The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Mining first began on Bell Island in 1895 with surface mining. Underground, or submarine mining began at the No. 2 Mine (there were six in total) in 1902 and continued right up until 1949. Mining ceased altogether on Bell Island in 1966, ending 71 years of an industry that saw 79 million tons of ore extracted and sold worldwide. Bell Island, in its heyday, went from a population of several hundred to between 12,000 to 14,000. With the fishery failing and mining booming, scores of people from fishing communities left to work in the mines. The history of mining on Bell Island saw constant change. Such as the lighting, which went from candles worn by the miners on their cloth hats, to seal-oil lamps, which were used up to 1912, to carbide lamps which were used until the mid-1930s when battery-pack lights came on the scene. Roughly 60 percent of the ore that was mined on Bell Island was loaded by men with hand shovels. In the early years before automation and conveyor belts, horses were used to transport the ore. They would stay in the mine for virtually their entire life. You can experience the mining history of Bell Island by visiting Bell Island's Mine Museum and Underground Tour. Something to Ponder: Despite the cost of living, it's still quite popular.
