Old Sydney Collieries Ltd. coal preparation plant

Aerial photograph of a coal preparation plant at the Old Sydney Collieries Ltd. in North Sydney, NS.

Old Sydney Collieries originated in August of 1938 following the big strike and rioting that took place in 1925. The Collieries looked after mining on the north side of the harbour, while the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation took care of the south side. A large number of men who worked in these mines were immigrants. Around the early 1900s Canada's Minister of Interior, Sir Clifford Sifton, implemented a campaign to attract immigrants to meet the country's employment needs. Many immigrants were attracted by recruitment campaigns by companies such as the Dominion Coal Company. Italian immigrants to Nova Scotia initially found work constructing steel plants, but many would later go on to work in Sydney Mines.