ABEC News for October 2007
Dear Colleagues,
On
January 8th, 2007 year, the family of our Colleagues, Bulgarian
Educated Electrical Engineers, Stoyan and Venelina Boychev was involved in a horrific
car accident. The victim of that crash was their son Marian, who is now undergoing
constant therapies. The Council of the Association of Bulgarian Engineers in
Canada is appealing to all ABEC Members to respond to the efforts of the
organizers of the concert – campaign in help of Marian’s strong hope for future
recovery and give a cheerful encouragement to his Mom and Dad - our Colleagues
Venelina and Stoyan. We all know that “The charity begins at home” so let’s
show them our understanding and kind assistance.
For
the Members of ABEC, who are living outside GTA Toronto, ON and wishing to
express their support for Marian’s recovery, please send cards or envelopes to:
Mr. Stoyan Boychev
For
Marian,
Bulgarian
Orthodox Cathedral
“Sts.
Cyril and Methody”
237 Sackville Street.
Toronto ОN, M5S 2T9
TRAINING
Please refer to your local EI and Employment Ontario Office for information on a technical courses and new*** Programs for Internationally Educated Engineers and especially for Electronic and Electrical Engineers.
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/english/index.asp
http://www.settlement.org/site/events/nic_home.asp
http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/citdiv/apt/index.html
Brown Fleming Catholic Adult Center
870 Queen Street West
Tel.905-891-3034
Website: www.dpcdsb.org/coopcentre
Skills for Change
http://www.skillsforchange.org/programs/index.html.
Engineering Your Future (EYF) ***
http://www.skillsforchange.org/eyf/index.html
Teach in Ontario
http://www.skillsforchange.org/teachinontario/index.html
Skills for Change is a
United Way Member Agency
Registered Charitable Organization #121471858
RR0001
791 St. Clair Avenue West · Toronto, Ontario · P 416.658.3101 · F 416.658.
Job search for Southern Ontario
Applicants Inc., www.applicants.ca
CAES Career Advancement Employment Services Inc.
Caledon Community Services and Upgrading
Canadian Executive Consultants Inc.
Canadian Jobs Catalogue Table of Contents (D)
Careerclick.com | Welcome | Careers, Resumes, Jobs
EngCen.ca - jobs and resumes for Canadian Engineers
GOjobs -- Government of Ontario Job Opportunities
HRDC Labour Market Information
Visit the Career Resources for valuable resume writing tips, networking tips , interviewing tips and more.
http://www.possibilitiesproject.com/index.asp
Canadian
Recruiting Firm WWW Site Links
http://www.directoryofrecruiters.com/wwwsites.html
Stoakley-Dudley Consultants Ltd.
The Toronto Star Careers - a workopolis.com Community
Workopolis.com - Canada's Biggest Job Site
CSME -- Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering
http://www.brainhunter.com/bhnh/eng/index.html
http://www.applicants.ca/joblistings.html
http://www.maple-reinders.com/careers.php
See also jobs in Canada
http://engineering.thingamajob.com
http://www.infomine.com/careers/
http://www.pythonrecruiting.ca:8080/careers.html
http://www.northernminerjobs.com
This list is ours – ABEC’s and is the product of many hours of volunteer work collecting
and organizing information for the benefits of our newcomers Colleagues- Bulgarian Engineers.
News
Brazil's leader
calls on Africa to embrace biofuels production
by Staff
Writers
|
Brazil's
President Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva called Monday on Africa to join a biofuels revolution" to democratize access to energy across the continent. "Brazil invites Burkina Faso and all of Africa to join the biofuels revolution. With biofuels we can democratize access to energy in Africa," Lula said. The Brazilian leader spoke at an international colloquium on democracy and development during the first day of an Africa tour that also takes him to Congo, South Africa and Angola. |
"We need to add a new source of energy capable of responding to Africa's economic and social needs," said Lula, whose country has become the world's leading ethanol producer. For more see http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Brazils_leader_calls_on_Africa_to_embrace_biofuels_production_999.html
The coal gasification process
by H. E. Robinson
The Canadian Clean Power
Coalition, a group of industry suppliers and consumers interested in finding
ways to reduce the negative impacts of coal processing, suggested the use of
coal gasification techniques. This process has the potential to mitigate
environmental effects such as the emission of greenhouse gases, and generate
by-products that are useful in other areas of the carbon industry.
Gasification breaks
down coal into hydrogen (H2), a synthetic gas called ‘syngas,’ and carbon
dioxide (CO2). While the H2 can be used
for bitumen upgrading, a high-purity CO2 is released during H2 production that
can be captured for enhanced oil recovery or storage. The syngas can be used as
a fuel to replace natural gas or go through further refinement to produce more
H2 and CO2. All three products in the gasification process have commercial
applications.
The initial step involves
combining dried and pulverized coal, oxygen, and high-pressure water or steam
in a gasifier. The coal is exposed to the steam under high temperatures, while
the pressure and oxygen levels are carefully controlled. This produces a
mixture of H2, and a combination of CO2 and CO (carbon monoxide) which makes up
syngas. The syngas is then cooled using water. The waste water is either
treated at a waste management plant, or recycled back into the gasification
process. Any particles and trace metals are removed from the syngas before it
is ready to be marketed as a substitute for natural gas, or it can be refined
again to convert H2 to CO2.
Hydrogen can be used to
upgrade a heavy crude oil (bitumen) into petroleum products such as gasoline.
Carbon-rich bitumen is extracted from oil sands deposits as a thick and viscous
semi-solid fluid. Treating the crude oil with H2 helps remove sulphur and
nitrogen, and then upgrades it into synthetic crude. This, in turn, can be
converted into gasoline, jet fuel, and other petroleum products. Natural gas is
typically used to produce H2 for this process; however, recent fluctuations in
the price and the relatively limited supply of natural gas have made the use of
H2 from coal gasification more economic.
The CO2 produced by coal
gasification is concentrated, has a high purity, and can be captured so that it
is not released into the atmosphere or transported by pipeline for further use.
Carbon dioxide is used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations where it is
injected into declining oil fields in a process called ‘miscible displacement.’
The gas dissolves the oil, which reduces oil viscosity and maintains reservoir
pressure. This improves the flow of oil from the reservoir and results in
increased production. One of the criticisms to this technique is that pumping
CO2 into the ground often requires the use of more energy, while EOR also frees
more fossil fuels for consumption, which only leads to more CO2 being emitted.
However, the economic advantages of using CO2 in EOR can compensate for the
expense of injecting CO2 into the ground.
Both H2 and CO2 are
marketable gases and the coal gasification process produces them in relatively
pure forms. While H2 can be used for many applications outside the mining
industry, CO2 needs to be captured and stored (see “The search for low-cost CO2
storage” article, page 40).
The final step in coal
gasification is converting the remaining ash from the original coal feed into a
stable and inert solid that can be used for backfilling, or as asphalt for
roads.
Published
in CIM Magazine / Bulletin
September / October 2007, Volume 2 No. 6
The search for low-cost CO2 storage
by H. E. Robinson
It is impossible to mention
clean coal technology without discussing the challenges of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). While the
development of new technologies in coal processing address how to reduce
emissions and make the best use of by-products, CCS deals with long-term
storage of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas associated
with the increase in global temperatures. In an attempt to reduce the negative
effects of fossil fuel burning, CO2 produced by this process can be stored to
prevent emissions to the atmosphere. Coal gasification is one method of
producing high-purity CO2 that can be used for applications such as enhanced
oil recovery.
One of the ways to manage
captured CO2 is storing it in geological formations. These may include oil
fields, coal seams, or saline formations. Redistributing CO2 in soil beneath
the surface traps the gas and prevents it from escaping to the atmosphere.
Enhanced oil recovery is an example of this method being used by projects such
as the International Energy Agency’s Weyburn project in Saskatchewan.
Carbon dioxide is injected
into depleted oil fields in order to improve the flow of oil, which can then be
extracted. Because this method enhances oil field production, it can offset the
cost of injecting CO2. Similarly, CO2 can be stored in unminable coal seams
where the gas releases methane, which can be recovered and used as compensation
for the cost of CO2 storage. Other methods of geo-sequestration include storage
in saline formations; however, there are no economically viable by-products to
offset the costs associated with carbon sequestration.
Geo-sequestration has a great
deal of potential for Alberta. The Western Sedimentary Basin can provide
storage for CO2 in large quantities. Paul Clark, president of Ripley Canyon
Resources Ltd. and a proponent of clean coal technology, said “Alberta has
unlimited storage or sequestration in aquifers.” He also noted “carbon capture
and sequestration is not cheap. Examples like the Weyburn project put a value
on CO2 by using it in enhanced oil recovery.”
Using old oil fields for
carbon storage can present problems such as leakage. This means that all
entrances and pipes leading from the surface to the oil field must be entirely
sealed. For storage sites that are selected and managed well, CO2 can be
retained for hundreds of years.
Another alternative for CO2
storage is deep in the oceans. Water at these depths can circulate for hundreds
of years before reaching the surface. However, little is known about the
effects that this would have on marine life. Also, CO2 reacts with seawater and
could increase the acidity of the oceans, which would affect organisms that
have calcium bicarbonate structures, such as snails, clams, and corals.
There are several different
options for carbon storage that are currently being explored. The challenges
any effective measure will have to overcome are primarily the cost of CSS and
the potential long-term effects to the environment.
Published
in CIM Magazine / Bulletin
September / October 2007, Volume 2 No. 6
Innovation
Page
Sensors for mining
by G. Winkel
and T. Demorest
The mining industry has
benefited from continued innovations that effectively address operating
challenges. The Alberta Research Council (ARC) is one group that is working to
deliver creative solutions for mining through the development of associated
technologies that are commercially viable.
The latest focus areas for
ARC supports surface mining operations with the next generation of technologies
to improve the detection of shovel bucket tooth condition and tramp
metal in ore streams.
A double roll crusher in operation
Missing tooth
detection
Shovel bucket tooth breakage
or unchecked premature wear at a tooth location can result in significant and
harmful impacts to a mining operation. In addition to the risk of damage to the
bucket itself, a lost tooth entering an ore production system can cause
catastrophic damage to sizing, conveying, and processing equipment.
The Alberta Research Council
has developed a system to detect the incidence of missing, broken, or partially
broken teeth on a shovel bucket. They have worked closely with the mining
industry to continuously improve this product through increased reliability in
detection. It works by utilizing a remote “machine vision” technology that
captures images of the “tooth line” on every upswing of the shovel and then,
through the use of specialized computer algorithms, compares it against a base
case, fully intact tooth line to check for differences. In this way, when a
tooth is partially or completely broken off, the system alerts the shovel
operator and steps can be taken to prevent the broken tooth from entering the
mining/processing stream.
The latest innovation
developed by ARC for this technology greatly enhances the capability to monitor
even small changes to a bucket tooth profile. It does this through the use of a
new software system that uses new dual-layer processing algorithms that are new
to this technology. Couple this with a hardware design that has undergone
thousands of hours of in-field testing, and you have the next generation of
missing tooth detection technology.
And it doesn’t stop there!
Based on this new technology platform, development work is being carried out to
differentiate between the suddenness of a broken tooth versus the gradual tooth
wear that is incurred during operation. Building in this next layer of
sophistication will give the system the ability to also measure, track, and
display information regarding shovel tooth wear.
Further work is also being
done to have the system analyze the mine face as the shovel excavates, to
identify oversized rock as a means of testing blasting effectiveness and
preventing oversized material from entering the downstream mining systems.
Tramp metal detection
In addition to shovel teeth,
any inadvertent introduction of sizable metal material (from components to
beams and wear plates) can have equally serious consequences to a mining train.
Detection of this so-called “tramp metal” would be a direct benefit to
preventing downstream equipment damage.
Good work has been done by
many to provide tramp metal detection. However, this type of detection is not
easy. As much of the mining equipment is constructed of metal, it can be
challenging to differentiate tramp metal from the material handling systems
themselves. This, in turn, can restrict where effective tramp metal detection
can be accomplished. In addition, systems may fail to detect metal material or,
conversely, can be oversensitive and cause unnecessary mining system shutdowns.
In response, ARC is also
investigating technologies for enhanced tramp metal detection, with the support
of mine operators associated with the Surface Mining Association for Research
and Technology (SMART) group. Proposed innovations consist of leveraging
technologies that can adapt to changing operating and environmental conditions
and essentially “learn” from past operating events, to effectively identify
tramp metal and alert/intervene in the process control system.
Once again,
innovation in developing new technologies, as evidenced from the previously
discussed efforts to leverage sensor development for mining, has the promise of
supporting mining industry effectiveness.
Published
in CIM Magazine / Bulletin
September / October 2007, Volume 2 No. 6
ABEC NEWS
Association of Bulgarian Engineers in Canada – ABEC
The Council of the
Association of Bulgarian Engineers in Canada is bringing to the attention of
all Bulgarian Engineers in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, the signed Agreement
between TD Meloche Monnex and the Coalition “European Engineers”. The Coalition
is formed from the Associations of Bulgarian, Polish, Romanian and Hungarian
Engineers in Canada.
The Group Insurance Affinity
Agreement provided to “European Engineers” by Meloche Monnex allows the Members
to participate at preferred group rates to obtain home, automobile, travel and
small business (micro enterprise) insurance coverage for the members, their
spouses and children living at home.
See -
http://www.melochemonnex.com
-- “We'd like to introduce you to the logical solution in home
and auto insurance. TD Meloche Monnex partners with more than 250 associations,
offering professionals and alumni preferred group rates*,
high-quality insurance products and exceptional service. Your
special status gets you outstanding value! To discover more about your
insurance coverage options with TD Meloche Monnex, visit
our
website and get a free online quote now.”
The program conditions,
administration, marketing, confidentiality, indemnifications are similar for
all professional and alumni association programs (CIM, PEO).
The TD Meloche Monnex home
and auto program offered to groups is underwritten by Security National
Insurance Company and distributed by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. Due
to provincial legislation, the automobile insurance program is not offered in
British Columbia, Saskatchewan or Manitoba. The group auto insurance rates are
not applicable in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island
Please note that we are in
the process of preparing an “Eligibility List” for Meloche Monnex. Only Members
of ABEC in good standing will have their name activated into the group of the
“European Engineer”. To be a Member of ABEC you must possess a Degree from
Technical Engineering Universities and paid-up membership fees of 50 dollars
CDN.
New Members are always
welcome!
www.abec.ca
Please communicate this
announcement to your friends, colleagues and compatriots, so more Bulgarian
Engineers could use this Insurance Program.
The Bulgarian Engineers are
highly knowledgeable professionals working with honesty, competence and
integrity all over the world.
This Program may be for you!
From the ABEC’s
Council
Membership fee, due for 2007 year is $50 per year. Please send your cheque (making it payable to ABEC) to our Treasurer Eng. Tonya Bojkova at the address:
Mrs. Tonya Bojkova,
903 – 91 Cosburn Ave.,
Toronto, Ontario,
M4K 2G2
We will announce shortly the time and the location for the next ABEC’s General Meeting.
New Members are always welcome!
Best Regards to all ABEC Members,
Pauline Loultcheva-Lawrence
pauline_m_lawrence@hotmail.com
What to
visit
Uniquely
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's blend of
dramatic seas, scenic lands, Celtic music and friendly people shape a maritime
culture like no other.
Witness the world's highest
tide out of the Minas Basin and beachcomb the ocean floor for treasures. Drive the
Cabot Trail, Canada's great ocean highway. Visit the province's capital city,
the seaport of Halifax. Or stop by the town of Lunenburg to see the home of the
world-famous Bluenose II. The true
Canadian Champion in the International
Fishermen's Race, Bluenose I - a sleek looking
craft, designed to meet the race rule specifications of 145 feet overall
maximum length and racing trim water line length not exceeding 112 feet.
![[The Schooner Bluenose]](2007-10_files/image010.jpg)
Nova Scotia's
seacoast diversity is what makes this peninsula so unique.
Maritime Archaic
Indians - the Mi'kmaq Native History
Kejimkujik National Park and
National Historic Site of Canada lies
in the centre of traditional canoe routes between the Bay of Fundy and the
Atlantic Coast. The earliest inhabitants of Kejimkujik were Maritime Archaic
Indians, present from about 4,500 years ago. The nomadic Woodland Indians were
next to inhabit the area, utilizing seasonal campsites along rivers and
lakeshores. The gifts of the Aboriginal people –
their legends, art, music, spirituality, history, and language - enrich the
very essence of this province.
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/arch/ceram.htm
The legends of
mythic hero-god Glooscap give meaning to the extraordinary geography of this
place - it was a meeting between Glooscap and a mighty whale that created the
awesome tides of the
Bay of Fundy, for instance.
The Mi'kmaq are descendants of these people
and have called this area home for the last 2,000 years. Petroglyphs are one
remaining trace of Mi'kmaq life in the Park.
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/imagesns/petroglyphs
Celtic culture
Nova Scotia is Latin for New
Scotland. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, tens of thousands of Scottish
and Irish immigrants chose this peninsula on the east coast of a budding new
world as the place they would call home. The Celtic community unites Breton,
Cornish, Irish, Manx, Scots and Welsh, all Scottish clans’ descendants
from neighboring geographical area and families in the old country.
Cape Breton Island, in
particular, offers a chance to truly explore Celtic culture and history. There
is a saying common here: Ciad mile
failte. It means “a hundred thousand welcomes” and is typical
of the warm greeting the island’s visitors can expect.
For centuries, Nova Scotia
has been the gateway to Canada. From the arrival of the earliest explorers
like John Cabot, to Samuel de Champlain’s band of hardy adventurers determined
to settle an untamed world, to waves of Scottish immigrants and British
soldiers, to German farmers from the Rhine Valley - Nova Scotia has welcomed
them all.
The past is present every day
in Nova Scotia. Pass through the immigration sheds of Pier 21 National Historic Site in
Halifax, where over a million immigrants, troops, war
brides, and evacuee children started their new lives.
Gaelic Culture
Welcome to Nova Scotia, the last stronghold for Gaelic language and culture in North America. Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language and was first spoken in Nova Scotia by tens of thousands of Scottish emigrants who came from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in the late 18th early 19th century. As in Scotland and Ireland, those who speak Gaelic are referred to as Gaels. Today there are more than 2,000 Gaelic speakers in Nova Scotia. The strength of the Gaelic culture, music, history and language has endured here for three centuries, living and breathing in everyday life.
Traditions
The Scottish Gaels brought
with them one of western Europe’s richest oral traditions, including an ancient
storytelling tradition, acapella singing, a proud bardic tradition and a unique
fiddling, piping and dance tradition. This tradition was nurtured in
communities throughout Nova Scotia – many of them reflecting regional
traditions from their Scottish homes of origin, which continue to this day.
Acadian culture
The heart of Acadia beats in
Nova Scotia. You’ll find expressions of the unique Acadian history, culture,
and music all across this province. The Habitation, the fort built by the first
120 French settlers who arrived in 1604, stands on the shores of the Bay of
Fundy for visitors to explore.
http://www.girouard.org/cgi-bin/page.pl?file=deportation&n=4
,
http://www.acadian-home.org/deportation.html
,
An initiative of the
government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1961, the rebuilding over the
next two decades of Fortress Louisbourg transformed the ruins from heaps of
grass and stones to the impressive historical and interpretive site it is
today. The old capital of Isle Royale was back!
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/natcul/natcul4_E.asp .
Researchers are sorting and analyzing the local roots with the genealogy connections abound and between Cajuns in Louisiana and the Acadians at the Acadian Centre Archives at Universite Ste.-Anne.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
German Culture
“The Jewel of the East Coast", the Town of Lunenburg, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. It is the second urban community in Continental North
America to be included on this list (the other is old Quebec City).
Time slows down when you
stroll along white sand...
Old Town Lunenburg, where all streets are straight and
all corners square, is the best surviving example of a British colonial policy of
creating new settlements by imposing a pre-designed “model town” plan on
whatever tract of wilderness it was the King’s pleasure to colonize. At least
21 North American settlements, from Cornwall and Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario
to Savannah, Georgia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, benefited from this
policy. But none has survived in such pristine condition as the little
south-coast Nova Scotia town of Lunenburg.
The settlement was created in
June 1753 as a home for 1,453 mostly German-speaking Protestant German, Swiss
and Montbéliardian French colonists. The townsite, true to then-current
convention, consisted of seven north-south streets, 48 feet wide (with the
exception of King Street, which is 80 feet), intersected at right angles by
nine east-west streets, each 40 feet wide, creating blocks that were further
divided into 14 lots of 40 by 60 feet each. Each family received one town lot.
The London-based Board of Trade and Plantations developed the plans without
regard to local topography, which is why Lunenburg’s streets are never less
than straight but sometimes dizzyingly steep.
There are some 400 major
buildings within the old town, 70 percent of them from the 18th and 19th
centuries, almost all of them wood, and many colorfully painted.
“The ancestors of today's
Lunenburgers were immigrant farmers, mostly Germans and some English, French
and Swiss who, in only two generations, through necessity, time and
determination were molded into some of the world's finest seamen and
shipbuilders - into a breed of people unsurpassed in history, in resolution,
versatility and craftsmanship.”
Thus wrote Elizabeth Hiscott
in the "Atlantic Advocate" magazine in 1978, when Lunenburgers
celebrated the 225th anniversary of the founding of their town.
The Town of Lunenburg was
named in honour of the Duke of Braunschweig-Luneburg who had become King of
England in 1727. Lunenburg was the first British colonial settlement in Nova
Scotia outside of Halifax and was a deliberate attempt at civilian colonization
of what, until that time, had been a native and subsequently Acadian territory.
The expansion of the fishing
industry continued into the 20th Century and a host of associated businesses
flourished along Lunenburg's waterfront. The age of sail culminated in the “Bluenose
Era”— the 1920s and '30s, when the Town was a hive of activity, the harbour
filled with masts and sails, including those of the famous schooner Bluenose,
and the nearby shores taken up by fish drying flakes. This was also the time of
prohibition and the highly romanticized "rum
running" era.
A view from Lunenburg's
beautiful waterfront today will take to many established marine industries:
High Liner Foods Inc., one of the largest fish processing plants in North
America; Lunenburg Industrial Foundry and Engineering Ltd., founded in 1891;
Scotia Trawler; Adams and Knickle; Deep Sea Trawlers; ABCO Industries Ltd.,
founded in 1947; and the Lunenburg Marine Railway, one of the largest marine
railway complexes in Nova Scotia. A diversified economy based on the fisheries,
tourism and manufacturing has become firmly entrenched in Lunenburg. The Town
of Lunenburg's 250th anniversary in 2003 is a testament to this.
It was because of diligence,
hard work, competence and endurance that the early settlers were able to
survive. Coming to this new land gave them hope for peace and freedom. They
brought the traits and traditions that enabled the people of Lunenburg not only
to survive and continue, but also to make their town one of the best known in
all of Canada.
http://www.town.lunenburg.ns.ca
Cape Breton – Town of Baddeck
Best
known as the inventor of the telephone, Alexander
Graham Bell was also one of the outstanding figures of his generation in
the education of the deaf. Bell first came to Baddeck in 1885 and returned the
next year to establish a vacation home for his family, far from the formality
and summer heat of Washington D.C.C.
By the time of
set by
© Parks Canada \ AGBNHS of C \
Multiplex #431
Cape Breton Miners Museum
Coal mining is known as one
of the toughest, most dangerous jobs in the world. The tour guides in this
remarkable museum can attest to that – many are retired coal miners. The museum
is located in the proud mining town of Glace Bay on one of the world’s
prettiest islands,
Cape Breton.
Wander throughout the Mining
Village through two separate periods of life in a "company town" –
the 1850s and the turn of the century. Step back in time as you visit
the Miners' Village, don't miss an underground tour of the Ocean Deeps
Colliery, a coal mine located beneath the Museum building. It’s a trip into
the workday in the life of a coal miner in 1932. Retired coal miners
are your guides for this excursion underground, and promise to entertain and
inform you in a custom that has become treasured by visitors all over the
world.
Exhibit Hall features
permanent and temporary installations on the geology of coal development,
mining techniques and equipment, and the personal, moving stories of miners and
their families. The museum is proud to call itself home to the world-renowned
men’s choir, The Men of the Deeps.
http://www.menofthedeeps.com/discography.html
In Nova Scotia, the coal
production is 7,000,000 tons annually. The coal mined in Nova Scotia, has for
generations, gone to provide the driving power for the industries of Quebec and
Ontario. For almost a century, Nova Scotia has been exporting the raw material
that lies at the base of all modern industry.
"The Cape Breton Development Corporation, a federal Crown corporation,
currently controls all leases on the Sydney Coal Field. This coal field, which
contains the only metallurgical coal east of Alberta, is part of a large
carboniferous basin stretching from Cape Breton Island some 100 kilometers
north-east. Its leasehold is a small portion of the total coal field which
extends eight kilometers off-shore.
In 1911, if a person in Cape
Breton was not born in Nova Scotia, then they were most likely from
Newfoundland, Scotland, Russia or Italy. By 1921, data indicates that the
ethnic origin of Cape Bretoners was mainly Scottish, followed by English, Irish
and then Acadian or French. There were smaller numbers of Jewish,
Austro-Hungarian, Belgian, Polish and Black citizens.
Amazing
mining facts: In 1873, there were eight coal companies operating
in Cape Breton. The miners were paid from 80 cents to $1.50 per day and the
boys were paid 65 cents.
For more see…
http://www.minersmuseum.com/history_of_mining.htm
Marconi
National Historic Site of Canada
History
Late in October 1902, the
Royal Italian Navy warship, Carlo Alberto, arrived in Sydney Harbour, arousing
intense interest. Not only was the ship festooned with a bizarre array of
copper aerials but on board was Signore Guglielmo Marconi, the scientific
sensation of the day. Just a year before, on 12 December 1901, on the top of
Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland, Marconi had received a Morse code
signal from his transmitter in England. It is difficult in today's world to
conceive of the impact of such an event. Young, elegant and charming, Marconi was
a member of an Italian family closely related to influential members of the
British establishment. To these advantages were added a keen sense of
scientific enquiry, enlightened by a spark of genius and, to top it off, a
finely-tuned business sense that could close in on an opportunity like a steel
trap.
From this site in 1902, Marconi sent the
first message across the Atlantic using electro-magnetic waves instead of
wires.
© Parks Canada / Morrison Powell, 2002
Although the Anglo-American
Telegraph Company forced Marconi to end his experiments in Newfoundland because
it claimed he had violated its communications monopoly, within days he was in
Ottawa dining with Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier and the Hon. William S.
Fielding, minister of finance and the most powerful Nova Scotian politician in
Ottawa. In two more days, he came away with promises of $80,000. to finance a
station to be located in Cape Breton, most likely on a windy plateau thrusting
out into the North Atlantic from the edge of the booming mining town of Glace
Bay.
Why there?
Unlike his scientific
contemporaries, Marconi did not labour in dusty obscurity and his Newfoundland
experiences had been followed by a fascinated public, including leading
citizens of Cape Breton. Seizing the opportunity when he landed at North Sydney
on 26 December 1901, fresh from his triumph in Newfoundland, they gave him a
whirlwind tour of possible station sites near Sydney. Marconi liked Table Head
and on a later visit in March announced his choice of the site. The owner, the
Dominion Coal Company, turned it over to him and with his financing established
with support from the Canadian government, the thing was done.
By the time Marconi arrived
with the Carlo Alberto in 1902, the Table Head site was occupied by four
spectacular wooden aerial towers, each over 200 feet in height, as well as the
buildings containing the electrical equipment. After much experimentation, on
14 December, the station in Cornwall reported readable Morse code signals over
a two hour period. The next night, the Canadian correspondent for the London
Times, George Parkin sent a dispatch to England. This was followed by official
messages to King Edward VII of Britain and King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
Transatlantic wireless telegraphy had begun.
For more see...
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/marconi/natcul/index_E.asp
http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dci/source/3d_e.asp?sitename=mar&theme=te&btn_state=%20Text%20Tour
Route 19/Ceilidh Trail
Glenville, Cape Breton
Nova Scotia, Canada
1-800-839-0491
Glen Breton Rare Canadian Single Malt
Whisky is the only single malt whisky
produced in Canada. It is produced by the traditional copper pot stills method
using only three ingredients: Barley, Yeast and Water.
It can not be called 'Scotch'
unless it is produced in Scotland, hence, Canadian Single Malt Whisky.
Colour: Golden Amber
Nose: Butterscotch, heather, honey and ground ginger
Taste: Creamy with a good flow of toasty wood, almond and
caramel
Finish: Rounded, lingering, faintly sweet, merest whisper of
peat
Glen Breton Rare Canadian Single Malt Whisky - Glenora Distillery (Canada). An
aromatic whisky presenting a pleasing golden-yellow colour highlighted with
hints of amber and orange. The nose is medium-bodied, but pleasantly fiery,
offering a tight combination of butterscotch, heather, honey and ground ginger
with elongated, wood-infused undertones.
Fore more see…
http://www.glenoradistillery.com/glenbreton.htm