Springhill, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia

Coal mining

The first industrial coal mining in the area took place in the 1870s after a rail connection was built by the Springhill and Parrsboro Coal and Railway Company
Cumberland Railway and Coal Company
The Cumberland Railway and Coal Company is a defunct Canadian industrial company with interests in coal mines in Springhill, Nova Scotia, and a railway that operated from Springhill Junction to Parrsboro.-Spring Hill and Parrsborough Coal and Railway Company:...

 to the newly completed Intercolonial Railway at neighbouring Springhill Junction
Springhill Junction, Nova Scotia
Springhill Junction is a Canadian rural community in central Cumberland County, Nova Scotia approximately northwest of Springhill, Nova Scotia....

.

Coal was so prevalent in the town that "there was a time when men got coal out of their backyards; shallow pits were found everywhere. In recent years, there have been instances when a homeowner would step out of his door only to find a big gaping hole where his driveway had been. Another part of an old mine had caved in."

Springhill was the site of three devastating mining disasters
Springhill mining disaster
The term Springhill mining disaster can refer to any of three separate Canadian mining disasters which occurred in 1891, 1956, and 1958 in different mines within the Springhill coalfield, near the town of Springhill in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia....

 during the era of industrial mining from the 1870s until the early 1960s. The first two disasters in 1891 and 1956 were caused by explosions and fires in the mines. The third and final disaster in 1958 accelerated the closure of the mines and was what was known as a "bump
Coal mine bump
A coal mine bump is a term used to describe a seismic jolt occurring within a mine. The term refers to the explosive collapse of a wall or one or more support pillars, sometimes called a rock burst...

", or underground upheaval. Small-scale coal mining operations lasted in the town until the 1970s but the town took a significant hit as it was forced to adjust to a post-industrial service-oriented economy since the closure of the large mines in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Post-industrial adjustment

The abrupt end of large-scale industrial coal mining presented incredible economic challenges to the town as the region struggled with massive unemployment in the 1960s.

An unexpected legacy and benefit from the abandoned coal mines is being realized in the form of geothermal energy. Since their closure, the mines have filled with ground water which is heated to an average temperature of 18° C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...

 (65°F) by the surrounding earth. Beginning in the late 1980s, this heat source has been exploited by companies located in Springhill's industrial park, situated on the land where the surface facilities of the coal mines were located, reducing winter heating bills substantially.

The provincial and federal government offered assistance and a federal medium-security penitentiary
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...

, the Springhill Institution
Springhill Institution
The Springhill Institution is a Canadian federal corrections facility located in the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia.It was opened on 15 October 1967 on the southwestern edge of the former coal mining town on the edge of the Cobequid Hills; occupying 167 hectares of land on a plateau overlooking...

 was built during the late 1960s in an effort to diversify the town's economy.

Other companies, such as lead–acid battery manufacturer Surrette Battery and Benjamin Heating Products continue to operate in the town.

Chalice, a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, is headquartered in the town. With over 46,000 children sponsored it is the largest Catholic child sponsorship program in Canada.

External links

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