The first union in Newfoundland is thought to have formed on Bell Island in 1900 after the first strike there in 1896. In 'Once Upon a Mine' Wendy Martin referred to Little Bay’s miners as “forming a union of sorts” during the strike in 1883. I’ve un ...
The town of Little Bay is planning a memorial plaque to honour those who lost their lives working Little Bay Mines. I’ve been asked to find the men killed there in the 19th century. I have two deaths that are proving difficult to name. I’m missing th ...
A little steam tug called the Hiram Perry Junior played a significant role in the history of Newfoundland mining. It was certainly the most significant ship in the history of Little Bay. I’ll attempt to tell you its story here. I’ve yet to find a pic ...
Spelling variants found: Loader, Loder, Lowder, Loather, Loathers, Louther, LouthersMy first reference to the Loader family in Little Bay appears on the 1882 electoral list for the region. It has recently been suggested that voters had to have lived ...
Fair warning; this is a macabre and melancholy story.John Cantwell (1804-1889) was from Ballyhesan, County Waterford in Ireland. He moved to Newfoundland in 1824 when he was 20 years old. He settled and raised a family in Tizzard’s Harbour. There he ...
Walter Spinney ran Little Bay mine’s dressing floor along with his right-hand-man: a witty Irishman named Richard Gray. Mr. Spinney was from Cape Breton; he worked under another Nova Scotian: Mine Manager Whyte. Walter Spinney was a member of Little ...
I'd like to address the how and why of my work so if you're just here for the shaft data just jump ahead to the bolded words. If you do read this one to the end… who knows, you might just get rich!The Little Bay Heritage Society has asked me to figur ...
Spelling variants found: Foran and PhoranI was in Little Bay this weekend. I took a little walk up the hill to visit the old Catholic cemetery in the Bight. I’ve been pondering over what stories to tell for a guided tour of the new hiking trail when ...
Spelling variants found: McVicar, McVicars, MacVicar, McVickarPhilip McVicar was born on May 9th 1848 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to Scottish parents. He moved to Newfoundland in the 1870s and had close ties with the early German mining operations in ...
I keep learning more about historical mining in Newfoundland as I research Little Bay. I see a lot of ways it could be beneficial today. There are the obvious ways it contributes to Newfoundland heritage and tourism but I think there is untapped pote ...
