Wabana, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Wabana is a Canadian
town and the largest and only incorporated community on Bell Island
in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
.
or iron ore and this resource was the main reason for Wabana's development.
staked mining claims on the north side of the island. These were sold to the Nova Scotia Steel Company and later sold to the Dominion Steel Corporation in the early 1900s. The first mine opened in 1896 and the site of the mines was named Wabana by Thomas Cantly, an official with Nova Scotia Steel Co. - the name being Beothuk
for "place where the light shines first."
The mines saw Wabana's population swell to 14,000 within a few years, the second largest community in the colony of Newfoundland. 101 workers lost their lives over the course of Bell Island's iron ore industry.
A further 65 sailors on merchant ships were lost on two separate attacks by German
U-boat
s in the fall of 1943 which saw 4 cargo ships for carrying iron ore to the steel mill at Sydney, Nova Scotia
sunk.
Wabana's population declined following World War II
as the underground mines began to face shortfalls in production, being forced to compete with more efficient open pit mines in Labrador
and Minnesota
. The parent company, Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation
(DOSCO), had been in operation since 1930 and was taken over by other conglomerates in the late 1950s. The steel mill and coal mines in Nova Scotia were facing uncertain futures and their shut down was announced in 1965 (although they were subsequently nationalized).
The expected announcement of the shut down of the iron ore mines in Wabana came on April 19, 1966. Following their closure, the mines were left to flood and the population of Wabana declined, although the community has grown slightly in recent years as commuters have opted to live on Bell Island and commute to St. John's
by ferry.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
town and the largest and only incorporated community on Bell Island
Bell Island
Bell Island is a Canadian island located off Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay.Measuring 9 km in length and 3 km in width, Bell Island has an area of 34 km²...
in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
.
Geography
The town is situated on the northeast end of the island and was incorporated in 1950. Bell Island's soil contains red hematiteHematite
Hematite, also spelled as haematite, is the mineral form of iron oxide , one of several iron oxides. Hematite crystallizes in the rhombohedral system, and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum...
or iron ore and this resource was the main reason for Wabana's development.
Economy
Wabana came to prominence during the 1890s when the Butler family from Port de GravePort de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador
Port de Grave is a peninsula on Conception Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Port de Grave peninsula contains the communities of Bareneed, Black Duck Pond, Otterbury, Ship Cove, Blow Me Down, Hibb's Cove, Pick Eyes, and Hussey's Cove with a population of approximately 975 . This...
staked mining claims on the north side of the island. These were sold to the Nova Scotia Steel Company and later sold to the Dominion Steel Corporation in the early 1900s. The first mine opened in 1896 and the site of the mines was named Wabana by Thomas Cantly, an official with Nova Scotia Steel Co. - the name being Beothuk
Beothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
for "place where the light shines first."
The mines saw Wabana's population swell to 14,000 within a few years, the second largest community in the colony of Newfoundland. 101 workers lost their lives over the course of Bell Island's iron ore industry.
A further 65 sailors on merchant ships were lost on two separate attacks by German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s in the fall of 1943 which saw 4 cargo ships for carrying iron ore to the steel mill at Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
sunk.
Wabana's population declined following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as the underground mines began to face shortfalls in production, being forced to compete with more efficient open pit mines in Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The parent company, Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation
Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation
The Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation was a Canadian coal mining and steel manufacturing company.Incorporated in 1928 and operational in 1930, DOSCO was predated by the British Empire Steel Corporation which was a merger of the Dominion Coal Company, the Dominion Iron and Steel Company and the...
(DOSCO), had been in operation since 1930 and was taken over by other conglomerates in the late 1950s. The steel mill and coal mines in Nova Scotia were facing uncertain futures and their shut down was announced in 1965 (although they were subsequently nationalized).
The expected announcement of the shut down of the iron ore mines in Wabana came on April 19, 1966. Following their closure, the mines were left to flood and the population of Wabana declined, although the community has grown slightly in recent years as commuters have opted to live on Bell Island and commute to St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
by ferry.