Do you know the names of these Shubenacadie Canal Navvies?

As we have pointed out previously the term “Navvie” was usually associated with the title “Navigator” which referred to a person working on a project associated with transportation or navigation.  Thus the Navvies working on the Shubenacadie Canal were the men who dug the channels and cleared the rock from the sections of the Canal which had to be opened up to allow water to flow.  As has been mentioned before one of the main areas where the Navvies were employed was the section between Lakes Micmac and Charles known as the “Deep Cut”.   Four of these Navvies were:  P. Corigan, John Costly, Michael Dee and James Carey.  If you know anyone with one of these names we would like to be able to check with them on the chance there may a connection with one of the Canal workers.

-Bernie Hart

This is the "Deep Cut" as you would see in Shubie Park. It was created with the use of drills, picks and gun powder.

Students get a close up view of the Flume House

Dartmouth High School students had a chance to visit the Flume House in the Canal Greenway Park in Dartmouth. The students, under the guidance of teacher Maurice (Terry) Sampson, are putting together a time capsule to be installed by them in the Flume House in the Spring of 2017. An installation ceremony will be part of a grand celebration for the official opening of the Canal Greenway Park to help commemorate the “CANADA 150” year long event.   Students displayed great enthusiasm developing ideals for items to be included in the time capsule.   During their visit the students viewed the 600 mm deep opening for the time capsule left in a granite stone wall inside the Flume House. Safety Gear was not required because no contractors were working on site and the students were not allowed inside the Flume house.

-Doug Brownrigg

Did you know that the Dartmouth Inclined Plane was still in operation 150 years ago during  Canada’s Date of Birth (1867).

Bill MacIntyre, SCC Chair  and Sam Austin, Councillor District 5 (far left) with the students.

Three persons on the left are Bernie Hart, SCC Resident Historian, teacher Maurice Sampson and HRM Councillor Sam Austin, District 5.

Yours To Explore

In order to ”further promote the Shubenacadie Canal System” as stated in the Act to Establish the Shubenacadie Canal Commission, we are proud to unveil a new brand image for the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway. With this new brand collateral, we will promote the waterway as an experience to be explored from Dartmouth to Maitland. Our goal is to attract more Nova Scotians and tourists to this unique destination. Entrepreneurs will discover the opportunities created to offer activities to these visitors. Existing businesses along the route are encouraged to contact us to join in this promotion. It’s yours to explore.

Stone mason work is still visible today!

R. McNulty, Pat Neals, Thomas Welsh and James Young were all listed as stone masons who worked on the Canal during the first attempt (1826 – 1831).   We can’t be sure but they may well have been on the Ship Corsair which arrived in 1827 from Scotland.  Also they may have been involved in the construction of the five locks which were located between the Harbour and Sullivans Pond.   We do know that a number of Irish workers and their families lived in the area of Sullivans Pond in the community known as Irishtown.  What is so exciting is that we can still see elements of their work as one of the Locks which they constructed, Lock 3, was later used to form the east and west walls of the Turbine Chamber on the Marine Railway.  Fortunately, these walls still stand and when the Power House is open to the public you will be able to look down into the Chamber where these walls still stand.  It is fascinating to try to visualize these men lowering one of the large granite blocks or, perhaps, applying wet mortar in the crevices. The back wall in the photo , thewest wall of the original Lock 3, was one of the walls of the Turbine Chamber used by the Marine Railway.   Not long after the Canal ceased operating in 1871, Starr Manufacturing used this same stone chamber to house their turbine to power the equipment used to manufacture over eleven million pairs of skates.  Little did the Irish workers know what would become of their handiwork and the uses to which it would be put. Remains of the other four locks are also buried on the site.

-Bernie Hart