Stellarton

For the microprocessor named "Stellarton", see Intel Atom.
Stellarton
Town

Foord Street, Stellarton, NS
Nickname(s): Stelly[1]
Motto: "Spirit, People, Pride"
Stellarton

Location of Stellarton in Nova Scotia

Coordinates: 45°33′24″N 62°39′36″W / 45.55667°N 62.66000°W / 45.55667; -62.66000Coordinates: 45°33′24″N 62°39′36″W / 45.55667°N 62.66000°W / 45.55667; -62.66000
Country  Canada
Province  Nova Scotia
Municipality Pictou County
Founded 1790s
Incorporated October 22, 1889
Government
  Mayor Joe Gennoe
  Governing body Stellarton Town Council
  MLA Pat Dunn (PC)
  MP Sean Fraser (L)
Area
  Total 8.99 km2 (3.47 sq mi)
Highest elevation 65 m (213 ft)
Lowest elevation 19 m (62 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
  Total 4,485
  Density 498.8/km2 (1,292/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Stellartonian
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
  Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Postal Code B0K 1S0
Area code(s) 902
Telephone Exchanges 301, 331, 419, 505, 507, 616, 695, 752, 753, 754, 755, 759, 771, 921, 928, 931, 934, 952
Website www.stellarton.ca

Stellarton is a town located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is adjacent and to the south of the larger town of New Glasgow. In pioneer times the area was called Coal Mines Station, and from 1833 until 1870, it was known as Albion Mines.[3] The town was incorporated as Stellarton in 1889 and owes its name to a specific type of torbanite which came to be known as "stellarite" because of the "stars of fire" given off by its sparky flame.[4]

History

Foord Coal Seam

In the 1790s, coal quickly became a key focus of the local economy. The Foord coal seam (from which the main street of Stellarton derives its name) runs through most of the town and is part of the greater Stellarton Basin/Pictou Coalfield. As part of an area recognized by geologists for its unique oil shales and thick coal seams, the Foord seam is said to be the thickest in the world with estimate of coal seams being as thick as 48 feet.

In the 1820s, the mines were taken over by the General Mining Association which intensified production with new technology including the first steam engine in Nova Scotia for pumping and in 1839 Samson, the oldest railway locomotive in Canada which carried coal to waiting ships.[5]

Samson is now preserved at the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry in Stellarton.

Major employers

The town is still home to coal mining operations, an open pit mine is operated by Pioneer Coal.

The Canadian grocery chain Sobeys is based out of Stellarton, and its corporate offices and grocery subsidiaries provides a fair percentage of the town's employment. Sobeys subsidiaries based in Stellarton include Big 8 Beverages, TRA Cash and Carry, Eastern Sign-Print and Regional Distribution Centre.

One business that did not work out was the Clairtone factory, the brainchild of entrepreneurs Peter Munk and David Gilmour, encouraged by local businessman and politician Frank H. Sobey.

Attractions

Stellarton is home to the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry, part of the Nova Scotia Museum system. Stellarton is noted for its painted fire hydrants, each adorned with a costumed representative of a town inhabitant or profession.

Stellarton Memorial Ice Rink

The Stellarton Memorial Rink is a Rink in Stellarton that was made in 1945 to remember the soldiers that died in World War I and World War II that is still used today by the local minor ice hockey club, the Stellarton Royals.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18711,750    
18811,599−8.6%
18912,410+50.7%
19012,335−3.1%
19113,910+67.5%
19215,312+35.9%
19315,002−5.8%
19415,351+7.0%
19515,575+4.2%
19565,445−2.3%
19615,327−2.2%
19815,433+2.0%
19865,259−3.2%
19915,237−0.4%
19964,968−5.1%
20014,809−3.2%
20064,717−1.9%
20114,485−4.9%
[6][7] [8]

Notable people

References

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.