Mining Association of Nova Scotia Profile picture
Mar 7, 2020 14 tweets 18 min read Read on X
We are proud of our heritage as an industry but we are also proud of how different #mining is today from the past. The Drummond #coal mine in #Westville, #Pictou County, is an example of how mining has changed over the years.

#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton @TimHoustonNS ImageImage
Drummond was mined from 1868-1984 when underground mining ended. A surface mine operated in the 1980s and 1990s to complete extraction of the #coal and reclaim the site. It also recovered coal from the historical mine’s waste dumps as part of the environmental clean up.
#nspoli ImageImage
Today the former mine is acres of greenspace and parkland which includes a playground, pond, gazebo, baseball field and heritage signage. The reclamation also fixed subsidence issues so land left unusable by historical mining could be developed.
#nspoli ImageImage
There was good and bad in the historical Drummond mine. It created jobs, supported families and provided fuel for well over a century. #Coal from mines like Drummond fueled the #IndustrialRevolution, #NovaScotia’s economic growth and innovation.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia ImageImage
#Coal mines also attracted immigrants from many countries who helped build #NS.
On the other hand, Drummond was also the site of Canada’s first recorded mine disaster and an example of how tough working conditions were in historical mines, especially in the 1800s and early 1900s. ImageImage
On May 13, 1873, two explosions killed about 70 miners – both men and boys, since children often worked in mines back then, as they did in some other industries. Fires at surface burned for 36 hours.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton ImageImage
Water was pumped into the mine to douse underground fires. The mine was sealed in an attempt to cut off oxygen to the flames. In October it was reopened and ventilation resumed, but the coal itself was still burning underground. The mine was eventually reopened the next spring. ImageImage
Working conditions in coal mines like Drummond were difficult and often unsafe, as Nova Scotia’s long history of underground explosions and health issues like black lung make clear.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton ImageImage
The last working pit pony in N. America was led out of the Drummond mine in 1978. Pit ponies were historically used to haul ore in underground mines because they were small and could walk thru the cramped, low-ceilinged mines. This is also a reminder of an era best left behind. Image
Modern #mining is a sophisticated, science-based business that takes excellent care of the environment – completely different from what it was in the past.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton ImageImage
We have reduced our injury rate by 90% in the past two decades and mining is one of the safer industries in Nova Scotia today. We are committed to continuous improvement in all aspects of our operations.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton ImageImage
Perceptions of #mining are sometimes rooted in historical practices that were, by today’s standards, clearly unacceptable. The fact is our ancestors didn’t know better. They didn’t understand their impact on the environment.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton ImageImage
They didn’t know how things like coal dust affected their health, or they just didn’t have better options for making a living in those difficult times. Life was hard.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton ImageImage
There are countries that still operate like we did in the distant past, with poor enviro and safety standards. Some still use child labour in mines.
Ensuring stable, ethical supply of minerals means doing more mining in places like #NovaScotia and Canada that do it right.
#nspoli ImageImage

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More from @MiningNS

Feb 25, 2021
@nsgov announced new rebates for electric vehicles yesterday. Mining makes #greentech like electric cars possible because they are mostly made of minerals and metals.
#nspoli @KeithIrvingNS @IainTRankin @NS_Energy_Mines @ns_environment @ChenderMLA @AllanMacMaster @MLAChuckPorter Image
For example, an e-car has 183 pounds of copper wiring in it because copper is used in every major component from the motor to the inverter and the electrical wiring. There is about four times more copper in an e-car than in a car with an internal combustion engine.
There are about 400 electric cars on Nova Scotia roads - a total of over 73,000 pounds of copper!
An electric car uses 25-50 grams of silver, so Nova Scotia’s 400 e-cars contain about 15,000 grams of it.
Read 9 tweets
Sep 23, 2020
The Morris Street Engine House has been declared a municipal heritage property!
#Halifax’s Fire Station #2, as it is also called, was built 1907-08 of reinforced concrete.
Here's the story!
#nspoli @HFXFireHistory @HRMFireNews @hfxfire @HFXFirefighters @hfxgov @MikeSavageHFX
Concrete is a mixture of aggregates and paste. The aggregates are sand and gravel or crushed stone; the paste is water and portland cement. (The terms cement and concrete are often used interchangeably, but cement is actually an ingredient of concrete...
#nspoli
...Cement is the glue that holds concrete together.)
Reinforced concrete means the concrete is poured over a frame, usually steel bars, that give the structure greater strength.
#nspoli
Read 12 tweets
Sep 21, 2020
We love getting questions about mining, minerals and geology! We were asked about sinkholes and whether they are a risk when walking in the woods.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton @oxfordsinkhole ImageImage
The short answer is yes, sinkholes are real but no, they are not a major risk and should not prevent you from enjoying outdoor activities.
Most natural sinkholes are caused by groundwater naturally eroding rocks like gypsum, salt and limestone which are water-soluble.
#nspoli Image
The water erodes the rock, leaving an underground cavern. Eventually, the weight of the rock and earth above the cavern causes the sinkhole to form. Sinkholes can form either gradually (i.e. a small depression appears and perhaps grows larger over time) or by sudden collapse. Image
Read 18 tweets
Sep 20, 2020
We love getting questions about mining, minerals and geology! We were asked about the historic #NewCampbellton coal mine in #VictoriaCounty.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton #nshistory
@JaimeBattiste ImageImage
The New Campbellton coal mine was opened in 1862 by Charles J. Campbell, a former Member of Parliament, Member of the Legislative Assembly and executive council member. The community had been named Kelly’s Cove but was changed to New Campbellton in 1862 in honour of Mr. Campbell. Image
A sample of New Campbellton’s coal was sent to the 1865 Dublin Exhibition and “was very favorably noticed by the Judges,” according to a report.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia #capebreton #nshistory Image
Read 18 tweets
Sep 19, 2020
Mining built #NovaScotia!
#Halifax was founded in 1749 and its first court house is reported to have been built by 1754 on the northeastern corner of Buckingham + Argyle streets. After the building burned in 1789, the courts were temporarily housed in various buildings.
#nspoli ImageImage
In April 1851 a bill to provide Halifax with a county court house was passed. Mr. H.G. Hill, a prominent #Halifax architect, prepared a plan for a wooden building.
However, since the records of the county, wills, deeds and other papers of public office were...
#nspoli #novascotia Image
...to be stored in the court house, it was important that the building be fire-proof. Also, a number of serious fires in #Halifax in 1857 led to the passage of a bylaw that required large buildings be made of stone or brick, so Hill's plans for a wooden building were abandoned. Image
Read 10 tweets
Sep 18, 2020
The Sullivan Creek #coal mine, before and after!
It's one of several mines reclaimed around #AlderPoint #CapeBreton in the late 1900s/early 2000s - examples of how mining makes temporary use of land and then land can be used other ways.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia @JaimeBattiste ImageImage
The first mine in the area was the Scotia Mine, or #NovaScotia Steel & Coal Company No. 4 Colliery, on Toronto Road, which operated on the Sydney Main (Harbour) Seam from 1915 to 1921.
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia @JaimeBattiste ImageImage
Coal quality and structural issues (including water inflow) plague the Harbour Seam west of Florence so upon closure of the colliery, production on the Harbour Seam was limited to the Company’s No. 3 Colliery in Florence, which had opened in 1902...
#nspoli #cbpoli #novascotia ImageImage
Read 19 tweets

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