By the time the last mine closed on Bell Island,
Newfoundland and Labrador in 1966, 79 million tons
of iron ore had been extracted and sold worldwide
over the industry’s 71-year history.
The first mine on Bell Island was a surface mine,
going underground and breaking out at the sea’s
shoreline. But in 1902 the first of four submarine
mines was built, extending out for miles under the
sea floor. Mining continued at Number Two right up
until 1949. | Eventually Bell Island claimed six mines: Numbers
One and Five were surface mines; Numbers Two, Three,
Four and Six went submarine.
Roughly four billion tons of ore are left in the
mines, but the industry shut down because the cost
of getting the ore from the mines to the market was
too high.
The history of mining on Bell Island is one of
constant change: the population grew from a few
hundred to 14,000; companies moved in and out; the
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