Memory of George Digout, River Bourgeois. summer student working at the Stirling mine. Phone chat spring 2021. 84 years of age as of July/2021.
I started University in 1954. I believe it was in 1954 that I worked there. There was a number of fellows who worked there. There was a number of us who went to university. Peter and Gerard Boyd, Patrick Bourque and I were students. We all worked underground. Leonard Burke worked full time in the Assay office. Then there was Gerald Pate. He was not a student. He was underground as well. Amazing we survived we had little experience at all. All those people I mentioned were from River Bourgeois.
I remember there was a MacDonald from Big Pond I believe he was Angus MacDonald. Another name Stanley MacPhee (River Bourgeois). He was a schoolteacher.
Did he teach school when the mine ran in the 50’s.
George - yes
Could you tell me a bit about your experience working at Stirling?
We were very young. We stayed there during the week, travelled home on the weekends. Our shifts varied. It could be evening, night, or day shift. It was not particularly hard work. It was different - most of us worked what they called “the shoots”. The ore being mined up above and coming down the shoot and we’d put them in cars, slightly dangerous for the fingers if they got caught. The most dangerous part and this scared me a bit at the time, working with a more experienced man who would go around and knock down any loose pieces of the ceiling. It would come tumbling down and you had to be experienced to be careful that you didn’t drop something on your head. That means something big could fall down sometimes. That scared the wits out of me at times. Apart from that, in a lot of ways it was a good place to work. It would have been dirty.
Was it wet?
We were dressed for wetness but most of the time it wasn’t wet. In some areas, it was, especially when you went around with experienced men to check the ceilings to make sure there wasn’t anything loose- parts of them that might fall. I must admit there were times we would have some nice naps during the shift (laughter) -when you waited for a trolley to come along for your load. So, there were some big gaps.
One thing I remember with Gerard Boyd - we got off the shift – it might have been 7 or 8 in the morning. He said, “let’s go to the highland games”. I said “what”? We were working again at midnight. I said, “how are we going to get there?” We hitchhiked. At that time, I didn’t drink at all. He said, “no, no, we’ll make it there”, but our first stop was St. Peters for a quart of rum. By the time we got to Antigonish we were feeling pretty good. We got to the highland games. We stayed there practically all day and got back for the midnight shift and slept most of the night as I recall. We were supposed to be working but we were sleeping (chuckle).
Would that be the mucking machine that you worked on?
No, I didn’t work on the mucking machine. Peter Boyd, I think worked on the mucking machine. That’s actually where they dig the ore. Where we were it was in the main part of the mine and the ore would be lined up above in the drifts and it would come down in these shoots from above. There was a brake that stopped the shoot so you would lift that to allow the ore to go in the cars. And then the cars were dumped somewhere.
Would there be 3-4 cars in a row and then a machine called a motor?
Yes. that’s right and that would haul up the cars.
There was an older gentleman. We were only 18 or something. He was an older gentleman. People used to pick on him. I must say the miners were quite kind to us, but they used to pick on this old man all the time -they’d put something in his lunch box and stuff like this. I think his last name was MacLeod. He never said much expect one day he came, and where he got this chemical I don’t know - it would smell exactly like Coyote smell. The smell was God awful. He sprinkled it on their clothes and on their mailboxes. Well, they stopped teasing him after that. I think he enjoyed every minute of the confusion when they realized that someone had sprinkled this on their clothes. It was terrible what they used to do to him. It was, in a lot of ways a very friendly place to work. We were never really pushed that hard. The supervisors were quite good to us. We just went and did our work and came home on the weekends. We stayed in the bunkhouses. We drove with Leonard Burke who was a maniac driving. Oh my God.
The bunkhouses - those were the big ones up in the hill?
Yes they were.
One of the things that used to happen (in the dry) - Things were quite open there. There was a whole pile of showers there. They were open at the top and if you weren’t careful someone would come and throw a bucket of cold water over the top of you when you were taking a shower.
Your lunches?
Out of a box. You’d eat it in the mine, down below.
And before you’d go down for your shift in the morning, you’d get something to eat at the dining hall.
That’s correct. I remember we used to go to a pool hall somewhere. (Editor’s note as per Zane Fanning there was a pool hall in back of his grandfather’s barber shop which was in one of the old bunkhouses on the left as you entered the mine.)
I remember going to the store, not that often, the big store there (Morrison’s). I’ve seen pictures of the place since somewhere.
I started University in 1954. I believe it was in 1954 that I worked there. There was a number of fellows who worked there. There was a number of us who went to university. Peter and Gerard Boyd, Patrick Bourque and I were students. We all worked underground. Leonard Burke worked full time in the Assay office. Then there was Gerald Pate. He was not a student. He was underground as well. Amazing we survived we had little experience at all. All those people I mentioned were from River Bourgeois.
I remember there was a MacDonald from Big Pond I believe he was Angus MacDonald. Another name Stanley MacPhee (River Bourgeois). He was a schoolteacher.
Did he teach school when the mine ran in the 50’s.
George - yes
Could you tell me a bit about your experience working at Stirling?
We were very young. We stayed there during the week, travelled home on the weekends. Our shifts varied. It could be evening, night, or day shift. It was not particularly hard work. It was different - most of us worked what they called “the shoots”. The ore being mined up above and coming down the shoot and we’d put them in cars, slightly dangerous for the fingers if they got caught. The most dangerous part and this scared me a bit at the time, working with a more experienced man who would go around and knock down any loose pieces of the ceiling. It would come tumbling down and you had to be experienced to be careful that you didn’t drop something on your head. That means something big could fall down sometimes. That scared the wits out of me at times. Apart from that, in a lot of ways it was a good place to work. It would have been dirty.
Was it wet?
We were dressed for wetness but most of the time it wasn’t wet. In some areas, it was, especially when you went around with experienced men to check the ceilings to make sure there wasn’t anything loose- parts of them that might fall. I must admit there were times we would have some nice naps during the shift (laughter) -when you waited for a trolley to come along for your load. So, there were some big gaps.
One thing I remember with Gerard Boyd - we got off the shift – it might have been 7 or 8 in the morning. He said, “let’s go to the highland games”. I said “what”? We were working again at midnight. I said, “how are we going to get there?” We hitchhiked. At that time, I didn’t drink at all. He said, “no, no, we’ll make it there”, but our first stop was St. Peters for a quart of rum. By the time we got to Antigonish we were feeling pretty good. We got to the highland games. We stayed there practically all day and got back for the midnight shift and slept most of the night as I recall. We were supposed to be working but we were sleeping (chuckle).
Would that be the mucking machine that you worked on?
No, I didn’t work on the mucking machine. Peter Boyd, I think worked on the mucking machine. That’s actually where they dig the ore. Where we were it was in the main part of the mine and the ore would be lined up above in the drifts and it would come down in these shoots from above. There was a brake that stopped the shoot so you would lift that to allow the ore to go in the cars. And then the cars were dumped somewhere.
Would there be 3-4 cars in a row and then a machine called a motor?
Yes. that’s right and that would haul up the cars.
There was an older gentleman. We were only 18 or something. He was an older gentleman. People used to pick on him. I must say the miners were quite kind to us, but they used to pick on this old man all the time -they’d put something in his lunch box and stuff like this. I think his last name was MacLeod. He never said much expect one day he came, and where he got this chemical I don’t know - it would smell exactly like Coyote smell. The smell was God awful. He sprinkled it on their clothes and on their mailboxes. Well, they stopped teasing him after that. I think he enjoyed every minute of the confusion when they realized that someone had sprinkled this on their clothes. It was terrible what they used to do to him. It was, in a lot of ways a very friendly place to work. We were never really pushed that hard. The supervisors were quite good to us. We just went and did our work and came home on the weekends. We stayed in the bunkhouses. We drove with Leonard Burke who was a maniac driving. Oh my God.
The bunkhouses - those were the big ones up in the hill?
Yes they were.
One of the things that used to happen (in the dry) - Things were quite open there. There was a whole pile of showers there. They were open at the top and if you weren’t careful someone would come and throw a bucket of cold water over the top of you when you were taking a shower.
Your lunches?
Out of a box. You’d eat it in the mine, down below.
And before you’d go down for your shift in the morning, you’d get something to eat at the dining hall.
That’s correct. I remember we used to go to a pool hall somewhere. (Editor’s note as per Zane Fanning there was a pool hall in back of his grandfather’s barber shop which was in one of the old bunkhouses on the left as you entered the mine.)
I remember going to the store, not that often, the big store there (Morrison’s). I’ve seen pictures of the place since somewhere.
Memory from Earl MacVicar, Gabarus Lake. Phone call Dec 6, 2022. Earl was 101 years old at the time he shared this memory.
I was a spare bus driver (Stirling). I lived next door to Hughie (MacDonald- the main bus driver) in Gabarus Lake). The bus would run daily Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. I drove in the 50's when the mine ran. There would be extra buses on the weekend. It ran from Stirling and would pick up people in Framboise, Fourchu, Gabarus, Marion Bridge, Sydney (along the Gabarus Highway) and return from Sydney at the end of the day. It was owned by the King Bus company at the North end of Charlotte Street (Charlotte and Dochester, Sydney) The same company owned King's Taxi.
Hughie took me to Dan Angus MacLeod's (Stirling) to get my license. He was a Justice of the Peace. He said to me, "Can you drive? " I said, "Yes". That was it. I never worked at the mine, just drove the bus.
I was a spare bus driver (Stirling). I lived next door to Hughie (MacDonald- the main bus driver) in Gabarus Lake). The bus would run daily Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. I drove in the 50's when the mine ran. There would be extra buses on the weekend. It ran from Stirling and would pick up people in Framboise, Fourchu, Gabarus, Marion Bridge, Sydney (along the Gabarus Highway) and return from Sydney at the end of the day. It was owned by the King Bus company at the North end of Charlotte Street (Charlotte and Dochester, Sydney) The same company owned King's Taxi.
Hughie took me to Dan Angus MacLeod's (Stirling) to get my license. He was a Justice of the Peace. He said to me, "Can you drive? " I said, "Yes". That was it. I never worked at the mine, just drove the bus.
Memory from Henry Baltussen
Greetings - my dad, William Baltussen, a Dutchman, worked there ---- and I lived there from 1952 to 1956 ----- I went to grades 1,2,3 in that schoolhouse
Here is a picture of our house and I am in the picture , 1953 I think so I was age 5.
I think we had visitors for my sister’s baptism, likely Aug 1953.
The house looks to be just 20 feet by 12 feet.
It had a hand-pump for water and a wood stove.
Dad worked some type of labor work underground.
I remember collecting rabbits from snares he had set up in the forest around us.
I remember a spelling bee at the school and I think I was one of the last to be eliminated,.... a good memory ,
Henry Baltussen
Memory from Donald Reginato re his family home that was moved from Stirling to Trout Brook.
Jan 21/20 email
Donald: My family home was moved from Stirling to Trout Brook Rd.
This is my family home (see picture above) being moved, I have several other photos as well, It was moved to Trout Brooke Rd. in Mira, by my father Lawrence (RENZO) Reginato and my mother Ann (Tootsie) Reginato. I have the exact date, as well, home, in my album but it was in the 50’s.
Note: I believe that this house was taken from behind John G MacLeod's (right hand side going down the Mine Rd).
There was a Manager's house- Chisholm. It went to the Meadows Rd and then there was another house close by that wasn't as big but bigger than the others. I think that was your family home. JS
Telephone conversation with Donald Reginato Jan 21/20 4:30 pm
When my father and mother got married they brought that house down from Stirling when the mine closed. My father was in his 20's at that time. He was in the wood business so he had the equipment available to him to move the house. He had a few people helping him. He used the bulldozer and the truck together (see picture above) to haul it down from Stirling through Gabarus to Trout Brook Rd. It took two days. He did his own foundation and it was all ready when they brought the house down. The whole house had hardwood flooring which was something in those days. My mother would have them gleaming and every few years she would sand them down and varnish them. The floors have kept up well even with ten kids growing up in the house. The windows you see in the picture were just replaced ten years ago. The house is in great shape and my mother still lives in it. There was a hot water heating system but no furnace. They used a warm morning at first. The house was the Vice President's. The President's house was the bigger one which is the one my mother wanted but was too big to take across the bridges on the way to Trout Brook. The house is in it's original condition with a few additions and a car port. It has a dormer on the back which you can see in the picture. I think that was the only one (of the mine houses) that had that. That's where my bedroom was.
Note: See the photo page for a photo of Donald's family home being moved by his father. Donald told me that he found an old film and had it developed. He has several pictures of the move in his album. JS
Greetings - my dad, William Baltussen, a Dutchman, worked there ---- and I lived there from 1952 to 1956 ----- I went to grades 1,2,3 in that schoolhouse
Here is a picture of our house and I am in the picture , 1953 I think so I was age 5.
I think we had visitors for my sister’s baptism, likely Aug 1953.
The house looks to be just 20 feet by 12 feet.
It had a hand-pump for water and a wood stove.
Dad worked some type of labor work underground.
I remember collecting rabbits from snares he had set up in the forest around us.
I remember a spelling bee at the school and I think I was one of the last to be eliminated,.... a good memory ,
Henry Baltussen
Memory from Donald Reginato re his family home that was moved from Stirling to Trout Brook.
Jan 21/20 email
Donald: My family home was moved from Stirling to Trout Brook Rd.
This is my family home (see picture above) being moved, I have several other photos as well, It was moved to Trout Brooke Rd. in Mira, by my father Lawrence (RENZO) Reginato and my mother Ann (Tootsie) Reginato. I have the exact date, as well, home, in my album but it was in the 50’s.
Note: I believe that this house was taken from behind John G MacLeod's (right hand side going down the Mine Rd).
There was a Manager's house- Chisholm. It went to the Meadows Rd and then there was another house close by that wasn't as big but bigger than the others. I think that was your family home. JS
Telephone conversation with Donald Reginato Jan 21/20 4:30 pm
When my father and mother got married they brought that house down from Stirling when the mine closed. My father was in his 20's at that time. He was in the wood business so he had the equipment available to him to move the house. He had a few people helping him. He used the bulldozer and the truck together (see picture above) to haul it down from Stirling through Gabarus to Trout Brook Rd. It took two days. He did his own foundation and it was all ready when they brought the house down. The whole house had hardwood flooring which was something in those days. My mother would have them gleaming and every few years she would sand them down and varnish them. The floors have kept up well even with ten kids growing up in the house. The windows you see in the picture were just replaced ten years ago. The house is in great shape and my mother still lives in it. There was a hot water heating system but no furnace. They used a warm morning at first. The house was the Vice President's. The President's house was the bigger one which is the one my mother wanted but was too big to take across the bridges on the way to Trout Brook. The house is in it's original condition with a few additions and a car port. It has a dormer on the back which you can see in the picture. I think that was the only one (of the mine houses) that had that. That's where my bedroom was.
Note: See the photo page for a photo of Donald's family home being moved by his father. Donald told me that he found an old film and had it developed. He has several pictures of the move in his album. JS
This is a memory from Walter Martell, L'Ardoise. Walter's father was John Martell and he worked at Stirling Mine, Richmond County when it ran in the 50's. Walter did not work in Stirling as he was a kid at the time but he later worked as a Hard Rock Miner, a Diamond Driller like his Father, for several years.
Facebook messaging Walter Martell/Jeanette Strachan
Jeanette: My father Soutter Strachan worked as a carpenter in Stirling. He also owned the service station on the main road across from Morrison's.
Walter: I wasn't very old but I remember your father in the garage. He talked to us kids all the time.
Jeanette: So you didn't work at the (Stirling mine) then? Did your parents?
Walter: Dad was John L Martell. He was a diamond driller from 51 til the mine closed.
Jeanette: He's the man I have heard people talk about in their interviews. He lived on the Stirling Road and was good friends with Elsie and John Archie Monroe.
Walter: We lived (on the left hand side of the Stirling Rd heading to Framboise) between Morrison's and what people called dog patch.
Walter: I went to school there (Stirling) for a few years. I remember Morrison's store on the corner. On the right side of the road going down to the mine were Hooper, Shaw, plus a Chinese restaurant. In back of Morrison's store (heading down the mine Rd. on the left) was a building where they showed movies.
Jeanette: Did your father tell you any stories about the mine.
Walter: Not too much, but I remember him saying that one year they paid the mine expenses with the gold they mined.
Jeanette: Did he tell you how much he got paid?
Walter: He was a lead driller and was making one dollar an hour.
Jan 21/20
Jeanette: Gus (Sampson) said he went to NFLD after leaving Stirling. Do you know the name of the town.
Walter: It was in Little Bay, Notre Dame Bay not far from Springdale. I was helping Gus load long holes for blasting. We had loaded over a thousand lbs of dynamite one time and to set it off they had to take everyone to the surface to make sure no one would get hurt. He (Gus) mentioned long holes in his interview. Click here on Gus Sampson to see his interview.When you are finished X out and you should be back here.
email message Jan 21/20 - Walter Martell
I worked at mining from 1962 till 1968 every winter. Actually I lied about my age to get underground. I was 17 but told them I was 18 as that was the age to get underground. I worked at Atlantic Coast Copper, Little Bay, Gullbridge Mines, Gull Pond, just west of Badger, and Whales Back mine between Little Bay and Springdale.
Summer time I would come back to NS and work in the woods on machines or truck driving. Before the snow came I would head for NL because I didn't like working in the cold and wet snow. Underground the temperature is around 57 F after you go down a few hundred feet. Still wet in places but not that much. We had oil clothes so even the wet places were pretty good at that temperature.
I started in Little Bay, pick and shovel and on the Grizzley where you beat up rocks with a sledge hammer until they were small enough to go down through to the ore pass.
In Gull Pond I started as an underground mechanic until we finished building the underground crusher. Once the crusher was built I was one of two fellas who worked it 12 hours a day until I went long hole drilling for Canadian Rock, a company from Quebec. That company then sent me to Whales Back to drill. My boss was a Mr Lafleur. On a good days drilling I could make a hundred dollars which was a fortune at the time.
Back in Little Bay one year I worked as a timber man, installing timbers to keep the rock from falling on anyone. Also worked on the surface crusher there as it was called but was actually underground but close to the surface.
I loaded long holes with Gus Sampson and a few others.
Another year I worked with the shaft crew as a deck hand. That's where I worked until they blasted into an older mine that had burned at one time and they had no paper work for and didn't know exactly where it was. At the time the old mine was flooded and when they blasted into it, it flooded the new mine. Four men drowned that night. If they had blasted on day shift a lot more men would have been lost, including my father and me as we were both on shift at the time and below where the water stopped. After the last man was found at the bottom of the shaft I was sent there to look after the pumps as I was still working with the shaft crew. All alone for 8 hours a day at the bottom of the shaft and wondering if we were going to have another flood. I got ulcers after that and wasn't allowed underground any more.
No wonder about the ulcers - Great story, Walter- JS
Since Walter shared his stories about Stirling, he has passed away - Jan 15/22.
Facebook messaging Walter Martell/Jeanette Strachan
Jeanette: My father Soutter Strachan worked as a carpenter in Stirling. He also owned the service station on the main road across from Morrison's.
Walter: I wasn't very old but I remember your father in the garage. He talked to us kids all the time.
Jeanette: So you didn't work at the (Stirling mine) then? Did your parents?
Walter: Dad was John L Martell. He was a diamond driller from 51 til the mine closed.
Jeanette: He's the man I have heard people talk about in their interviews. He lived on the Stirling Road and was good friends with Elsie and John Archie Monroe.
Walter: We lived (on the left hand side of the Stirling Rd heading to Framboise) between Morrison's and what people called dog patch.
Walter: I went to school there (Stirling) for a few years. I remember Morrison's store on the corner. On the right side of the road going down to the mine were Hooper, Shaw, plus a Chinese restaurant. In back of Morrison's store (heading down the mine Rd. on the left) was a building where they showed movies.
Jeanette: Did your father tell you any stories about the mine.
Walter: Not too much, but I remember him saying that one year they paid the mine expenses with the gold they mined.
Jeanette: Did he tell you how much he got paid?
Walter: He was a lead driller and was making one dollar an hour.
Jan 21/20
Jeanette: Gus (Sampson) said he went to NFLD after leaving Stirling. Do you know the name of the town.
Walter: It was in Little Bay, Notre Dame Bay not far from Springdale. I was helping Gus load long holes for blasting. We had loaded over a thousand lbs of dynamite one time and to set it off they had to take everyone to the surface to make sure no one would get hurt. He (Gus) mentioned long holes in his interview. Click here on Gus Sampson to see his interview.When you are finished X out and you should be back here.
email message Jan 21/20 - Walter Martell
I worked at mining from 1962 till 1968 every winter. Actually I lied about my age to get underground. I was 17 but told them I was 18 as that was the age to get underground. I worked at Atlantic Coast Copper, Little Bay, Gullbridge Mines, Gull Pond, just west of Badger, and Whales Back mine between Little Bay and Springdale.
Summer time I would come back to NS and work in the woods on machines or truck driving. Before the snow came I would head for NL because I didn't like working in the cold and wet snow. Underground the temperature is around 57 F after you go down a few hundred feet. Still wet in places but not that much. We had oil clothes so even the wet places were pretty good at that temperature.
I started in Little Bay, pick and shovel and on the Grizzley where you beat up rocks with a sledge hammer until they were small enough to go down through to the ore pass.
In Gull Pond I started as an underground mechanic until we finished building the underground crusher. Once the crusher was built I was one of two fellas who worked it 12 hours a day until I went long hole drilling for Canadian Rock, a company from Quebec. That company then sent me to Whales Back to drill. My boss was a Mr Lafleur. On a good days drilling I could make a hundred dollars which was a fortune at the time.
Back in Little Bay one year I worked as a timber man, installing timbers to keep the rock from falling on anyone. Also worked on the surface crusher there as it was called but was actually underground but close to the surface.
I loaded long holes with Gus Sampson and a few others.
Another year I worked with the shaft crew as a deck hand. That's where I worked until they blasted into an older mine that had burned at one time and they had no paper work for and didn't know exactly where it was. At the time the old mine was flooded and when they blasted into it, it flooded the new mine. Four men drowned that night. If they had blasted on day shift a lot more men would have been lost, including my father and me as we were both on shift at the time and below where the water stopped. After the last man was found at the bottom of the shaft I was sent there to look after the pumps as I was still working with the shaft crew. All alone for 8 hours a day at the bottom of the shaft and wondering if we were going to have another flood. I got ulcers after that and wasn't allowed underground any more.
No wonder about the ulcers - Great story, Walter- JS
Since Walter shared his stories about Stirling, he has passed away - Jan 15/22.
This is a memory from Gerry MacDonnell - St Peter's. Douglas Landry tells Gerry's story as well in his interview click on Douglas Landry now to see his interview. Gerry's father is Alex MacDonnell mentioned in several of the interview's.
I was probably about 6 years old and my brother Donnie was 8 years old at the time. My mother asked Donnie if he would go to Danny Shaw’s store and pick up a small cabbage.I went along with Donnie to the store to purchase the small cabbage.When we arrived at the store we went to the bin where the cabbage was but they were all quite big. Donnie, remembering what my mother said “get a small cabbage” decided to start peeling the leaves of the large cabbage until he figured it was small enough to suit our mother. Thinking back poor Danny did not make much profit from that purchase.
Danny must have been an easy going sort. JS
Email message from Gerry Jan 23/20
Gerry has identifed Henry Pottie as the man in the picture with Norman MacPhee. Gerry said, "Henry Pottie lived in the same area as we did. As I recall it was about a half mile from the mine and where the shops were, on the left side of the road up on the hill on the way in (from Framboise).I guess it’s the area they called dog patch. There were a number of houses there. Some of the people who lived there were Cal Hastings, Henry Pottie, MacLean family, MacGillvarys, Lloyd MacRae, D R MacDonald, Archie MacDonnell, Trumans, Powers, Alex MacDonnell. There might have been a couple more. There was a Butts family that lived across the road.
I can remember walking to town and passing by a Dutch family’s house and you would see the wooden shoes on the step outside of the house. See picture of the wooden shoes and notes on the Photo page.
Our house was moved to Sydney River,
Cheers. Gerry
I was probably about 6 years old and my brother Donnie was 8 years old at the time. My mother asked Donnie if he would go to Danny Shaw’s store and pick up a small cabbage.I went along with Donnie to the store to purchase the small cabbage.When we arrived at the store we went to the bin where the cabbage was but they were all quite big. Donnie, remembering what my mother said “get a small cabbage” decided to start peeling the leaves of the large cabbage until he figured it was small enough to suit our mother. Thinking back poor Danny did not make much profit from that purchase.
Danny must have been an easy going sort. JS
Email message from Gerry Jan 23/20
Gerry has identifed Henry Pottie as the man in the picture with Norman MacPhee. Gerry said, "Henry Pottie lived in the same area as we did. As I recall it was about a half mile from the mine and where the shops were, on the left side of the road up on the hill on the way in (from Framboise).I guess it’s the area they called dog patch. There were a number of houses there. Some of the people who lived there were Cal Hastings, Henry Pottie, MacLean family, MacGillvarys, Lloyd MacRae, D R MacDonald, Archie MacDonnell, Trumans, Powers, Alex MacDonnell. There might have been a couple more. There was a Butts family that lived across the road.
I can remember walking to town and passing by a Dutch family’s house and you would see the wooden shoes on the step outside of the house. See picture of the wooden shoes and notes on the Photo page.
Our house was moved to Sydney River,
Cheers. Gerry
|
Brian Ames April 1, 2020 email
My grandfather who I never met was Jerry Ames. I went to your site from a CP Post article. Excellent. My Aunt Bunny is in a school pic. I wonder if the young boy named Kenny in the junior school pic is my father? Ken was my dad the youngest. Gerry and Betty and the kids moved to Elliot Lake/ Blind River- I think directly from Stirling..? Bunny is still there, my dad died there and Gerry died in the Yukon- he continued working in the mines til his death. |
|
Memory of Glen Sampson in regard to Harry Gillis and Glen's father Martin Sampson
My daughter told me about this site today so I checked it out. My father Martin Sampson from Sampsonville worked at the mine and I have been to the site a number of times. A little feedback on a couple of names : You have a Harry Gillis listed as an employee. Harry was from Orangedale. I knew him and he was a great old guy. He told me about his time at the mine. He died on Apr. 29, 2016. You also have a Norman D. MacLeod listed. I also knew him quite well. He was from Framboise and was a brother to Ramsey MacLeod. Once again, great site, and thanks for doing this wonderful work. Glen Sampson.
Email message Jan 24/20
I was at Harry's house one day and he mentioned that he had worked at the mine. I told him my dad had worked there as well and told him his name. He couldn't remember him. I'm not sure what the normal workforce was on that site at any particular time but there must have been quite a few people. My dad never really got into stories about the mine but I know that they lived on the Five Island Lake Road near his brother Enos.
My older brother and sister lived in Stirling but when my mother was expecting me she moved back to Sampsonville for the birth. I was born in Sampsonville in May of 1955. I don't think I ever lived there but I've done a lot of work out through that country. I am a forest technician and have been doing technical work all over eastern Nova Scotia, but mostly on Cape Breton for almost 46 years now.
Thanks to Glen for his story and his feedback about this site. Glen has identified his father, Martin, in the photo of the group of men in the locker room. Go to the photo page to see it. It's down near the bottom. JS
My daughter told me about this site today so I checked it out. My father Martin Sampson from Sampsonville worked at the mine and I have been to the site a number of times. A little feedback on a couple of names : You have a Harry Gillis listed as an employee. Harry was from Orangedale. I knew him and he was a great old guy. He told me about his time at the mine. He died on Apr. 29, 2016. You also have a Norman D. MacLeod listed. I also knew him quite well. He was from Framboise and was a brother to Ramsey MacLeod. Once again, great site, and thanks for doing this wonderful work. Glen Sampson.
Email message Jan 24/20
I was at Harry's house one day and he mentioned that he had worked at the mine. I told him my dad had worked there as well and told him his name. He couldn't remember him. I'm not sure what the normal workforce was on that site at any particular time but there must have been quite a few people. My dad never really got into stories about the mine but I know that they lived on the Five Island Lake Road near his brother Enos.
My older brother and sister lived in Stirling but when my mother was expecting me she moved back to Sampsonville for the birth. I was born in Sampsonville in May of 1955. I don't think I ever lived there but I've done a lot of work out through that country. I am a forest technician and have been doing technical work all over eastern Nova Scotia, but mostly on Cape Breton for almost 46 years now.
Thanks to Glen for his story and his feedback about this site. Glen has identified his father, Martin, in the photo of the group of men in the locker room. Go to the photo page to see it. It's down near the bottom. JS
Gary Phillips - March 29/20
Good morning just wanted to say how much I enjoyed looking at the info on the Stirling mine. In the late 1970"s I used to travel in that area do some fishing and a friend of mine's father had a friend who had a 2 storey house on the Loch Lomond road and we spend many a weekend there fishing (mostly in Lake Enon) and It was just up the road from this site. I have not been there in many years as I now live in Newfoundland.
It certainly brings back some wonderful memories of my early twenties and often wondered what Stirling must have been like in 1950"S must have been a bustling place.
Many thanks for the great site....
Gary Phillips
Conception Bay South, NL formally of Glace Bay
Good morning just wanted to say how much I enjoyed looking at the info on the Stirling mine. In the late 1970"s I used to travel in that area do some fishing and a friend of mine's father had a friend who had a 2 storey house on the Loch Lomond road and we spend many a weekend there fishing (mostly in Lake Enon) and It was just up the road from this site. I have not been there in many years as I now live in Newfoundland.
It certainly brings back some wonderful memories of my early twenties and often wondered what Stirling must have been like in 1950"S must have been a bustling place.
Many thanks for the great site....
Gary Phillips
Conception Bay South, NL formally of Glace Bay
Del Muise Mar 28/20
Hello Jeanette: This is a wonderful site and I thank you for your initiative. You have done a tremendous job of using and accessing all sorts of wonderful material. As a former historian of Cape Breton who has taught courses on mining here I had never before had any knowledge of this mine and its history. So thank you again for all your hard work on this.
Del Muise
Hello Jeanette: This is a wonderful site and I thank you for your initiative. You have done a tremendous job of using and accessing all sorts of wonderful material. As a former historian of Cape Breton who has taught courses on mining here I had never before had any knowledge of this mine and its history. So thank you again for all your hard work on this.
Del Muise
Helena MacLeod - March 28/20
My father Joseph Gillis worked there in the early 1950's. I remember as a really young child of him coming home from working at the mine and telling of losing his pocket watch down a shaft. He was from Upper South West Mabou close to Glencoe Mills and after working there he worked on building the Canso Causeway.
My father Joseph Gillis worked there in the early 1950's. I remember as a really young child of him coming home from working at the mine and telling of losing his pocket watch down a shaft. He was from Upper South West Mabou close to Glencoe Mills and after working there he worked on building the Canso Causeway.
Aldona March 29/20
My aunt’s name was Dell. She was from Goldenville, N.S. Her son’s name was Bill-he was in the school pictures. Bardswich. As a couple his parents lived in Goldenville where Tony worked in the mine there. Then they moved to Cadillac, Quebec, Tony worked in the gold mines there, moved to Stirling, then to Newfoundland where he worked in mines. After that,Tony and Dell opened up a successful small restaurant in Millville, N.S. until they retired. Their son, Bill, worked in mines in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Bill died 3 years ago on Thursday at 74 in Garson, Ont. 2 of his sons are heavily involved in the mines there. The Bardswich brothers were all involved in mining here in Sydney Mines-mainly coal but 2 went to Ontario where they became inspectors and bosses there. My uncle, John Bardswich from Sydney Mines was the manager of Princess mine in Sydney Mines.
I have begun to read the editorials and am fascinated by them. I sent the www stirlingmine.ca email to Bill’s wife, Marie and she was anxious to start reading them. Bill’s sister is in one of the school pictures as are her brothers. Her father worked at Stirling and she lived there and went to school there. See what you started!!!!! I am sure she will pass the info on to her 2 sons in Sudbury about their father and grandfathers. Small world.
The Bardswich family is from Sydney Mines. Marie’s father was Archie McDonnell. I don’t know much about him but I am sure Marie wouldn’t mind giving you any info. She was excited to start looking into it.
Aldona
My aunt’s name was Dell. She was from Goldenville, N.S. Her son’s name was Bill-he was in the school pictures. Bardswich. As a couple his parents lived in Goldenville where Tony worked in the mine there. Then they moved to Cadillac, Quebec, Tony worked in the gold mines there, moved to Stirling, then to Newfoundland where he worked in mines. After that,Tony and Dell opened up a successful small restaurant in Millville, N.S. until they retired. Their son, Bill, worked in mines in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Bill died 3 years ago on Thursday at 74 in Garson, Ont. 2 of his sons are heavily involved in the mines there. The Bardswich brothers were all involved in mining here in Sydney Mines-mainly coal but 2 went to Ontario where they became inspectors and bosses there. My uncle, John Bardswich from Sydney Mines was the manager of Princess mine in Sydney Mines.
I have begun to read the editorials and am fascinated by them. I sent the www stirlingmine.ca email to Bill’s wife, Marie and she was anxious to start reading them. Bill’s sister is in one of the school pictures as are her brothers. Her father worked at Stirling and she lived there and went to school there. See what you started!!!!! I am sure she will pass the info on to her 2 sons in Sudbury about their father and grandfathers. Small world.
The Bardswich family is from Sydney Mines. Marie’s father was Archie McDonnell. I don’t know much about him but I am sure Marie wouldn’t mind giving you any info. She was excited to start looking into it.
Aldona
Memory from David Siscoe March 29/20
Thanks for this. It brought back many memories. Our father (Stan Siscoe) worked in Mindemar '53-'55 and we lived in the subdivision across from John G's farm. In fact, I remember telling Mrs John G that when I grew up I was going to buy her farm and live there forever. In 2016 I went back with my brother and we found the foundations of the houses with trees growing out of the basements. Amazing how time changes things but the memories remain. Again thank you for putting this together. It was a great trip down memory lane.
April 3/20 I believe he was the Assistant Mill Superintendent (Stan Siscoe) and we lived in the first house (going up what seemed a huge hill at the time) in the subdivision across from John G's farm. Fond memories of our time there, though most are dimming with time. It was a great place for a little boy to experience the world and nature around him.
David
Thanks for this. It brought back many memories. Our father (Stan Siscoe) worked in Mindemar '53-'55 and we lived in the subdivision across from John G's farm. In fact, I remember telling Mrs John G that when I grew up I was going to buy her farm and live there forever. In 2016 I went back with my brother and we found the foundations of the houses with trees growing out of the basements. Amazing how time changes things but the memories remain. Again thank you for putting this together. It was a great trip down memory lane.
April 3/20 I believe he was the Assistant Mill Superintendent (Stan Siscoe) and we lived in the first house (going up what seemed a huge hill at the time) in the subdivision across from John G's farm. Fond memories of our time there, though most are dimming with time. It was a great place for a little boy to experience the world and nature around him.
David
Memory from Rev Donald MacQueen - March/20
A few comments: Great history, thanks for all your work in compiling it. My father Angus F. MacQueen and a man named Murdoch MacMillan from South Bar worked for J.W. Stephens (SP), and possibly your father as some of the carpenters who built the first buildings for the mine, your father was possibly one of the carpenter bosses. I don't know if Murdock ever worked for Mindemar or went back to Sydney. My father stayed and worked as a Mill Carpenter until the mine closed and then was one of those packing it up. ( The large photo of those enjoying themselves may be a Mill group as he is in it. ) Also, I remember a family who lived behind John G.'s named Anderson, who left and went to Eldorado or Elliott Lake, they were in Elliot Lake in the 70's so he must have been a boss of some sort. Also Roddie K. MacLeod, Dan Norman's brother I believe lived in that area too, his son Richard is in one of the school photos. They went to a mine in northern Quebec. I don't know if the Kenny Strachan in the list is the one we called Kenny John , but he lived at the end of Angus Archie MacQueen's driveway in a small house. The above do not seem to appear in the list of names. Another name missing is Reg Beniot (SP). They said his name as Bennett, who married one of the MacDonald girls ( Margaret MacLean MacLeod's aunt) and they moved to the states later, I forget her name at the moment. They lived on the left of the road going out to Murdoch Dan's on the hill above Patterson's lake. The Catholic Church mentioned by someone was on the left past Dan Al;ex MacLeod\s on the Loch Lomond road.
Thanks Donald for the great information. I have updated the names. Kenny Strachan is Kenny John. Reg's wife's name was Mary MacDonald. We called her Mary Sandy (after her father). JS
A few comments: Great history, thanks for all your work in compiling it. My father Angus F. MacQueen and a man named Murdoch MacMillan from South Bar worked for J.W. Stephens (SP), and possibly your father as some of the carpenters who built the first buildings for the mine, your father was possibly one of the carpenter bosses. I don't know if Murdock ever worked for Mindemar or went back to Sydney. My father stayed and worked as a Mill Carpenter until the mine closed and then was one of those packing it up. ( The large photo of those enjoying themselves may be a Mill group as he is in it. ) Also, I remember a family who lived behind John G.'s named Anderson, who left and went to Eldorado or Elliott Lake, they were in Elliot Lake in the 70's so he must have been a boss of some sort. Also Roddie K. MacLeod, Dan Norman's brother I believe lived in that area too, his son Richard is in one of the school photos. They went to a mine in northern Quebec. I don't know if the Kenny Strachan in the list is the one we called Kenny John , but he lived at the end of Angus Archie MacQueen's driveway in a small house. The above do not seem to appear in the list of names. Another name missing is Reg Beniot (SP). They said his name as Bennett, who married one of the MacDonald girls ( Margaret MacLean MacLeod's aunt) and they moved to the states later, I forget her name at the moment. They lived on the left of the road going out to Murdoch Dan's on the hill above Patterson's lake. The Catholic Church mentioned by someone was on the left past Dan Al;ex MacLeod\s on the Loch Lomond road.
Thanks Donald for the great information. I have updated the names. Kenny Strachan is Kenny John. Reg's wife's name was Mary MacDonald. We called her Mary Sandy (after her father). JS
 Circled house is the one Gerald thinks was his famiy home that was taken from the Stirling mine when it closed in the 50's.
Gerald Kelly, Glace Bay re his family home which came from Stirling Mine
Email April 1, 2020 - Hello, I took great interest in the article in the paper. I believe that the building behind the four poles in the picture (main page) is my family home that was situated on Grand Lake Rd. My father James Kelly was a carpenter at the steel plant. He disassembled a building at the mine site and moved it to Grand Lake Road and turned it into our family home. We moved into the home in 1959. It remained on Grand Lake Road until 2 years ago. I sold it to the Provincial Government a few years ago and it was demolished 2 years ago . Unless there were similar buildings on the mine site I believe this is the building that became our home. The reason I believe this is that the width, length, and roof pitch seem to be identical. |
Geralds famiy home on grand Lake road which was taken from Stirling mine, dismantled and rebuilt at this site.
|
Elisabeth notes that this is a picture of her "mother, Suzanne, her sisters Marcelle and Monique and the little Gilles. Where are they swimming? My mother used to tell me that they went swimming at Lac Brador? Maybe you can find out... something at the right and also on the horizon".
Editor's note: Any ideas as to where this was taken? Dundee- there are islands off shore there.
Editor's note: Any ideas as to where this was taken? Dundee- there are islands off shore there.
Story by Fred white April 24, 2023 - " I heard dad mentioning another name, Willie Fraser who was from Inverness County and was a great step dancer. Angus Chisholm was considered one of the best Cape Breton fiddler's. He eventually ended up in Boston. Dad said he thought they had Angus Chisholm working at Stirling just to play the fiddle to keep the crew from Inverness happy.
Dad told the story of a group of men being in the mess hall after eating supper. Angus Chisholm was playing the fiddle and Willie Fraser wanted to dance. Apparently one of the men who may have had a drink, asks Willie, "Do you want to dance, here dance here, and he uses the back of his arm to sweep everything off the table and says to Willie, "Dance up here."
Angus MacDonald who is on your list of names, eventually moved to Big Pond. When Stirling closed a group of people who worked there went to Till Cove in NFLD to work in the mine there. Angus and dad were 2 people who did. Angus's wife Marion was a teacher. She taught in Stirling for a time and when they moved to Big Pond in the mid 50's she taught at Brack's school. It was located where the old fire hall used to be in Big Pond.
Information from A History of Fourchu P 27-28 re Mining.