Sydney Mines

ARTICLE CONTENTS:  |  Links to Other Sites
Sydney Mines, NS, Urban Community, population 14 135 (2011c), 15 315 (2006c). Sydney Mines is located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, 19 km from SYDNEY. First incorporated as a town in 1889, it later lost this status in 1995 when it was combined into CAPE BRETON REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY.

Google Map

The presence of coal in Sydney Mines was noted by Nicolas DENYS in 1672 and strip-mined coal was shipped out as early as 1724. Large-scale operations began in 1826 when the General Mining Association (GMA) took over the mines. Shafts were sunk, ironworks established and railway tracks laid.

The Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company succeeded the GMA in 1900, later expanding operations and building blast furnaces. The town enjoyed a period of prosperity and expansion until 1920 when the blast furnaces shut down. The last mine, Princess Colliery, closed in 1975. There is no other industry, and unemployment is high. The "Princess" was once a museum where visitors could descend in a mine that at one time operated as far as 8 km out below the ocean floor.

Sydney Mines
Sydney Mines

Author HEATHER MACDONALD


Links to Other Sites
Cape Breton Regional Municipality
The website for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia.

Cape Breton Fossil Centre
The website for the Cape Breton Fossil Centre, where visitors can examine 300-million-year-old plant fossils from the rich deposits of the Sydney coal field. Sydney Mines is one of eight important fossil sites in Nova Scotia, and is known internationally for excellent examples of plant fossils.

Sydney Mines
About visiting heritage sites in the Sydney Mines region. From the website for the Breton Education Centre.

Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce
The website for the Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce (APCC), formerly the Maritime Board of Trade. Formed in 1896, this organization promotes and supports business and economic development in Atlantic Canada. Click on "Chambers" for links to local Chambers of Commerce.

Nova Scotia: Community Profiles
Search for statistical profiles of communities in the Province of Nova Scotia.

0
0
Absolutely free, with over 40,000 articles in French and English, The Canadian Encyclopedia is the ultimate online resource for all things Canadian, from history, sports, arts, science, technology, and much, much more. Get started at www.TheCanadianEncyclopedia.com
Feature Articles
Elections of 1979 and 1980

Calling elections is like Goldilocks visiting the three bears – which political stew will turn out to be too soon, too late, or just right...?

INSIDE TCE

Gallery
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Interactive Resources
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
Canucklehead
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
Timeline
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
100 Greatest Events
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.