Nova Scotia Archives

Men in the Mines

A History of Mining Activity in Nova Scotia, 1720-1992

Historical Timeline, 1604-1992

The following timeline has been adapted from the 'Chronology of Minerals Development in Canada,' compiled in 1998 by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, and available online as part of the Natural Resources Canada Website. Information additional to the Institute's original listing has been added to the timeline presented below — which although it doesn’t include everything relating to the history of mining activity in Nova Scotia, is nevertheless a useful tool for tracing the more significant events.

1600 1670 1720 1760 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990


1604

Existence of silver and iron at Baie Ste. Marie (Mink Cove, Digby Neck) reported to Samuel de Champlain by 'Master Simon,' possibly a Mi'kmaq; copper also reported at Cap d'Or (Advocate, Cumberland County).


1672

Coal deposits identified by Nicholas Denys in his travels through Ile Royale (Cape Breton Island).


1720

Coal mining begins at Cow Bay (Port Morien) Cape Breton, developed on a small scale by the French for local use at Louisbourg; this was the first mining of coal by regular extraction methods in what is now Canada, and the first commercial coal-mining venture in Canada.


1724

Coal exported from Cape Breton to Boston, Massachusetts.


1766

First extraction of coal from exposed seams in cliffs at Sydney Mines, Cape Breton.


1770

Earliest known quarrying of gypsum in Nova Scotia, by farmers in Windsor area for local use as fertilizer.


1780

Slate quarry established at Wittenberg Mountain, Colchester County.


1784

Colonial government begins systematic mining of coal at Sydney Mines, Cape Breton.


1789

Earliest attempt to smelt iron ore in Nova Scotia at Nictaux, Annapolis County.


1798

Coal deposits first reported on the East River, Pictou District.


1807

John McKay obtains a government licence to dig for coal on his father's farm, for sale locally in the Pictou area.


1809

Sandstone production begins at the Battye quarry in Wallace, Cumberland County.


1813

First attempts to mine salt in Nova Scotia.


1825

Copper deposits reported at Coxheath, Cape Breton.


1826

Annapolis Iron Works built at Moose River, Clementsport, near Annapolis Royal; facility operated for only a few years, but was revived in 1862, 1872, 1873 and 1885.

General Mining Association (GMA) formed by British jewellers, Rundell, Bridge & Co. a 60-year monopoly acquired over all mineral rights in Nova Scotia not then leased, in return for settling debts of HRH Prince Frederick, Duke of York.


1839

GMA steam locomotive 'Samson' begins hauling coal between Albion Mines (Stellarton) and wharves at Dunbar Point, Northumberland Strait.


1848

Traces of gold observed by settlers at Lawrencetown, Halifax County.


1849

Limonite (iron oxide ore) first mined at Londonderry, Colchester County.


1850

Iron works established at Londonderry.


1852

First charcoal blast furnace in Nova Scotia constructed at Londonderry.


1857

Reports of gold, washed from a sand beach near Halifax.

General Mining Association's virtual monopoly over mineral development and mining in Nova Scotia ends, in return for a new, advantageous lease on existing holdings.

Government of Nova Scotia gains formal possession and full regulatory authority over all mineral deposits and mining activities in the province.


1858

Traces of gold observed along the Tangier River at Mooseland, Halifax County, by Lieutenant C. L'Estrange while hunting moose with Mi'kmaq guides.


1860

Gold discovered at Mooseland by prospector John Pulsiver, accompanied by a Mi'kmaq guide; discovery reported to government officials in Halifax.


1861

Gold discovered at Oldham, Halifax County, by Edward Horne and Samuel Isnor.

Gold discovered at Goldenville, West Side St. Mary's River, Guysborough County, by Nelson Nickerson.

Gold discovered at Montague, outside Dartmouth, by Ben Clarke.

Gold discovered in the cliffs and sand at The Ovens, south side of Lunenburg Bay.

Government of Nova Scotia takes formal possession of the Tangier district in order to protect landowners and secure mineral rights.


1862

Gold discovered at Lawrencetown, Halifax County; Isaac's Harbour, Guysborough County; and Renfrew, Hants County.

First conventional stamp mill installed at Mooseland.

Production begins at Goldenville, which for a time was Nova Scotia's largest gold-producing district.


1863

Glace Bay Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1892).

Clyde/Ontario Colliery opens at Glace Bay (small colliery; closed 1892).

International Colliery opens at Bridgeport, Cape Breton County (closed 1892).

Mira Colliery opens at Mira Bay, Cape Breton County (small colliery; operated for one year; small quantity mined again in 1870).

Gowrie Colliery opens at Port Morien (closed 1891).

Lingan Colliery opens at New Waterford, Cape Breton County (closed in 1886; re-opened 1972).

Sydney Mines Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1962).

Collins Colliery opens at Little Bras d'Or Bridge, Cape Breton County (closed 1878).


1864

Caledonia Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1892).

Acadia Coal Company formed to develop Pictou coalfield.


1865

First barite mine in Canada, the Eureka Mine, opens at Five Islands, Colchester County.

Gold discovered in Uniacke district, Hants County.

Mabou-Inverness Coalfields development begins under Cape Breton Coal Mining Company, Port Hood, Inverness County.

Matheson Colliery opens at Little Bras d'Or Bridge (small colliery; closed 1869).


1866

Barite mine opens at Bass River, Five Islands.


1867

Gold discovered at Fifteen Mile Stream, Halifax County, north of Sheet Harbour; Seal Harbour, Guysborough County; and Caribou Gold Mines, Halifax County.

Victoria Colliery opens at New Waterford, Cape Breton County (closed 1893).

Ingraham Colliery opens at Low Point, Inverness County (small colliery; closed 1876).

Anglo Colliery opens at New Campbellton, Victoria County (closed 1924).

Black Rock Colliery opens at Boularderie Island, Victoria County (small colliery; closed 1872).

Chimney Corner Colliery opens at Chimney Corner, Inverness County (small colliery; closed 1952).

Albion Colliery opens at Stellarton, Pictou County (closed 1942).

Acadia Colliery opens at Westville, Pictou County (closed 1920).

MacBean/Vale Colliery opens at Thorburn, Pictou County (closed 1971).

German/Marsh Colliery opens at New Glasgow, Pictou County (closed 1909).

Montreal and Pictou Colliery opens at East River St. Mary's, Pictou County (small colliery; operated one year only).

MacKay Colliery opens at East River St. Mary's (closed 1870).

Nova Scotia Colliery opens at Middle River, Pictou County (closed 1878).

Joggins Colliery opens at Joggins, Cumberland County (closed 1966).

Victoria Mines Colliery opens at River Hebert, Cumberland County (closed 1941).

Chignecto Colliery opens at Maccan, Cumberland County (closed 1940).

Maccan/Lawson Colliery opens at Maccan Station, Cumberland County (closed 1940).


1868

Barite mine opens at Brookfield, Queens County.

Drummond Colliery opens at Westville, Pictou County (underground mining ceased 1984).

Blockhouse Colliery opens at Port Morien (closed 1888).

South Head/Cow Bay Colliery opens at Port Morien (small colliery; closed 1877).

Gardiner Colliery opens at New Waterford (closed 1892).

Montreal and New Glasgow Colliery opens at Coal Brook, Pictou County (small colliery; operated one year only).

Merigomish Colliery opens at Merigomish, Pictou County (small colliery; operated one year only).

Richmond Colliery opens at Port Malcolm, Richmond County (small colliery; closed 1908).


1869

Lorway Colliery opens at Reserve Mines, Cape Breton County (small colliery; closed 1872).

Limestone and marble deposits discovered at Marble Mountain, Inverness County.


1870

First steel mill in Nova Scotia constructed at Londonderry; demolished in 1877.


1871

Reserve Colliery opens at Reserve Mines (closed 1892).


1872

Springhill and Parrsboro Coal Company begins operations at Springhill, Cumberland County.

Emery Colliery opens at Reserve Mines (small colliery; closed 1878).

Schooner Pond Colliery opens at Port Morien (closed 1874).

Northern/Scotia Colliery opens at Maccan, Cumberland County (small colliery; closed 1936).


1873

Drummond Colliery Disaster at Westville; approx. 70 killed.

Springhill No.1 Colliery opens at Springhill (closed 1879; reopened 1934; closed again 1970).

Use of special diamond drills developed by Holt and Severance at Springhill.

Princess Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1975).


1875

Port Hood Colliery opens at Port Hood, Inverness County (closed 1958).


1876

Manganese mining begins in Tennycape area, Hants County, south side of Minas Basin.


1877

Seaman Colliery opens at River Hebert, Cumberland County (small colliery; operated one year only).


1879

Provincial Miners' Association (later Provincial Workmens' Association, precursor to United Mine Workers' Union in Cape Breton) formed at Springhill; first trade union in North America.


1880

Minudie Colliery opens at Minudie, Cumberland County (closed 1916).

Foord Pit Explosion, Stellarton; 50 killed.


1883

Copper first mined at Coxheath.

Milner Colliery opens at River Hebert (small colliery; closed 1935).


1884

Antimony production begins at West Gore, Hants County (closed 1917).

Bridgeport Colliery opens at Bridgeport (small colliery; closed 1892).

Barachois Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (small colliery; closed 1886).

Gold discovered at Whiteburn and Molega areas of Queens County.


1885

Copper deposits discovered at Stirling, Richmond County.

Franklin Colliery opens at Bras d'Or (closed 1957).


1886

new Acadia Coal Company results from merger of Acadia Coal, Halifax Coal, and Vale Colliery companies, all involved in developing the Pictou coalfield.


1887

Mabou Colliery opens at Mabou, Inverness County (small colliery; closed 1951).

East River Colliery opens at East River (small colliery; closed 1892).


1888

New Glasgow Iron, Coal and Railway Company incorporated to exploit iron deposits near Bridgeville, Pictou County.

Black Diamond Colliery opens at Westville (closed 1891).


1891

Springhill Mine Disaster, No.3 Colliery; 125 killed in Nova Scotia's worst mining disaster.

Manganese mining begins at New Ross, Lunenburg County.

Rankin Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; closed 1892).


1892

Iron ore mining resumes at Torbrook, Annapolis County (closed 1896).


1893

First Canadian application of cyanide leaching to gold production, at the Brookfield Mine, Queens County.

Dominion Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1922).


1895

Zinc-lead-copper mining begins at Stirling Mine, Richmond County.

North Sydney/Indian Cove Colliery opens at North Sydney (closed 1919).

Strathcona Mines Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1947).


1896

Greener Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1963).


1897

Lead production begins in North Inverness district, Cape Breton Island.


1899

Longwall method of coal-mining introduced at Drummond Colliery, Westville.


1900

No.26 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1984).

Nova Scotia Coal and Steel acquires the Sydney Coalfields.


1903

Cyanidation plant (for extracting gold from ore) introduced at Mic-Mac Mine, Leipsigate, Queens County; one of the first successful Canadian applications of the MacArthur-Forrest process.

Fundy Mines Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1934).

Inverness Collieries, Nos.1 and 4, open at Inverness (closed 1951).


1904

Lower Cove Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1915).


1907

Dominion Collieries, Nos.1 And 1A, open at Dominion (closed 1927).

North Atlantic Colliery opens at Port Morien (closed 1912).

Sydney No.2 (Lloyd Cove) Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1916).

Colonial Colliery opens at North Sydney (closed 1958).


1908

Dominion/Devco No.12 Colliery opens at New Waterford (closed 1971).

Sydney No.1/Princess Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1975).

Sydney No.3/Florence Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1961).

Sydney No.4/Scotia Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1921).

Sydney No.5/Queen Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1916).

Allen Colliery opens at Stellarton (closed 1951).

Debert Colliery opens at Debert, Colchester County (operated 1908, 1909 and 1936).

Port Hood Mine Explosion; 10 killed.


1909

Dominion No.14 Colliery opens at New Waterford (closed 1932).

Colonial No.1 Colliery opens at North Sydney (closed 1958).

Colonial No.2 Colliery opens at North Sydney (closed 1924).

Eastern Colliery opens at Maccan (small colliery; closed 1919).

'The Big Strike' at Springhill (June 1909 - April 1911; 22 months).


1910

Tungsten mining begins at Scheelite Mines, Moose River, Halifax County (closed 1918).

Dominion No.3 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1924).

Dominion No.4 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1961).

Dominion No.5 Colliery opens at Reserve (closed 1939).

Dominion No.6 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1930).

Dominion No.7 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1925).

Dominion No.8 Colliery opens at Bridgeport (closed 1914).

Dominion No. 9 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1925).

Dominion No.10 Colliery opens at Reserve (closed 1942).

Dominion No.15 Colliery opens at New Waterford (closed 1925).

Great Northern Colliery opens at Chignecto, Cumberland County (small colliery; operated one year only).


1911

Dominion No.2 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1949).

Dominion No.16 Colliery opens at New Waterford (closed 1962).

Black Diamond Colliery opens at Maccan (small colliery; operated 1911 and 1915).


1912

Dominion No.22 Colliery opens at Morrison's Lake, Cape Breton County (closed 1930).

MacGregor/Albion Colliery opens at Stellarton (closed 1957).


1914

Broughton Colliery opens at Broughton, Cape Breton County (operated one year only).

Dominion No.17 Colliery opens at New Waterford (closed 1921).


1915

Springhill No.2 Colliery opens at Springhill (closed 1966).

Springhill No.3 Colliery opens at Springhill (closed 1927; reopened 1965; closed 1968).

Victoria No. 2 Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1930).


1916

Milford/Acadia Collieries open at Coalburn, Pictou County (closed 1947).


1917

Shaft sunk for molybdenite mine at New Ross, Lunenburg County.

Fenwick Colliery opens at Hoeg Road, Cumberland County (closed 1929).

Dominion No.12 Colliery Explosion, New Waterford; 65 killed.


1918

First rock salt mine in Canada opens at Malagash, Cumberland County (Malagash Salt Company); it became uneconomical in 1956 and operations were transferred to Pugwash.

Colonial No.3 Colliery opens at North Sydney (small colliery; operated one year only).

Coastal Colliery opens at Point Aconi, Cape Breton County (small colliery; closed 1922).

St. Rose Colliery opens at Margaree, Inverness County (small colliery; closed 1943).

Greenwood Colliery opens at Thorburn, Pictou County (closed 1966).

Albion Mine Explosion, Stellarton; 88 killed.


1919

First shipments of salt from Malagash deposits.


1920

Dominion No.24 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1953).

Hiawatha Colliery opens at False Bay, Cape Breton County (small colliery; closed 1921).

Tom Pit Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1942).

Jack Pit Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (small colliery; operated one year only).

Colonial No.4 Colliery opens at North Sydney (closed 1924).

Colonial No.5 Colliery opens at North Sydney (small colliery; closed 1923).

Acadia No.1 Colliery opens at Stellarton (closed 1925).

Intercolonial/Drummond No.5 Colliery opens at Westville (closed 1945).

Acadia No.2 Colliery opens at Thorburn (closed 1921).

Acadia No.3 Colliery opens at Thorburn (closed 1939).

Milford/Acadia No. 4 Collieries open at Coalburn (closed 1941).

Springhill No.6 Colliery opens at Springhill (closed 1937).

Springhill No.7 Colliery opens at Springhill (closed 1934).

Maple Leaf Mines Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1943).

Marsh Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1929).

St. George Colliery opens at St. George, Cumberland County (closed 1921).


1921

Scotia No.7/Alexander Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1925).

Acadia No.5 Colliery opens at New Glasgow (small colliery; operated one year only).

Victoria No.1 Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1930).

Athol Colliery opens at Athol, Cumberland County (closed 1923).


1922

Strathcona No.2 Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1947).

National Colliery opens at River Hebert (small colliery; closed 1925).

Beech Grove Colliery opens at River Hebert (operated one year only).

Carter Colliery opens at Maccan (closed 1927).

Basin Colliery opens at Morash Point, Richmond County (small colliery; closed 1923).

Barrington Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (small colliery; closed 1925).

Intercolonial/Drummond No.1 Colliery opens at Westville (closed 1969).

Fox Brook Colliery opens at New Glasgow (small colliery; closed 1923).

Bayview Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1923).

Casey Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1923).


1923

Longwall mining by hand introduced in Cape Breton coalmines.


1924

Dominion No.1B Colliery opens at Bridgeport (closed 1955).

Strathcona No.1 Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1928).

Boston Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1929).


1925

Stirling Zinc Mine begins operations at Stirling.

Low Point Colliery opens at Low Point, Inverness County (operates one year only).

Hartigan Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (small colliery; operated 1925 and 1929).

Trestle Brook Colliery opens at Joggins (small colliery; closed 1928).

Coolen Colliery opens at Belmont, Colchester County (small colliery; operated one year only).

Lengthy strikes in Dominion Coal Company collieries; miner Billy Davis shot and killed by Company Police at New Waterford, company stores looted and burned, troops brought in.


1926

Greenwood No.1 Colliery opens at Thorburn (closed 1930).

Greenwood No.2 Colliery opens at Thorburn (closed 1966).

Riverside Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1951).


1927

Tungsten mining begins at Indian Path, Lunenburg County (closed 1929).


1928

Tidewater Colliery opens at Whiteside, River Inhabitants Basin, Richmond County (small colliery; operated one year only).

Prospect Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1931).

Harbourside Colliery opens at North Sydney (closed 1933).


1929

Fundy No.6 Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1930).

Maple Leaf No.4 Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1939).

Lawler Colliery opens at Glengarry, Inverness County (small colliery; closed 1938).


1930

Limestone quarry opened by Mersey Paper Company near Halifax.

Maple Leaf No.5 Colliery opens at Joggins (small colliery; closed 1931; reopened 1943).

Strathcona No.3 Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1931).


1931

Boularderie Colliery opens at Little Bras d'Or Bridge (small colliery; operated one year only).

Victoria No. 4 Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1941).


1932

Limestone quarry operated by Government of Nova Scotia opens at Pugwash, Cumberland County.

MacDonald Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1934).


1933

Montague Gold Mines Limited begins operations at Montague.


1934

Guysboro Mines Limited begins production at Goldenville.

Silver Lake Colliery opens at Broughton (small colliery; closed 1935).

Sullivan/Indian Cove Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1940).

Springhill No.1 Colliery reopens at Springhill (closed 1970).

Springhill No.4 Colliery opens at Springhill (closed 1956; reopened 1970).

Seashore Colliery opens at Joggins (closed 1943).


1935

Zinc operations resume at Stirling Mine, Stirling (closed 1938).

Caribou Gold Mine opens at Caribou.

Last Chance Colliery opens at Sydney (closed 1936).

MacDougall Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (small colliery; closed 1939).

Green Crow Colliery opens at Joggins (small colliery; operated one year only).


1936

Gypsum production begins at Little Narrows, Victoria County, on the shores of St. Patrick's Channel (Little Narrows Gypsum Company).

First cyanide mills constructed in Nova Scotia at Seal Harbour, to support gold-extraction process.

New Broughton Colliery opens at Broughton (small colliery; closed 1937).

Acadia No.7 Colliery opens at Stellarton (closed 1947).

Hillcrest Colliery (Lease 95) opens in Pictou County (small colliery; operated one year only).

Kimberly Colliery opens at River Hebert (small colliery; operated one year only).

No.20 Colliery opens at New Aberdeen, Cape Breton County.

Moose River Gold Mines Disaster; first-ever live radio coverage in Canada; one killed.


1937

Queens Mines Limited begins gold production in Molega district, Queens County.


1938

Tungsten Mine opens at Goffs, Halifax County.

Dominion/Devco No.18 Colliery opens at New Waterford (closed 1966).

Thompson Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (small colliery; closed 1940).

Black Diamond Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (small colliery; closed 1940).

Milford No. 2/Acadia No. 6 Collieries open at Coalburn (closed 1947).

Cable break in mine shaft, Sydney Mines; 20 killed.


1939

New gold mine opens at Lake Charlotte, Halifax County (Guysborough Mines Company).

Tungsten mine reopens at Indian Path (Siscoe Gold Mines Company).

Bayview Colliery No. 8 opens at Joggins (closed 1961).

Montague Gold Mines ceases operation.

Dominion/Devco No. 20 Colliery opens at Glace Bay (closed 1971).


1940

Dolomite limestone quarry opens at Upper Musquodoboit, Halifax County.

One of world's largest barite deposits discovered at Walton, Hants County.

Tomson Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1962).

Sullivan Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1946).

Beech Hill Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1943).


1941

Gold mine at Seal Harbour closes.

Barite production begins at Walton (Canadian Industrial Mineral; closed 1979).

Fluorspar mining begins at Lake Ainslie, Inverness County.

Arseneau Colliery opens at River Hebert (operated one year only).

Hillcrest Colliery opens at Joggins (operated one year only).


1942

Dominion No. 25 Colliery opens at Dominion (closed 1959).


1943

Bras d'Or No.5 Colliery opens at Bras d'Or (small colliery; closed 1946).

Rosebank No.1 Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; closed 1946).

MacDonald Colliery No.1 opens at Inverness (closed 1952).

McLellan Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; closed 1957).

Waddell Colliery opens at River Hebert (small colliery; closed 1952).


1944

Drilling for barite begins at Brookfield, Queens County.

Dominion/Devco No. 26 Colliery opens at Bridgeport (closed 1976).

Campbell Collieries, Nos.1 and 2, open at Inverness (closed 1961).

McDonald Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; closed 1949).


1946

Brining operations begin, salt deposits at Nappan, Cumberland County.

Evans Colliery opens at St. Rose, Inverness County (closed 1976).

Wadden Colliery opens at Westville (small colliery; closed 1953).


1947

Maritime Industries begins producing salt in Nova Scotia.

Lloyd Cove No.7 Colliery opens at Sydney Mines (closed 1956).

Rosebank No. 2 Colliery opens at Inverness (closed 1957).


1948

MacDonald No.2 Colliery opens at Inverness (closed 1957).

MacDonald No.3 Colliery opens at Inverness (closed 1959).


1950

Dominion Coal Company develops 'Dosco Continuous Miner' equipment to mechanize longwall mining operations.

Beaver Colliery opens at Broughton (closed 1961).

Four Star Colliery opens at Broughton (closed 1969).


1951

Preparations begin for production at Mindamar zinc-lead-copper deposit, Stirling, Richmond County.

Maritime Barytes begins production.

Cochrane Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1960).

Filor Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1955).


1952

Mindamar Mines begins shipping zinc-lead-copper concentrates from Stirling (closed 1956).

MacDonald No. 5 Colliery opens at Inverness (operated 1952, 1957 only).

Beaton Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; closed 1954).


1953

MacEachern Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; operated one year only).


1954

Gypsum deposit developed at Dutch Settlement, Halifax County (National Gypsum Limited).


1955

Rosebank No.5 Colliery opens at Inverness (closed 1957).


1956

Canadian Rock Salt Company begins operations at Pugwash.

Crystal Colliery opens at Broughton (small colliery; closed 1962).

Rosebank No.3 Colliery opens at Inverness (closed 1961).

Springhill Mine Disaster, No.4 Colliery; 39 killed.


1957

Atlantic Colliery opens at Bras d'Or (closed 1959).


1958

Zinc-lead-copper-silver deposit discovered under barite at Walton, Hants County; developed by Magnet Cove Barium Company (closed 1974).

Springhill 'Bump' Mine Disaster, No.2 Colliery; 74 or 75 killed.


1959

Chestico Colliery opens at Port Hood (closed 1966).


1960

Linacy Colliery opens at Stellarton (small colliery; closed 1963).

Ross and Tabor Colliery opens at Springhill (operated one year only).

Spence Colliery opens at Springhill (small colliery; operated one year only).

River Hebert/Cochrane Colliery opens at River Hebert (closed 1976).


1961

Tijer Colliery opens at Mabou (small colliery; closed 1964).


1962

Cameron Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; operated one year only).


1963

Strontium deposit discovered near Loch Lomond, Richmond County.

Mosher Limestone begins production at Irish Cove, Cape Breton County.

McIsaac Colliery opens at Inverness (small colliery; closed 1966).


1964

Limestone quarry begins production at Brookfield, Colchester County (Canada Cement Company).

Molybdenite discovered at Mariner Mines copper property, Coxheath.


1965

Springhill No.3 Colliery reopens at Springhill (closed again1968).


1966

Limestone quarry begins production at Southside Antigonish Harbour.


1967

Lingan Colliery opens at New Waterford.


1971

Strontium carbonates production begins near Loch Katrine, Antigonish County, by Kaiser Celestite (closed 1974).


1974

Strip mining of coal begins at Point Aconi, Cape Breton County (one year only).


1975

Prince Colliery opens at Point Aconi.

Strip mining of coal begins at Alder Point, Cape Breton County (one year only).


1976

Tin discovered in mineralized boulders at Plymouth, Yarmouth County.


1979

Zinc-lead mine opens at Gays River, Colchester County (Canada Wide Mines; closed 1981).

Low-grade tin deposit discovered at East Kemptville, Yarmouth County (closed 1992).

Base-metal production begins at Yava Mine, Salmon River, Halifax County (closed 1981).


1980

Point Aconi Colliery opens at Point Aconi.


1983

Barite production begins at Pine Brook, Richmond County (Novex Mining and Exploration Company).


1984

Lingan/Phalen Colliery developed at New Waterford (Lingan closed 1992; Phalen 1999).


1990

Zinc-lead-copper mine reopens at Gays River (operates one year only).


1991

Westray Coal Mine opens at Plymouth, Pictou County.


1992

Glen Morrison Limestone Quarry opens at Sydney.

Westray Coal Mine Explosion; 26 killed.


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