Cassidy, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Cassidy, British Columbia
is located south of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island
and is home to the Ray Collishaw Air Terminal
, Nanaimo's only airfield. It is home to farms and is generally rural. Its proximity to Nanaimo means it provides a short commute
for those looking to live away from town. Its 2008 population was 1002 people.
In 1932 the Granby mine ceased operation because of the coal seam giving out, the rising popularity of oil, the dangerous condition of the mine and the economic depression. In March 1936 what remained of the town was auctioned and most of it removed.
There were seven different mines in the vicinity of Cassidy, including the Granby mine and the Bright mine, that were worked from 1917 to 1953 and produced over 2.5 million tonnes of coal.
The town was named for Thomas Cassidy, who farmed in the Oyster district from the 1870s. He died in October 1912.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
is located south of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
and is home to the Ray Collishaw Air Terminal
Nanaimo Airport
Nanaimo Airport, , is located south southeast of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
, Nanaimo's only airfield. It is home to farms and is generally rural. Its proximity to Nanaimo means it provides a short commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
for those looking to live away from town. Its 2008 population was 1002 people.
History
The original settlement in this area, also known as Granby, was a planned industrial town established by the Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company in 1918 to exploit the Douglas coal seam. The company built a model town that included 50 residential houses of various sizes with modern water, sewer and power systems on paved tree lined streets with sidewalks and boulevards. There was a single men's dormitory built of cement to accommodate workers in 76 rooms with separate entrances which had light, hot and cold water and steam heat. The town, which covered 100 acre (40.5 ha), had a department store and a theatre. Cassidy was connected to the E&N Railway by a 3 mi (4.8 km) spur line. Although mining was difficult in the area because of the sandy overburden, at its peak of production in 1921 and 1922 it employed 450 men. In 1928 it was producing 1000 tons in an eight hour shift with 500 employees, 200 working at once.In 1932 the Granby mine ceased operation because of the coal seam giving out, the rising popularity of oil, the dangerous condition of the mine and the economic depression. In March 1936 what remained of the town was auctioned and most of it removed.
There were seven different mines in the vicinity of Cassidy, including the Granby mine and the Bright mine, that were worked from 1917 to 1953 and produced over 2.5 million tonnes of coal.
The town was named for Thomas Cassidy, who farmed in the Oyster district from the 1870s. He died in October 1912.
See also
- List of coal mines and landmarks in the Nanaimo area for location of Granby Mine and Bright Mine.