around AD1000. If not, then it may
have been fishermen, perhaps Basques, Spanish or Portuguese.
Popular tradition has it that John Cabot (Giovanni Cabota) was
the first to come ashore. That was in 1497, when Cabot came to the
region to claim it for the man who had hired him, Henry VII of
England.
Explorers are one thing, but what of settlements? The first
European to attempt a permanent establishment on Cape Breton
was a Scot, Lord Ochiltree. In 1629 he erected a fort at Baleine,
just north of Louisbourg. That attempt was short lived as a French
Captain, Charles Daniel, destroyed Ochiltree's fort later that same
summer. Daniel then put up a fort of his own at St. Ann's. That
settlement lasted a dozen years. A decade later, in 1652, Nicholas
Denys tried again for France, this time with more success. The
fishing and fur-trading community he led at St .Peters survived for
about 16 years.
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Nicholas Denys' Settlement, late 17th century
Nicholas Denys established a fishing, fur trading and farming
settlement at St. Peters in 1652. The community had good
relations with the local Mi’kmaq and lasted for about 16 years.
The Louisbourg Era
France's greatest success in its colonization of Cape
Breton began in 1713. In that year, by the terms of the Treaty
·of Utrecht, France ceded jurisdiction over both Acadia and
Newfoundland to Great Britain. All that was left to Louis XVI in the
Atlantic region were two islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
islands they called Ile Royale (Cape Breton) and Ile Saint-Jean
(Prince Edward Island).
The main French settlement on Ile Royale was Louisbourg.
Chosen because of its excellent harbor and because of its proximity
to both the rich fishing grounds and international trade routes,
Louisbourg quickly developed into one of the busiest ports on the
Atlantic seaboard. Ships from France arrived with goods from the
continent; vessels from the West Indies, Canada (along the St
.Lawrence) and New England reached port with commodities from
their regions. Each could off-load their cargoes at Louisbourg and
sail away with Ile Royale cod and goods from one of the other
regions. In short, Louisbourg became the hub in a profitable wheel
of commerce.
To protect this valuable port, as well as to give themselves a
strategic stronghold in the Atlantic region, the French authorities
who administered Louisbourg decided to make the settlement one of
its major bastions in North America. Beginning in1719 they
designed and erected some of the most impressive fortifications ever
seen on this side of the Atlantic.
As a town, Louisbourg grew to have a permanent
population of about 2500-3000 by the early 1740s. Of that total,
nearly 700 were soldiers. The rest were principally employed in
the fishery and merchant trade, though there were such18th-century
sectors as construction trades, service trades, and many servants
and domestics.
Because Louisbourg was both a fishing base (with large
numbers of French fishermen there on a seasonal basis) and a
large garrison town, men greatly outnumbered women throughout
the settlement's history. The male-female ratio was never better
than 3to1. This imbalance affected many aspects of life.
One impact was that women at Louisbourg married
about two years younger on average (mean age:19.9 years old)
than they did in the French colony along the St. Lawrence.
Louisbourg grooms on the other hand were a couple of years
older than their counterparts elsewhere in New France; their
average age at time of marriage was 29.2 years old.
Louisbourg, Capital of Ile Royale
From 1713 until 1768 Louisbourg was one of the best-known and more
populous settlements in North America. With a population of around
2,500 to 3,000 during the 1740s, Louisbourg was a fortified town of
not just soldiers and royal officials, but also merchants
and fishermen, civilians and servants.
Siege of Louisbourg
Louisbourg fell to the British for the second and final time in
1768. The defeat ended the French Regime on Cape Breton, though
there would continue to be a significant Acadian presence
on the Island.
Detail of a painting by Lewis Parker, reproduced c:ourtesy of the University College
The Sieges of Louisbourg
Louisbourg's success in the fishery and merchant trade
drew the envy of its economic rivals in New England. In addition,
as a French stronghold within the same region, the fortified town
and naval base was viewed as a very real military threat.
In 1744 France declared war on Great Britain, as part of the
much larger War of the Austrian Succession (l740-48). Louisbourg
launched a quick attack on the New England fishing base at Canso,
Nova Scotia, and captured it. Later that same summer they laid
siege twice, both times unsuccessfully, to Annapolis Royal. The
following spring, that of
1745, the New England colonies sent an expedition to besiege
Louisbourg. The assault lasted nearly seven weeks, but in the end
the formidable fortress fell to the American colonists. Virtually all
the French inhabitants were then deported to France.
The colony of lle Royale was handed back to France by
treaty in 1748. The French returned to the island in 1749. That same
summer the English founded Halifax, largely as a counterbalance to
the re-establishment of Louisbourg. There were plans to improve
Louisbourg's defenses, so as to make a second conquest more
difficult, but the funds were never forthcoming to implement
most of the changes. Thus in the spring of 1758, the fortress
stood much the same as it had back in1745. And this time a
massive British naval and army force of nearly 27,OOO men
launched the assault. The siege lasted six weeks, and finally the
defenders surrendered. The townspeople were shipped to France
and the Louisbourg fortifications were systematically destroyed.
Unti11768 Louisbourg was home to a small British garrison. When those soldiers
pulled out, it seemed impossible to imagine there would ever again be high walls
and fleur-de-lis on the shores of what had once been a French stronghold in the
New World.
The Reconstruction of Louisbourg
For two centuries the walls and houses of historic
Louisbourg lay in ruins. The site was occupied by about a dozen
families who carried on small-scale fishing and farming. Then
in1928, the Government of Canada declared the area to be a
National Historic Site. Twelve years later the historic ground
occupied by the original fortress, as well as the nearby siege
batteries and British encampments, became a National Historic
Park.
During the late 1950s Cape Breton endured a difficult period
of rising unemployment and general economic difficulty. The coal
industry, both on the island and across the country, was suffering
from competition from low-cost oil and gas. Mine after mine closed,
threatening to devastate the Cape Breton economy. In 1960, to
deal with the crisis the Government of Canada commissioned a
nation-wide Royal Commission on Coal, headed by Justice I.C.
Rand. Justice Rand came up with an imaginative recommendation
for Cape Breton;
a partial reconstruction of 18th-century Louisbourg. The project
would employ hundreds of out-of-work coal miners, create a major
tourist attraction and genera11y provide a boost to the sagging
economy and spirits of the island. In 1961 the federal government
accepted the recommendation and began the research and
reconstruction project.
The reconstruction of Louisbourg was a major interdisciplinary undertaking, requiring the contributions of historians,
archaeologists, architects, engineers, tradesmen, craftsmen and
many other specialists. The development phase lasted two
decades, cost approximately $26 million, and has given Canada one
of the world's greatest outdoor museums. It has won much
international praise and many awards. Most recent1y the Guide
Michelin for Canada judged the Fortress to be the top attraction in all
of Atlantic Canada.
Today's Fortress of Louisbourg includes more than50 buildings
and is an 18th-century world unto itself. In the course of a typical
visit you can discover the secrets of hearthside cooking, taste fresh
bread prepared in the brick ovens of the King's bakery, be part of a
crowd at a quayside auction, speak with craftsmen practicing their
trades, observe soldiers carrying out drills, or chat with a servant in
one of the houses. It is not surprising the Fortress is judged an
overwhelming success as a historical re-creation.
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Park
The 18th-century fortified town lives again as one of Canada's
most ambitious National Historic Parks. Each year, about 140,000
visitors come to enjoy the many events and activities put on by the
park's staff.
Jerseymen and Loyalists
A Separate Colony
Charles Robin
The prime mover in the Jerseymen
settlement at Arichat was merchant
Charles Robin.
Detail of a painting by Lewis Parker,
reproduced courtesy of the University College
The fall of Louisbourg in1758 left the island with a small
population and a very simple economy. When the British withdrew
their Louisbourg garrison 10 years later the situation worsened.
Cape Breton had little more to offer than subsistence farming,
inshore fishing, and modest shipbuilding. From the perspective
of the colonial government in Halifax and the imperial
administration in London, Cape Breton was an area to be more or
less set aside, held in reserve for one or the other's future needs.
Late in the 18th century came two new influxes that boosted
the population and eventually led to more development. The first
of the immigrants came from the island of Jersey, off the French
coast but owing allegiance to the British monarch. Shipbuilders
and entrepreneurs from Jersey, most notably Charles Robin, settled
in the Arichat area.
In1784, Loyalist refugees from the American Revolution
arrived in Cape Breton. So great were their numbers and so
influential were some of their leaders, particularly Joseph
Frederick Wallet Desbarres, that the imperial government made
Cape Breton a separate British colony, apart from the mainland of
Nova Scotia. In the spring of
1785 these Loyalists founded Sydney (heretofore Spanish
Bay). Desbarres was named lieutenant govemor of the new
colony.
Cape Breton's status as a separate British colony lasted
36 years, until l820. In the course of that period the island’s
economy developed slowly. There were disputes between rival
groups of local politicians, and there was a fundamental lack of
interest in Cape Breton's problems among the decision makers in
London. Those difficulties would lead in1820 to Cape Breton's
reannexation to Nova Scotia.
Arichat Area, 1760s and 1770s
Merchants and shipbuilders from the island of Jersey came to Cape
Breton to take advantage of Cape Breton's prime location in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Detail of a painting by Lewis Parker, reproduced
courtesy of the University
College
Acadians from St. Pierre
Cape Breton was a French island several times in its early
history- in the17th century when Nicholas Denys had a settlement
here and again in the 18th century during the Louisbourg period.
After the colony was officially ceded to the British in 1763some of
the French-speaking settlers remained on the island. Nobody
knows exactly how many. A generation later, Cape Breton received
another influx of Francophones.
Just as some Engl i sh -speaking settlers fled the American
Revolution in search of a better life on Cape Breton, so the
French Revolution had a similar effect among the French, though
on a much smaller scale. Living on the islands of St. Pierre and
Miquelon in the1780s were several dozen families of former
Acadians and lle Royale residents. Some of them did not like the
''godless'' turn the French Revolution took and chose to emigrate to
Cape Breton. Two island areas were so favored: Cheticamp, on
the west coast (which had not been settled during the French
Regime period), and the Arichat / Isle Madame area on the
southeast coast. Both of those communities would grow and change
in the years to come, but they would always preserve their
distinctive identities.
Immigration and the Scottish Character of Cape Breton
At the beginning of the19th century Cape Breton had
approximately 2,500 people. Most of them were French- speaking
Acadians, Loyalist refugees from the American Revolution, Irish
from Newfoundland, and Scots from mainland Nova Scotia and
Prince Edward Island. These people settled along the coast and
earned their living in the cod fishery. The agricultural land in
Cape Breton's interior was virtually untouched.
During the first half of the19th century, approximately one
million people emigrated from the British Isles to British North
America. In August 1802 the first immigrant vessel to sail directly to
Cape Breton arrived in Sydney and 400 people settled throughout
the Island. The exodus from Scotland had begun in earnest.
Between 1815 and1821 approximately
19,000 passengers left Scotland for British North America. It was
the immigration of this period that determined the
Scottish character of Cape Breton. The reasons for the Scots
leaving their homeland were many and varied. Overpopulation and
the enclosures forced small farmers off the land, tradesmen
were unable to find work because of the depression, and
domestic weavers were put out of business by the factory
system. In effect, the Scottish highlands were incapable of
supporting their people. This was the primary cause of highland
immigration to Nova Scotia.
After the Scottish settlement in Cape Breton had been made,
ties of family and friendship ensured a steady flow of
compatriots from Scotland. From 1815 to 1835, 39,243 immigrants
came to Nova Scotia. The bulk of these immigrants,
21,833 were of Scottish origin and most of them settled in Cape
Breton. The final phase of the immigration lasted from the 1830s
to the 1850s and 14,000 Scottish immigrants settled in Nova Scotia
during this period.
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The Scots
The Scottish settlers cleared land and raised buildings, such as in
this depiction of Mabou, Inverness County, in the mid-19thcentury.
Detail of a painting by Lewis Parker, reproduced courtesy of the University
College of Cape Breton Art Gallery.
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Scottish Settlement on Cape Breton
The 19th century was a Scottish century on Cape Breton.
Thousands of Scots left their highland homes to make a new start
on the Canadian isle.
Detail of a painting by Lewis Parker, reproduced COUl'te8y of the University College
of Cape Breton Art Gallery
Fishing and Agriculture
Fishing and agriculture were two of the mainstays of the Nova
Scotia economy in the 19th century. By 1863 fishing accounted for
36.9% of Nova Scotia exports and this increased to 63.1%
twenty year later. New England fishermen provided intense
competition for Nova Scotia fishermen. American fishermen
frequently fished within the imposed three-mile limit, smuggled in
goods in return for provisions, and sometimes dried their catch
within the three-mile limit. Beginning in the1830s hundreds of
young Nova Scotian men found employment on the foreign
fishing vessels. As a result, a special relationship developed between
Nova Scotia and New England, particularly Massachusetts. In
succeeding generations, thousands of Nova Scotians, including Cape
Bretoners of highland descent, moved to the "Boston States"
seeking work. By 1843 the Scottish emigration to Cape Breton had
come to a halt. Outward migration began with a trickle, as 1,900
people left Nova Scotia in the 1840s to seek work in the United
States, Canada East (Quebec), and Canada West (Ontario).
Cape Breton’s population had grown to 66,000 by 1861 with
the Scots outnumbering the Acadians, Loyalists and Irish by two to
one. Coastal areas had been developed and there was also
considerable settlement in the interior of the Island. Large areas of
forest had been cleared, and farming, together with the fishery, were
the Island's principal economic activities.
By 1860 two distinct farming communities had developed in Cape
Breton. There were front land farms; that is, lots fronting a lakeshore,
a river or the sea, and on land of agricultural value. These farms had
been carved out of the wilderness by the early settlers who had become
successful subsistent farmers. The second major farm community
consisted of backland farms; farm lots in the interior and the
uplands - where thousands of later settlers were attempting to make a
living from land and supplementary employment. With the exception
of this scrub backland, there was no land left for settlement in
Cape Breton by the mid-19th century.
Emigration 1881-1931
Emigration from Nova Scotia continued throughout the
19thcentury but began with a vengeance in the1880s.The departure
of young males left behind a surplus of females who had to go
elsewhere to seek husbands. The number of men employed in
agriculture in Nova Scotia declined from 59000 in 1891 to
47,771 in 1921, a dramatic decrease.
Lacking a strong industrial base, there was weak consumer demand
for fish and farm produce, and hence little incentive to expand.
In the period 1881-1931 Nova Scotia's percentage of the Canadian
population decreased from 10.51% to
5.96%. Not only were people leaving Nova Scotia in large numbers,
but few immigrants were coming as federal immigration policies
concentrated on the prairie provinces.
The Scottish culture was changing dramatically. There were
75,414 Nova Scotians of Scottish descent in1931, only 24,303
spoke Gaelic. Ten years later this figure dropped to12,065. Today
there are less than 2,000 Gaelic-speaking people in Nova Scotia,
mostly in Cape Breton.
Thousands of Cape Bretoners left their island home, often heading
for Boston, from this Sydney train station. C.H. Woodill took this
photo in 1891.
Courtesy of Ross Muggah.
The Development of Coal Mining
Although small in landward area, Cape Breton's Sydney
coalfield was Canada’s largest producer of coal for over two
centuries and produced approximately one-third of Canada's
annual production until 1960. The history of the development of
coal mining in the Sydney coalfield touches the lives of most Cape
Bretoners for there were over 70 mines developed on the Sydney
coalfield throughout the years. Each mine had its own workshops,
bunkers, loading facilities, engine house and waste tips. The mines
also spurred the development of villages in the immediate vicinity of
the mine. Since mine employment reached a high of
12,422 miners by 1915, some of the villages developed into
considerable towns. Before examining the development of such
coal mining towns as New Waterford, Glace Bay and Dominion,
however, it is necessary to look at the background of coal mining
in Cape Breton.
Pre Industrial Mining in
Cape Breton
Except for a few mines in lnverness County in the late
19th century, all of the Cape Breton mines were located in
a relatively small area of Cape Breton County. Concentrated
around Sydney harbour, the seam outcrops of the Sydney coalfield
are roughly parallel to the coast along a 60 km. stretch of shoreline
from South Head (Cape Morien) to Cape Dauphin. The Sydney
coalfield can be divided into two distinct areas. The north side of
the harbour includes the towns of Sydney Mines and North Sydney.
This was the oldest section of the Sydney coalfield. Mines have
been in continuous production on the north side of the harbour
since the 1780s. The south side of the harbor was the largest area
of mine development, extending from the south side of Sydney
harbour around the coast of Port Morien.
The Sydney Coalfields
Cape Breton's coal seams are deep underground, extending
kilometers under the sea. Coal seams generally overlay one
another, usually separated by a layer of rock or clay. Ranging in
thickness from1.82 meters (6 feet) to a few centimeters, the coal
seams had to be at least 61centimeters (2feet) thick to be considered
viable for mining. Certain coal seams have proved extremely
valuable for they have few faults (interruptions). Some of the
most extensively developed mines in Cape Breton extends
kilometers from the mine entrance and well out under the
ocean. Although these thick continuous coal seams are highly
prized, the coal produced is costly because, as a mine becomes
more developed, the distance of the coal face from the surface
becomes greater, resulting in higher haulage costs for both men
and coal.
Coal Mining in Cape Breton
1670-1784
For the French and New England fishermen who frequented
the Cape Breton coast throughout the 17th century, the coal seams
were highly visible, especially along the cliffs at Morien Bay, Lingan
Bay and the north shore of Sydney harbour. It was in these areas
that French fishermen and New England colonists started digging
into the cliff and loading the coal directly on their small vessels.
An early memorandum of 1706 identified important coal seams at
Baie des Espagnols (Sydney), Lingan and at the entrance to the
Bras d'Or Lakes. Because of the prime location and ease of mining the
coal, over 20 ships a year were coming from Boston to Sydney
harbour to load with coal by 1706.
Coal Mining during the French
Regime 1713-58
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Plan of Baye des Espagnols (Sydney), including
Lingan. Map drawn by Louisbourg engineer Pierre Boucher, circa
1762. The letter "B" marks the location of a mine in the area of
Sydney Mines.
Courtesy of Fortress of
Louisbourg.
After the establishment of the colony of lle Royale, the
French at Louisbourg mined coal at Lingan and at Bras d'Or. Coal
was supplied to the military garrison at Louisbourg, used for
heating homes, and some coal was exported to France and New
England. After the capture of Louisbourg in1745, the British,
during their occupation from 1745 to 1749, established a mine at
Cap du Charbon (later named Burnt
Head) near Glace Bay. In 1748 the British built a stockade with two
wooden blockhouses at Burnt Head to protect the coal miners
from attack by the Mi’kmaq allies of the French. The fort was
destroyed by fire in 1752; the coal mine continued to burn for 12
years and hence the name Burnt Head.
After the French reoccupied Cape Breton in1749,there was
much more intensive use of coal at Louisbourg in the soldier's
barracks, as well for the manufacture of bricks and lime.
Moreover, on their return from France, the Louisbourg refugees
had imported iron stoves and coal grates, more suitable for burning
coal. By 1756 Louisbourg authorities were mining 12,000 barrels of
coal per year, most1y from the Lingan area.
The British Occupation
1760-1784
Cape Breton: A Separate Colony
1784-1820
After the capture of Louisbourg for the second time in
1758, and the fall of Quebec the following year, the Cape Breton
coal mines became a vital source of fuel for the British army. The
British garrisons at Halifax and Quebec were supplied with coal from
Louisbourg and in1760 alone over 1,200 caldrons of coal were
shipped to Quebec. The Louisbourg garrison continued to be supplied
with coal from the Sydney harbour mines until1768. For the most
part though, the British government discouraged the exploitation of
the Cape Breton coal reserves because they feared colonial
development would lead to competition with British
manufacturers. As a result, there was a total prohibition of
development and settlement on Cape Breton.
The restrictions against settlement were relaxed in1784 when
Cape Breton was granted separate status as a crown colony. In
1785, Joseph Frederick Wallet Desbarres, Cape Breton's govemor,
opened a mine at Sydney Mines. Known as the Desbarres or
Sydney Old Works, this mine produced coal over the next 40
years under a number of lessees. Cape Breton's coal production,
however, was hardly significant, seldom exceeding 10,000 tons
annually. Britain, by contrast, produced 10,000,000 tons per year
during the same period. Although the mines were open year round,
the work was seasonal. There were no more than100 men employed
in the mines, most of them inexperienced, transient, single men.
The General Mining Association
1827-1858
With the arrival of the General Mining Association in
1827, Cape Breton's coal mines entered the modern era. The
GMA, an English joint-stock company, acquired a lease of all the
mineral rights of Nova Scotia from the Duke of York. The GMA
maintained total control of the coal mines on the north and south
side of Sydney Harbour until1858.
A modem company dedicated to the systematic exploitation of
Nova Scotia's coal resources, the GMA invested more than300,000
pounds in modern steam technology by the
1840s. Moreover, experienced miners were brought from northern
England and Scotland to work in the Nova Scotian mines. Besides
building houses for the miners, the company encouraged entire
families to come to Cape Breton. Other services provided included
company stores and a type of medical insurance, all of which were
paid for by deductions from the miners' wages. Because of the
check-off system, most miners saw little of their ages and often
remained indebted to the GMA. By 1858 the GMA was compelled
to give up its monopoly over Nova Scotia's mineral resources. In
approximately 30 years, 1827-1857, the GMA had increased the
production of Nova Scotia coal mines to roughly 100,000 tons per
year. Most of this increased coal output came from Cape Breton's
mines.
The American Market
Stimulates Coal Development in
Cape Breton 1854-1866
In1858 the Nova Scotia government quickly passed
legislation to promote mining outside the GMA lands, especially
on the south side of Sydney Harbour. From1858 to 1875
producing mines were opened on 19 separate leases. As a result of
a Reciprocity treaty with the United States (1854-1866), which
allowed access to the American market, and the added demand for
coal because of the American Civil War (1861-1865), Cape Breton
coal production grew dramatically. In a12-year period, from18541866, Nova Scotian mines increased their outputs seven-fold,
from100,000 tons to 700,000 tons per year. Two-thirds of this
coal came from Cape Breton.
The Confederation Era
1867-1900
With the end of the American Civil War and the closure of
the American market in 1866, only the largest coal companies
survived. After confederation in 1867, the coal industry directed its
attention to central Canadian markets. The Canadian tariff on coal
in 1871, together with the completion of the intercolonial rail link
between Nova Scotia and central Canada, produced dramatic coal
sales. Nova Scotian coal production increased from three million
tons per year in 1900 to more than seven million tons by 1914.
With new mines and rapid expansion, the Industrial
Revolution had come to Cape Breton in the 1880s but the fu11
development of the coal mines only occurred in the 1890s with the
formation of two giant conglomerates. In1893 the Dominion
Coal Company was formed by the amalgamation of eight
companies that controlled the south side of Sydney Harbour.
DOMCO subsequently closed most of the older collieries that it had
purchased and developed new mechanized mines. Within 10 years,
DOMCO’s coal production quadrupled. Markets were essential for
these coal mines and hence DOMCO financed the Sydney Steel
Plant in1900 to provide a local market for its coal. As the
major competitor to DOMCO, the Nova Scotia Steel & Coal
Company developed four new mines and also built a new steel
plant in Sydney Mines.
Sydney's Rapid Development
1900-1917
The rapid industrialization of Cape Breton at the end of the
19 century produced dramatic changes. Besides providing
employment for the miners in the collieries, the coal mines
stimulated the lumbering, shipbuilding and shipping
industries. Incorporated in 1904, the new city of Sydney grew
up around the older colonial town. Following the establishment of
the steel complex in 1900, Sydney's population mushroomed from
3,659 in 1891 to 17,723 by 1911. The new coal mines and steel
plants stimulated large-scale immigration to Cape Breton.
Immigrants from Newfoundland and returning Cape Bretoners
from the United States settled in the Sydney area. They were joined
by a few thousand people from overseas such as Ukrainians, Poles
and Hungarians from Eastern Europe, Italians and Lebanese from
the Mediterranean, and Blacks from the West Indies.
th
A partial view of the works of the Dominion Iron & Steel Company,
showing blast furnaces, power house and open hearth.
(c. 1908).
Courtesy of Beaton Institute and Baytel Photography.
The Emergence of the Coal Towns
The immigration of peoples to Cape Breton at the beginning of
the 20th century paled in comparison to the internal migration of
native Cape Bretoners to the coal towns from the counties of
Inverness and Victoria. Between 1871 and 1911 the industrial area
of Cape Breton County expanded from a population of 12,246 to
57,263. The overwhelming majority of this increase came from the
surrounding counties on the Island. The migration of rural peoples
to the coal towns followed a set pattern. It was primarily single,
young men who moved from their home villages to the emerging
coal town, but they did so within the context of a wider kin network.
During periodic layoffs these young men went back to their home
villages and eventually married girls from their boyhood homes.
...... .·
Company-owned duplexes were established around new mines
·such as at Dominion No. 14 Colliery in New Waterford. circa 1920.
Courtesy of Beaton Institute, University College of Cape Breton.
Cape Breton Miners vs Outside
Interests
Young miners at Caledonia (c. 1903)
Reproduced courtesy of the Beaton Institute, University College of
Cape Breton and
Raytel Photography.
As early as the 1870s the majority of the work force in the mines were
native Cape Bretoners. The first generation of Cape Breton urban workers
had a difficult time adjusting to the demands of industrial capitalism.
Efficiency and obedience were the watch words of the new industrial
age. Although the miners were predominately Cape Bretoners, the mines
were controlled by Americans or central Canadians.
Since all of the mining towns were single industry towns, the fate of
the community was dominated by outside interests. To ensure control
of the development of mining towns, the mine owners purchased
large tracts of land near the mine sites and built company houses for
miners and their families. Since they also owned the company stores,
supervised access to medical services, and controlled other social
functions in the towns, the coal companies could dictate the terms of
life and work to an entire community.
The miners and the communities, however, did not react
lightly to the dictates of outside interests. There was a tremendous
sense of dignity and independence among the first generation of
Cape Breton miners who came from Victoria, Inverness and
Richmond counties to the mining towns. They were
preindustrial people who passed on a strong sense of
independence to their children who also became miners.
Subsequent generations of miners took tremendous pride in their
work based on the control they had within the production process of
the mines.
Development of the Unions
As new larger companies moved to take over the coal industry
during the 20th century, it was obvious that t h e workers required
a united determination to obtain improved conditions of wages and
labour. Following a protracted strike in 1909-10, that was
eventually broken by the mine owners, the coal miners chose the
United Mine Workers of America as their union. Adopting a much
more militant stance, the U.M.W. led the mining community into
a class struggle ''which in intensity, vibrancy and determination
remains unequalled in Canadian history." (D.A. Muise,
"Coal Mining in Nova Scotia".
The post-war depression after World War I resulted in lower
production levels in Cape Breton’s steel and coal industries. Coal
production from 1919 to 1939 averaged
3.9 million tons per year, down from a high of 5.5 million in
1915. The drastic reduction of the steel and coal business forced an
amalgamation of Scotia and DOMCO under one company, the British
Empire Steel Corporation (BESCO) in
1920. BESCO's attempt to reduce miners' wages to pre-war levels
provoked a series of strikes in the1920s that crippled the coal
industry in Cape Breton.
The 1925 Strike
The most significant strike in Cape Breton mining history
occurred in 1925when BESCO again attempted to reduce miners’
wages. The strike, which lasted more than five months, saw miners
without credit at the company store and with little food. On 11
June 1925 a mounted force of BESCO police attacked a crowd of
miners in New Waterford. The miners forced the company police to
retreat but not before one miner, William Davis, had been killed.
Miners began to loot and burn company stores and as a result
BESCO totaled damages of more than one-half million dollars. The
strike was finally broken by 1500 troops who were sent to Cape
Breton; they forced the miners to accept the company's terms. In
1926 the miners had no choice but to return to the pits earning 25
percent less than they had been earning in 1921.
June 11th, Davis Day, is celebrated annually as a reminder of a difficult
past and in memory of those miners who paid the ultimate sacrifice to
gainbetter working conditions for their fellow miners.
The mining communities survived the twenties but it was
almost as if the mining towns were under a continual state of siege
as BESCO sought to decrease costs and increase coal production.
BESCO continually fought the miners' demands with federal troops,
but the miners persevered. "By establishing their right to strike for
better wages and improved working conditions, they advanced the
position of workers throughout the nation." (D.A. Muise, "Coal Mining
in Nova Scotia)
The William Davis Memorial, New Waterford, erected 1985.
Mine Fatality.
The injury or death of a coal miner threatened the survival of a
family. When tragedy struck, the oldest son usually entered
the mine as the main wage earner for the family.
Detail of a painting by Terry MacDonald, courtesy of the Town of New Wate rford.
Mining in Cape Breton 1930-1967
Miners’ Museum
The difficulties for Cape Breton coal mining in the twenties
continued apace for the next 40 years. Coal production declined
from 5.2 million tons in1940 to just over one million tons in 1973
as oil, natural gas and hydro-electricity displaced coal as the
premier fossil fuel. With declining employment and low prices for
coal, a federal crown corporation was appointed in the1960sto
supervise the phasing out of mining. The energy crisis of the early
1970s, however, breathed new life into the coal industry. The Cape
Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO) has opened new mines
and almost tripled its production since 1973.
The history and traditions of Cape Breton mining are
promoted, publicized and preserved through two unique local
institutions: the Miners' Museum and the Men of the Deeps.
The Miners' Museum, a project of the Cape Breton
Miners' Foundation (founded 1964) is dedicated to portraying the
history of Cape Breton coal mining. Its primary objective is to make
people aware of the mining community and to give them an
appreciation of the technical, social and domestic aspects of coal
mining.
The complex consists of the main museum building which
houses historical mining exhibits, as well as displays on the
geological development of the Sydney coalfield. The museum site
also contains three full-scale wood frame buildings, a miners'
"company" house, as well as a “company" store and a restaurant.
The distinctive feature of the entire Miners' Village is a non-site
coal mine, named the Ocean Deeps Colliery, which provides guided
underground tours.
The museum complex provides a special opportunity to view
Cape Breton's mining past and to experience first-hand the
environment of a submarine coal mining operation.
The Men of the Deeps
The Men of the Deeps is a Cape Breton coal miners
chorus and the only one in North America. Organized in1966 as
part of Cape Breton's contribution to Canada's Centennial Year
(1967), their inception was an effort by the people of Cape
Breton to preserve in song some of the rich folklore of the
Island's coal mining communities.
Since its debut at Montreal's World Fair in1967, the
group has been singing of the work and lifestyle of the Cape
Breton coal miner to audiences throughout most of Canada and
the United States. In1976 they were the first Canadian
performing group to tour the People's Republic of China after
diplomatic relations between the two nations were restored in
1972. Their most recent appearance of note was a 2 ½ week
engagement at Vancouver's Expo '86.
The group's musical repertoire is gathered from mining
communities around the world. Many of their songs are
'homegrown'-composed by contemporary Cape Breton bards, or
traditional songs which trace their roots to their Celtic forbearers
in the old country.
The Men of the Deeps embody the Cape Breton coal
mining traditions and they serve as outstanding ambassadors
for Cape Breton.
The Coal Industry
Today and Tomorrow
''The history of coal mining since the early years has
been one of trials, troubles and tribulations; a story of fires,
floods and disasters; a story of heroism and sacrifices on the
part of the officials and the miners who labour at the coal face in
the face of the greatest danger, that has never been surpassed. ''A
History of Coal Mining in Nova Scotia (Dept. of Mines).
Today's Cape Breton coal industry has the largest
underground mining operations in Canada, and is unique in that it
is submarine (that is, its collieries go out under the ocean).These
mines, operated by the Cape Breton Development Corporation
(DEVCO), are among the most technologically advanced in the
world.
Significant technologies applied in Cape Breton include
some of the world's most sophisticated cutting, loading and
transportation systems for moving coal from underground to the
surface; the first system in North America for remote monitoring of
methane from the surface with automatic responses to unsafe
levels of the gas. The Cape Breton mines also employ computer
modelling of the mine ventilation process to continually improve its
design and function.
In the coal related fields, Cape Breton ranks world class
in carbofuel technology and fluidized bed combustion
technology. The fluidized bed combustion process is the most
efficient and environmentally safe method of burning coal.
The coal mines of Cape Breton have been one of the driving
forces in the island's economy for a century, and they will
continue to play that pivotal role on into the foreseeable future.
Whereas in years gone by, coal was burned in many people's
homes for heat, that era has now largely passed. Today the
primary use of coal is in electrical power generation, and at rates
that are not affected by fluctuations in the international price of
oil. Cape Breton's vast coal reserves will help achieve the
national goal of self-sufficiency in energy sources. Canadian coal
reserves are estimated at 23 billion tons, or enough to meet our
domestic and export requirements for the next 225 years. Coal
mining, therefore, is an industry on which all Cape Bretoners
can look with pride.
Stan "Junior" Penny at Eight East, Lingan Colliery {July/83).
Reproduced courtesy of the Beaton Institute, University College of Cape Breton.
Underground Mines
Cape Breton's coal is bituminous or soft coal. Containing
about 75% carbon, bituminous coal ranks second after anthracite (or
hard coal) in terms of hardness and carbon content. But it is superior
to the three lesser types of coal: peat, lignite, and sub-bituminous coal.
As a type, bituminous coal is widely used for heating and power
generation. Unlike anthracite, it is also suitable for making coke,
which is used in the manufacture of steel. Whereas in western
Canada there is extensive surface mining of its coal reserves, Cape
Breton's seams are generally too far underground for such methods.
The seams can be tapped beginning on land, but then they extend
out under the sea bed and can only be mined through underground
collieries.
The coal lies in seams, organic sedimentary beds that lie between
inorganic beds. Once located, these seams must first be assessed, as to
their thickness, length and quality.
If all the requirements are met, then a mine can begin.
Modern coal mining operations, such as those managed
by the Cape Breton Development Corporation, are both highly
mechanized and extremely complex. They require much advance
planning. The ultimate goal is to extract economically the
maximum amount of coal from each deposit, in the safest manner
and at the least cost to the environment. Bringing a coal mine
into full production is a lengthy exercise. Along with exploration
and planning, there is of course substantial financial
considerations, environmental studies, market surveys and the
arranging of contracts.
Types of Mines
To make an opening from the surface of the earth to get at
an underground seam, there are three common approaches. A
slope mine is one in which an inclined opening is used to tap the
coal seam. Transportation of the mined coal can be by a conveyor
or track. Prince, Lingan and Phalen are examples of this type in the
Cape Breton context. In a shaft mine the coal seam is reached by a
vertical opening from the surface. No. 26 in Glace Bay was an active
shaft mine until it closed after a fire in 1984. If the coal outcrop
lies nearly horizontal, surfacing on the side of a hill, a drift mine can
be opened directly into the seam.
Number 2 Colliery, Glace Bay (c. 1912)
Courtesy of the Beaton Institute, Unlvenlty CoJletDe of Cape Breton.
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Number 12 Colliery, New Waterford (c. 1926)
Detail of a painting by Terry MacDonald, courtesy of New Waterford.
A Shaft Mine
An illustration by Terry MacDonald
A Slope Mine
An illustration by Terry MacDonald
Coal Mines in the Sydney Field
Surface structures of Lingan Mine, New Waterford (Nov./87).
The Cape Breton Development Corporation is the biggest single
producer of coal in Atlantic Canada. It also has the largest
underground coal mining operation in Canada, using the most
advanced technology in the world. In what is known as the
Sydney field there are now three producing collieries.
Lingan Colliery: Lingan Colliery is located in New
Waterford, and began production in 1972. It produces about 1.5
million tons of coal a year, most of which is marketed for power
generation. Some is also prepared for the metallurgical market.
Prince Colliery: This colliery located in Point Aconi began operation in
1975. In 1986/87, Prince produced 1,123,000 tons of thermal coal.
The third colliery that has just recently gone into production is called Phalen.
This colliery, also inNew Waterford and neighboring Lingan Mine, has
been under development since1984. It is expected to produce 1.5 million
tons a year and uses some of the most sophisticated mining equipment
available in the world today.
Coal Preparation
Coal that is extracted from the earth by mechanized methods
tends to be contaminated with extraneous materials. If not
removed, these impurities will reduce the heat content of the coal,
leave slag in the boilers, generate dust and other pollutants, and
affect the quality of metallurgical products. To clean and upgrade
the coal (a process called beneficiation) the raw coal is crushed and
screened, then cleaned by cyclone and conveyed to thermal dryers.
The coal may also be dewatered by centrifuge.
Once cleaned and prepared, the coal leaves the plant by train
or truck, sprayed with an emulsion and then covered. The only
complete coal treatment facility in Nova Scotia is the Victoria
Junction plant near Sydney. It is now expanding to be able to
handle more than 4 million tons of coal a year.
Transportation of Coal
Coal that is used to generate electricity is usually not transported very
far, so that the cost per unit will stay low. As a result, generating
plants are commonly built close to the coal mines. There are three
such thermal power plants in Cape Breton.
To transport the coal to the preparation plant, to the power
generating plants,and to other destinations, the Cape Breton
Development Corporation has its own internal railway system
(with 435cars), a fleet of trucks and its own shipping pier.
Cape Breton coal is used around the world. It is delivered by
ship to steel mills in Ontario, to Europe, to the Far East and to
South America. Within Nova Scotia, the coal is delivered by train.
Health and Safety in Mining Coal
The most important aspect of any mining operation is the
health and safety of its miners. Of the many hazards involved in
working deep underground, the generation of methane gas is the most
dangerous. Colourless and nearly odorless, methane can explode
when mixed with air or oxygen. In years gone by, miners used to take
canaries into the mines with them. When the birds stopped singing,
the miners knew methane levels were becoming dangerously high.
In 1917, for example, a methane explosion in #12 Colliery in New
Waterford killed 65 miners. Another explosion and fire in l973
forced the permanent closure of the number 12 mine.
Today the Cape Breton Development Corporation uses remote
sensing equipment on the surface to monitor methane gas levels
in the mines below. This feature, combined with improved ventilation,
safety inspections and frequent rescue drills, makes the mines safer
than they have ever been. But health and safety are never
something that can be taken for granted. Devco and the mine
workers union alike must be ever vigilant about conditions deep
underground.
John "Junior" MacDonald, Glace Bay; Captain of #26 Mine
Rescue Team about to enter #26 mine after an underground fire
on Apr.10,1984.
·
Reproduced courtesy of the Beaton Institute, University College of Cape Breton.
Coal-Fired Power Generation
Cape Breton has three highly successful coal-fired electrical generating
,
Lingan
I, II, and III.At each plant the finely ground coal is injected into the
plants
boiler combustion chambers so that it burns with high efficiency. The steam that is
produced then passes through a superheater so that its temperature and pressure
are increased before it drives the high pressure turbines. This mechanical energy is
converted into electricity by a generator.
For maximum efficiency the Lingan Generating Station is situated close to
both the coal mines and the preparation plant. In terms of coal, the power plant
uses 1.5 million tons a year, displacing 6 million barrels of imported oil. The annual
energy output can reach 4 billion kilowatt hours.
I
Lingan Generating Station (Nov./87).
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The production of Electricity from Coal.
Diagram reproduced courtesy of the Coal Association of Canada, Calgary, Alta.
Carbofuel- Coal for the Future
For the world of tomorrow, the Cape Breton Development
Corporation is developing a liquified coal product called carbofuel.
This is a product that has the potential to become a suitable
substitute for oil. The world's first continuous production plant for
carbofuel is located at Victoria Junction, near Sydney.
The process by which carbofuel is created yields a viscous,
high density mixturethat resembles bunker oil. It contains about
75% coal.
The advantages of carbofuel are many. First, it will reduce our
dependence on imported oil. Second, it will be easy and inexpensive to
modify oil-fired burners so they can bum carbofuel. Third, carbofuel is
easy to transport, store and handle. Fourth, it has a low sulfur and ash
content; it is cleaner and causes less pollution. Fifth, carbofuel
plants are much less expensive then coal liquefaction plants.
On the other hand, there are a few problems still to be worked
out. Research and testing continues. But as one expert has said,
Devco's experiments are ''the most advanced of about ten such
schemes worldwide.''
The interest in carbofuel (and similar products) is truly
international. Scientists and manufacturers from Asia, Europe and
the Americas are following developments closely. If the price of
oil goes back up, as is expected, Cape Breton stands to be on the
cutting edge of a new energy solution. The success of the current
project should mean many new permanent jobs for Cape Bretoners,
in both the carbofuel industry itself and in the mines that produce
the essential coal.
57
Gasification of Coal
..
Loading of coal water fuel (carbofuel) at Victoria Junction, Sydney, for
combustion in an electrical station in Prince Edward Island.
Courtesy of Cape Breton Development Corporation.
Another promising development in the world of energy
sources is coal gasification. In this case the comparison is with
natural gas rather than oil.
Syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is a
good gaseous fuel. This syn is produced by passing steam over redhot coal, causing an endothermic reaction in which heat is absorbed.
To prevent the reaction from dying out, a mixture of oxygen and
steam is then blown over the hot coal. This generates an exothermic
reaction,, with carbon dioxide and heat being given off. These two
simple reactions are at the heart of most gasification processes.
Another method of gasifying coal is by pyrolysis (or
carbonization), in which coal is heated in the absence of air.
Research into the best method of gasifying Cape Breton's coal
reserves is continuing, and like carbofuel, promises to create a
bright future for the island's mining industry.
Coal Liquefaction
Liquefaction of coal is the conversion of coal into synthetic
liquid fuels. This is not a new development, as Germany used the
hydrogenation process to produce liquified coal before and during
World War II. Since the oil crisis of the 1970s, however, there has
been renewed interest in the technology.
In1981, a consortiumcalled Scotia Synfuelswas formed to
ascertain the commercial viability of coal liquefaction and to produce
a transportation fuel in Nova Scotia. In September1987, new federal
and provincial funds were earmarked for the Nova Scotia Research
Foundation to continue its own experiments with coal liquefaction.
The product could become a viable commercial reality within the
very near future.
In Summary
The Cape Breton Coal industry has undergone dramatic
changes since the early 1900's. Despite difficult times, changing
market demands, dramatic technological adjustments, the closure of
old mines & the opening of new ones, the island coal industry has
survived and prospered. With new developments on the horizon such
as Carbofuel and coal gasification, with a crown corporation
committed to effective resource management and a competent and
resilient mining work force, it appears that coal will remain king
in Cape Breton for the foreseeable future.
Afterword: The Future
Proud of its past, encouraged by current developments, Cape
Breton is feeling confident about the future. Recent successes- the
celebration of the Loyalist Bicentennial in
1985, the hosting of the Jeux Canada Games during the winter of
1987 -have rekindled the traditional optimism of its people. There
is now a widespread feeling that the island, with its many natural
resources, can tackle the challenges that lie ahead.
On the economic front, Cape Bretoners have been
heartened by the latest efforts and incentives to broaden their
commercial and industrial base. The coal industry, of course,
remains important, as it will for generations to come. But there is
a growing recognition that the more diversified the Cape Breton
economy becomes, the stronger it will be. Playing the major role in
this economic diversification of the island is the Cape Breton
Development Corporation (Devco).
As for the distinctive culture of the island, here too there is
reason for much optimism. Its musicians and actors, painters and
writers are demonstrating great energy. Audiences at home have
never been better, and there is a growing realization acrossthe
country that Cape Breton has its own special voice.
Please enjoy your stay on our beloved island,remember us
fondly when you're back home, and come back soon. As always,
when you return, you are assured ciad mile failte.
New Waterford's Sports Heritage
The Town of New Waterford, incorporated in1913, constitutes
an area of 2,200 acres and has a population of s1ight1y more than
8,000. It is a community that sprang to life because it sits on one of
the world's largest underground coal deposits; in fact, a large
percentage of the town’s workforce are still employed in some
facet of the mining industry.
New Waterford, like many similar coal towns, is a community
whose birth, growth, and continued survival is rooted in the hard
work of its people. These same hard-working people were hardplaying people and when not occupied earning a living, many
turned to sport for enjoyment and for the sheer love of
competition. Hockey, soccer, rugby, baseball, boxing, and
basketball quickly dominated the New Waterford sport scene. The
three local high schools - St. Agnes, Mount Carmel, and Central
were arch rivals in the old days and, therefore, produced teams
that thrived on competition. These schools, each of which was
renowned for producing winning teams in many fields of sport,
seemed particularly adept at raising outstanding basketball
athletes. The 1932 St. Agnes Juvenile Boys Team won the High
School Canadian Title, and this outstanding feat was repeated in
1961 by the Central High School Juvenile Team. Both of these
small town teams have been inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports
Hall of Fame.
In 1947, the New Waterford Strands intermediate Men’s
Basketball Team captured a Canadian title, and they too have been
inducted into the Provincial Sport Hall of Fame. Later editions of
the Strands have10 provincial championships to their credit, and
in the years1968-72, they captured the Maritime Basketball
Championship eight times.
The opening of Breton Education Centre in 1970 heralded a
new era for New Waterford. The three former high schools were
amalgamated and the new B.E.C. composite high school signaled
expanding educational opportunities and a revitalized
commitment to sports. Since its opening in 1970, this high school
has offered a course and program selection second to none in the
province, and has excelled in extra and co-curricular activities.
From seven Provincial Soccer Championships to numerous
basketball, hockey, badminton, and cheerleading titles, Breton
Education Centre epitomizes the success of combining sound
academics with a successful sports program.
As an ''all Canadian'' basketball tournament, the Coal Bowl
Classic stands as a working model of how first class sporting
competition can be successfully partnered with academic and
cultural learning. It stands as a testament to the people of New
Waterford, a people who have strong tradition of working hard and
playing hard.
Cape Breton - An Island of Firsts
1629- The first English speaking settlement ln Cape Breton
(established by Lord Ochiltree - Baleine)
1902 - The first transatlantic wireless message
(received by Guglielmo Marconi)- Glace Bay
1720- The first coal mine shaft sunk in America- Cow
Bay (now Port Morien)
1903- The first airplane flight in the British Empire Baddeck
1731- The first lighthouse in Canada- Louisbourg
1907- The first Draeger Mine rescue equipment was installed in #2 Colliery- Glace Bay
1750 Canada'sfirst Astronomical ObservatoryLouisbourg
1823- The first Roman Catholic to be elected & take his seat in the
Nova Scotia Legislature was Lawrence Kavanagh. It was a
first in the British Empire- St. Peter's
1856-- The first cable station on the North American
Continent- Aspy Bay
1877- The first underground use of a telephone occurred at Caledonia
Colliery- Glace Bay
1908- The first scout troop in Canada began- Port Morien
1912 - The first public bus to run in the Dominion of
Canada- Sydney
1914- The first transatlantic radio message received Glace Bay
1936 - First solo west east flight by a woman lands in
Cape Breton- Baleine
1895- The first home & school association in CanadaBaddeck
1938 - The first Gaelic College in North America- St. Ann's
·
1901- The first town in the British Empire to obtain a
Charter under King Edward Vll- Glace Bay
1961- The first telephone direct distance dialing system
in Atlantic Canada- Sydney
Bibliography
Campbell, D. & R.A. MacLean. Beyond the Atlantic Roar.
A Study of the Nova Scotia Scots. Toronto: McClelland &
Stewart, 1974
Donovan, Kenneth ed.
Cape Breton At 200. Historical Essays in Honour of the
Islands Bicentennial,, 1785-1985.Sydne y : University College of
Cape Breton Press, 1985.
Macgillivray,Don
"Military Aid to the Civil Power: the Cape Breton
Experience in the1920's",
Acadiensis
{Spring, 1974),pp.45-64.
McNabb, Debra & Lewis Parker
Old Sydney Town: Historic Buildings of the North End,
1785 to 1938, Sydney, Old Sydney Society, 1986.
Frank, David
''Company Town/Labour Town: Local Government in
the Cape Breton Coal Towns, 1917-1926'', Histoire Social,
No. 27 (May, 1981), pp. 177-96.
Frank, David
''Tradition & Culture in the Cape Breton Mining
Community in the Early Twentieth Century'', in
Kenneth Donovan, ed., Cape Breton At 200, Sydney:
University College of Cape Breton Press, 1985, pp. 203218.
Macgillivray,Don
"Glace Bay: Images and Impressions” in Mining Photographs
and Other Pictures, 1948-1968: A Selection from the
Negative Archives of Shedden Studio, Gloce Bay, Cape
Breton. Photographs by Leslie Shedden. Edited by
Benjamin H.D. Bochloh & Robert Wilkie, Halifax &
Sydney: Nova Scotia College of Art & Design and the
University College of Cape Breton Press, 1983, pp.170-91.
Millward, Hugh
''Mine Locations
Exploitation on the
Kenneth Donovan,
University College of
and the Sequence of Coal
Sydney Coalfield, 1720-1980", in
ed., Cape Breton at 200, Sydney:
Cape Breton Press, 1985, pp.183-
202.
Morgan, Robert
''The Loyalists of Cape Breton'', in Don Macg illivray and
Brian Tennyson, eds., Cape Breton Historical Essays,
Sydney: College of Cape Breton Press, 1980, pp.18-30.
Muise, D.A.
''Coal Mining in Nova Scotia to 1925'', Canada’s Visual
History Series, Vol. 55, Ottawa: National Museums of
Canada, 1981.Slides included.
Muise, D.A.
“The Making of an Industrial Community: Cape Breton
Coal Towns 1867-1900'', in Don Macgillivray & Brian
Tennyson, eds., Cape Breton Historical Essays, Sydney:
College of Cape Breton Press, 1980, pp.76-94.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the individuals and
organizations who made this book possible. Without their
encouragement and support, this project might have remained
little more than an idea.
First and foremost: sincere appreciation to the New
Waterford Coal Bowl Board of Directors-a school and
community based group of individuals who are forever
dreaming big dreams and working to make them happen.
To The Cape Breton Development Corporation, sincere
Thanks for financial, moral and professional support. This text
could not have been launched without the cooperation of
Devco's community minded Industrial Development Division
and its Vice-President Keith Brown.
For their advice and technical support, we are indebted to
the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Park, especially
Park Superintendent Roger Wilson, and Head of Historical
Resources William O'Shea. The members of the Historical
Resources Staff who contributed their research and writing skills
to the preparation of this book were Kenneth Donovan and
John Johnston.
The design of the book was conceived and executed by
Horst Paufler, Graphic Designer and Curator of Exhibits at the
Fortress of Louisbourg.
Special thanks are in order to Barry Gabriel, Curator of the
Art Gallery of the University College of Cape Breton. It was
through his generous cooperation that we obtained the
illustrations taken from Lewis Parker's fine series of
historical paintings.
Terry MacDonald painted the front cover and executed the
intimal diagrams and a number of the illustrations. His
participation in the development of the book was
invaluable.
Many thanks are due to Edna Turnbull for her contribution to the
production of the book.
To the following we extend our appreciation for their input,
advice, and encouragement: Frank McNeil, Dr. Bryden
MacDonald, Alex Campbell, John C. McKenzie, Carmie Kavanaugh,
Sam Schwartz, Dr. Bob Morgan, Doug Romeo, Don Blackwood,
Jim Kavanaugh, Lowell Cormier, Bob Davis, Jerry Ryan, Don
Sheehy, Karl Marsh, security officers Lingan Mine, security
officers Phalen Mine.
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Mine Fatality Monument, CoWery Landa Park, New Waterford - a
Usting of miners who lost their lives In local mines. (1866- 1986).
67
The Authors
Ray Kavanaugh
Martin Schwartz
Ray Kavanaugh, history teacher at Breton Education Centre in
New Waterford, is married to Carmelita (Campbell) and has four
sons - Jamie, Jason, Jordan & Justin. Best known for his work
with the Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union, Ray's decision to take on the
overall responsibility for the production of this book, as well as to
co-author it, was influenced by his upbringing in a coal mining
family. Ray's father, Jim Kavanaugh, worked for 53 years in the
local coal mines including 20 years as a provincial Coal Mine
Safety Inspector. In.1959, Jim was presented with the Carnegie
Hero Fund Award by Premier Robert Stanfield for ''risking his life
in underground rescue work'' (Springhill Mine Disaster
1958). This author sees his work in this text as a tribute to his father
and the many others who hold the belief that safety in the coal
mines should never be compromised.
Until his retirement in1987, Martin Schwartz served as the
Head of Science at Breton Education Centre in New Waterford.
Martin, his wife Ida and their 4 sons - Sam, Daniel, Luke & Paulmoved to New Waterford in1967. From his earnest years in the
teaching profession, Martin developed a reputation as an
outstanding Science teacher and in1985 received the prestigious
''APICS Northern Telecom Teaching Award'. As one of the
creators of a local high school course in ''Coal Studies' Martin's
expertise in the field of coal mining technology and research
made him an obvious choice to co-author this text. Although
retired, Martin continues to teach science, as a volunteer, to Special
Education students at the elementary level in New Waterford.

Cape Breton 1sland - Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board

Transcription

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