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60-436: DEVCO was organized primarily into two divisions: a community economic development organization, and the coal division. From March 30, 1968, until November 23, 2001, DEVCO's coal division operated Canada's largest underground coal mines , located in eastern Cape Breton County , Nova Scotia . Following decommissioning of its mines, DEVCO sold all non-mining surface assets to the private sector on December 18, 2001, including

120-464: A coal wash plant at Sydney Mines and built a large coal preparation/mixing and wash plant at Victoria Junction in its place. DEVCO continued to open the new mines at Phalen, Lingan and Prince while shutting older DOSCO-era mines in Glace Bay and New Waterford; particularly after a fatal explosion on February 24, 1979, at the antiquated No. 26 Colliery which killed 12 miners. Finally, DEVCO, built

180-459: A community economic development approach would develop alternate neighborhood community development financial institutions such as community development credit unions , community development banks , and community development venture capital funds . Improving the general business climate is also integral to community economic development. Strategies to do so would include improving the infrastructure and physical appearance of commercial areas,

240-602: A fuel for its blast furnaces in the mid-1980s. By the late 1980s, SYSCO had modernized by changing to an electric-arc process, smelting recycled metal. Problems with flooding and roof-falls at the Lingan mine saw production cease in 1992, just months short of the colliery's 20-year design limit. The Phalen mine continued to be the only source of online traffic for the Devco Railway, however subsequent flooding and roof-falls at Phalen caused ever increasing production costs at

300-453: A holistic and participatory way." Economic development has existed even at a basic level since the earliest recorded communities. However, in the US and several other countries, the concept of community economic development emerged "in response to tenacious poverty and the need for affordable housing, good jobs, affordable health care and quality of life matters needed for human existence." In

360-486: A large migration of these younger workers from New Waterford to other areas of the country where opportunities were available. At 8:30 pm every day the New Waterford Fire Department sets off its siren, known locally as The 8:30 Whistle. The siren has a long history and continues in tradition to this day. The original intent of the whistle is debated, with some saying it was to alert the town of

420-557: A mining disaster, others to alert locals of fires in the town, and some say it was simply for curfew. The first inhabitants of the area were the Mi'kmaq whose lifestyle was centred around hunting and fishing. The historical industry in New Waterford has been coal mining. The creation of steam powered machines during the industrial revolution led to a demand for the coal deposits of Cape Breton and northern mainland Nova Scotia. Mining in

480-496: A new international shipping pier facility on Sydney Harbour near Whitney Pier , replacing the antiquated export piers inherited from DOSCO. With federal government financing, DEVCO was in expansion mode and with the high international prices for coal, sought to produce more Cape Breton coal for export than ever before. By the late 1980s, production problems at DEVCO saw the last of the older mines inherited from DOSCO shut down, with production concentrated at Lingan, Phalen and Prince;

540-602: A payment of $ 12 million. At the same time, the Government of Nova Scotia took over the operation of DOSCO's integrated steel mill in Sydney, renaming the operation Sydney Steel Corporation , or SYSCO. DEVCO had several operating divisions, including its Coal Division, as well as economic development divisions, intended to help the Industrial Cape Breton area diversify its economy from an over-reliance on

600-472: A result. These actions shaped communities until the 1960s, when President LBJ signed into law many anti-discriminatory laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , and declared a war on poverty, which brought renewal and upward mobility for many people. More loan programs, grants, and fair housing policies were implemented throughout the 1960s and 1970s but still failed to be non-discriminatory on

660-485: A time of fiscal restraint by the federal government. In mid-2008 DEVCO sponsored the new Industrial Research Chair in Mine Water Remediation & Management at Cape Breton University in order to assist in the mine closure and to research in new environmentally friendly after uses of the mining legacy. Faced with rising subsidies for DEVCO, the federal government announced it was getting out of

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720-474: A way that enhances economic opportunities while improving social conditions in a sustainable way. It equally facilitates the effective exploration and utilization of local resources for optimal community advantages. Often CED initiatives are implemented to overcome crises and increase opportunities for communities who are disadvantaged . An aspect of "localizing economics," CED is a community-centered process that blends social and economic development to foster

780-583: Is an urban community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia , Canada. Formerly known as Barrachois (from barachois, meaning small port, lagoon or pond), its present name is likely derived from the Irish seaport Waterford , from which many early settlers came. Coal mining in the vicinity began as early as 1854 at Lingan and later at Low Point in 1865. New Waterford is located northeast of Sydney, Nova Scotia . It

840-621: Is focused on renewing urban and rural communities. Social justice is a key component to policy and conversation about changes to be made . Citizens are engaged with bureaucracies and their elected officials through a variety of mediums such as social media . Input from the people has gained more value due to increased demands for transparency. In Nigeria CED is approached with a central focus on sustainability referred to as Sustainable Community Development. This concept combines economic, social and environmental practices and policies that promote sustainability for future generations. Much of this began in

900-437: Is located near the ocean and is bordered on one side by cliffs. New Waterford has a rather flat terrain and has several fresh water lakes located nearby. New Waterford is a fishing port and former coal-mining community that has been in economic decline in recent years. There are ongoing efforts to revitalize the area's economy including a slow but steady increase in jobs in the technology sector. Many residents had been reliant on

960-414: Is not just limited to developing countries. Canada's provincial governments have been encouraging and funding municipal economic development efforts for decades. The most significant aspect of community economic development, aside from the fact that it focuses on economic development in specific localities, is that focuses on the process of community building . This “community” aspect of CED assumes that

1020-623: Is to preserve the character of communities and strong support for local business. Countries across the globe participate in reinvestment and development through a bank such as the Community Reinvestment Act , World Bank and the IDA amongst many others. Another commonality for nations international is need to incorporate sustainability and the natural environment into the growth of societies. New Waterford, Nova Scotia New Waterford ( Scottish Gaelic : Port Lairge Ùr )

1080-676: The Devco Railway and is now remediating its mine sites. In 1965, the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation , or DOSCO (then a subsidiary of the Hawker Siddeley Group ) announced that its mines had only 15 years of production left and concluded that the expense of opening new underground mines in the Sydney Coal Field would be too expensive. The company made its intentions clear that it would be exiting

1140-507: The 1960s drawdown in production. One of DEVCO's first tourism-related developments in the early 1970s was the Cape Breton Steam Railway, a joint project with the Sydney and Louisburg Railway Historical Society, which saw unused Devco Railway tracks between Glace Bay and Port Morien used for operating a tourist railway, with coal-powered steam locomotives. The project ran until it proved to be uneconomic to operate by

1200-757: The 1980s, 2 decades after gaining independence, when the World Bank declared Nigeria eligible to receive funds from the International Development Association (IDA). In Asia for the last 60 years the Asian Foundation has supported Asian initiatives to foster inclusive economic growth and broaden economic opportunities. The Foundation designs and implements economic programs in three core areas business environments for private sector growth, Entrepreneurship Development and Regional Economic Cooperation. Economic development

1260-451: The 4th of June, company police forced the workers out of the power plant and shut off water and power to the town. On June 9, the workers went on a 100% strike. On June 11, a large group of miners marched on the plant and were met by the company police who fired shots into the crowd, killing 38 year old William Davis and wounding several others. Now a full blown angry mob, the miners stormed the plant and destroyed it. The miners rounded up 30 of

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1320-547: The Second World War after which it competed with oil and has been in sharp decline ever since. As a result the coal industry in New Waterford has declined and many of its residents have moved elsewhere in the country to look for work. On the morning of July 25, 1917, an explosion erupted in the Dominion Company No.12 Colliery in New Waterford. The explosion occurred about 2000 feet below the surface. At

1380-590: The aim being to slowly wean the Sydney area economy off the coal industry. On July 7, 1967, the Cape Breton Development Corporation, or DEVCO, was established to operate the mines in the interim, while phasing them out throughout the 1970s and, at the same time, develop new economic opportunities for the surrounding communities. On March 30, 1968, DEVCO expropriated DOSCO's coal mines and the Sydney and Louisburg Railway , settling for

1440-458: The analysis the group decides what can and should be done to improve the economic conditions within the community, and then move to put the agreed-on economic goals and objectives into action. From an economic viewpoint, the initial purpose of such a CED approach is the creation of local jobs and the stimulation of business activity. Integrally linked to these purposes are strategies to increase access to capital , stimulate asset building, improve

1500-423: The area started as early as 1854. The Dominion Coal Company began operating in New Waterford in 1907 drawing in many workers mainly from Irish and Scottish Catholic backgrounds. The name likely comes from the Irish city of Waterford . New Waterford was incorporated as a town in 1913. On July 25, 1917, 65 people were killed in a coal mine explosion at New Waterford's No. 12 Colliery. Demand for coal peaked during

1560-476: The area, including McKenzie's Werewolf and Queens of the Qing Dynasty , and DeGiobbi's Mass for Shut-Ins . Coal Dust Days is a week-long community celebration that takes place approximately the third week of July. The Coal Dust Days parade, Plummer Avenue Day, the tavern tour, and fireworks display are some of the many events that take place during the week. Davis Day is a commemoration of

1620-577: The basis of race in some cases thus shaping communities in a particular fashion. Social investment gained momentum once again in the 1980s and 1990s, bringing change to communities across America. Municipal governments become more representative of the communities they serve, and the public is more involved and can interact with bureaucracies and elected officials with greater ease. Many initiatives existed at this time to renew inner cities and rural areas while also tackling social issues such as eradicating drugs and improving education. The modern-day CED movement

1680-401: The blast, entered to aid in the rescue. 3 miners who entered the mine to help with rescue efforts were killed from exposure to gasses. In total, 65 men died because of the explosion making it the worst coal mining disaster to happen on Cape Breton Island to date. The Dominion Coal Company insisted that the ventilation in the mine was in working order despite the many miners who claimed that it

1740-400: The coal and steel industries, which are now closed. The last local mine closed in 2001. Senior citizens make up a disproportionate number of town residents due to a long running unemployment problem and the economic development plans of the government which focused on propping up older declining industries. This had the effect of worsening employment prospects for younger workers resulting in

1800-677: The coal and steel industries. Initially, DEVCO focused on operating the coal mines throughout the Sydney Coal Field that it had inherited from DOSCO, while attempting to invest in other initiatives such as establishing a post-secondary education institution in the area (what would become the University College of Cape Breton, now Cape Breton University ), tourism developments, industrial parks for non-coal/steel related manufacturing industries, and investing in small area businesses and community infrastructure projects to help unemployed coal miners and steel workers who had been laid off during

1860-603: The coal industry in January 1999 by mining out the rest of Phalen by the end of the year and attempting to sell the Prince colliery. In September 1999, Phalen colliery closed for good, with 400 employees laid off and the only on-line traffic source for the Devco Railway severed. The Prince colliery continued with production, however coal was trucked from the mine to the Victoria Junction preparation plant, from which it

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1920-496: The coal mines in Nova Scotia. Due to the declining global demand for coal and having made unrealistic promises to its shareholders, Besco intended to cut the wages of miners and crack down on their ability to unionize and strike. Throughout the 1920s, the coal miner's unions clashed with Besco throughout the early 20s with multiple strikes being quelled by the police and armed forces. In 1925, contract negotiations had failed and

1980-505: The coal mining business within months. In response to a vast public outcry in industrial Cape Breton County, the minority government of Prime Minister Lester Pearson announced J.R. Donald would head a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Cape Breton coal industry, with hearings held in 1965 and 1966. The Donald Commission recommended that a federal Crown corporation be established to acquire and manage DOSCO's coal operations, with

2040-508: The community will play a dynamic role in economic development processes and that community development will contribute to sustained economic development and vice versa. In this understanding, the community is considered both an input and an output in CED. Core to some approaches is community economic analysis , where factors affecting the community are analyzed to address economic needs and to pinpoint unfulfilled opportunities. Upon completion of

2100-683: The company police and marched them into the jail. In the days following Davis' death, miners looted company stores and collieries were burned. Soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces were called in to restore order. It marked the largest deployment of the Armed Forces for a domestic conflict since the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. On June 25, the Nova Scotia's Conservative party won the general election after 43 years of Liberal government and began working with Besco and

2160-507: The company. The presiding judge on the case had also previously worked on behalf of the company and instructed the jury to find the defendants not guilty. In 1922, a monument was erected with the names and ages of the workers who were lost in the explosion to commemorate the loss of life and the courage of the people who assisted in the rescue effort. In the 1920s, the British Empire Steel Company controlled most of

2220-434: The death of a Cape Breton miner, and father of 10, William Davis . He was shot dead by the coal company security force at Waterford Lake during a mining strike on June 11, 1925. Davis was not participating in the protest, which took the form of a march from the company power plant (by Waterford Lake) and ended by the railroad tracks between Daley Road and May Street. He was shot along with two other men, who survived. Davis Day

2280-472: The early 1960s, and purchased a fleet of new diesel locomotives and coal hoppers, as well as building new locomotive shops at Victoria Junction, between Sydney and Glace Bay, and shut down the Glace Bay roundhouse and machine shops. It also built the tunnels and some surface support infrastructure for a new mine at Donkin in the early 1980s, however, this mine never went into production and the surface and sub-surface assets were mothballed. DEVCO also shut down

2340-514: The economic, social, ecological, and cultural well-being of communities. For example, neighborhood business organizations target growth in specific commercial areas by lobbying government authorities for special tax rates and real estate developments. Community economic development is an alternative to conventional economic development . Its central tenet is that "problems facing communities—unemployment, poverty, job loss, environmental degradation and loss of community control—need to be addressed in

2400-582: The general business climate, and link citywide economic development efforts to specific community development efforts. Increasing access to capital is an extremely important strategy for community economic development. Historically, residents in poor neighborhoods have experienced great difficulty finding access to capital because they are traditionally viewed as credit risks. In places where banks do offer services, these residents face other structural barriers such as minimum deposit requirements, high service fees, and complex paperwork. To solve these problems,

2460-625: The international piers, which handles coal imports from the United States and South America, while Sydney Coal Railway hauls the coal to the storage facility at Victoria Junction before transporting it to NSP's Lingan Generating Station. Since 2018 CANAC a subsidiary of SAVAGE Services, a global logistics company has run the International Coal Peir importing and delivering coal to both Lingan and Point Aconi Power Plants via rail and highway trucks. On December 31, 2009, DEVCO

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2520-474: The late 1970s. Overall, until 1973, DEVCO was more-or-less focused on continuing the operation of its former-DOSCO mines and railway, while providing new economic growth for the region. The October 1973 Yom Kippur War and the ensuing 1973 oil crisis led the federal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to re-examine all Canadian energy production, including the nationalization of Alberta oil, as well as an expansion of DEVCO coal production, reversing

2580-558: The late 19th century, reformers discovered less-than-desirable areas of the country where communities were overcrowded, unhealthy, poor, and located near factories, docks, and other places of employment. In the early twentieth century during the Progressive Era , reformers began making connections between the condition of communities and "social ills" such as crime and poverty and proposing ways to improve upon them. The Progressive agenda of political, social, and physical reform swept

2640-478: The latter not receiving any rail service. The Point Aconi Generating Station was built by Nova Scotia Power Incorporated to receive coal from the Prince colliery directly by conveyor belt, however the Lingan and Phalen mines still hauled coal to the Victoria Junction preparation plant and then to the Lingan Generating Station. The SYSCO steel mill stopped using DEVCO coal to produce coke as

2700-493: The mine sites. On December 18, 2001 DEVCO sold all surface assets, including the international shipping piers, railway track, railway rights-of-way, locomotives and rolling stock, and a coal storage facility and locomotive shops at Victoria Junction to 510845 New Brunswick Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Emera Inc. , the holding company which owns Nova Scotia Power Incorporated (Nova Scotia Power Corporation having been privatized in 1992). Emera subsequently contracted

2760-428: The mine. DEVCO was out of the coal mining business, however for a period of approximately 1 month, it was in the coal importation business. The federal government moved swiftly to sell off assets, transferring the mine properties and mineral rights back to the provincial Department of Natural Resources. DEVCO subsequently decommissioned the Victoria Junction coal wash plant and began to immediately prepare remediation of

2820-399: The miners went on strike on March 6, leaving a small workforce to prevent the mines from becoming flooded and to keep the power plant in service for the town and hospital. Besco intended to wait out the strike rather than settle with the striker's demands. By June the economic impact of the strike was felt heavily as families were close to starvation, the workers nonetheless "stood the gaff". On

2880-515: The nation and led to comprehensive antipoverty strategies, embodied by New Deal programs and other grants in the 1930s. Policies during this time were top-down, and citizens affected by them had very little input into the changes being made. Once communities began to be revitalized, segregation policy followed to determine who was allowed to live where. Housing policy and real estate practices stifled upward mobility for non-whites, and their communities developed with unique characteristics and problems as

2940-449: The northeastern tip of Boularderie Island (Prince colliery) between 1972-1975. Devco Railway built a spur to serve the adjacent Phalen and Lingan mines, extending the line to serve Nova Scotia Power Incorporated 's Lingan Generating Station which opened November 1, 1979. During the early 1980s, the Devco Railway retired its diesels locomotives inherited from the Sydney and Louisburg Railway , which had purchased them second-hand during

3000-480: The operation of its newly acquired DEVCO surface assets to Logistec Corporation . Logistec sub-contracted operation of the railway to the Société des chemins de fer du Québec , a Quebec-based railway holding company and short-line operating company. The new railway was called Sydney Coal Railway , although ownership of the track and other assets remains with Emera's subsidiary, 510845 New Brunswick Inc. Logistec operates

3060-419: The quality of quantity of residential housing, and the transportation systems in a neighborhood. While these may not directly effect economic activities, they serve to strengthen the economic well being of an area because it encourages businesses to locate there. Community economic development exists in all developed countries but varies in the way it functions with the different systems of governments around

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3120-478: The recommendation of the 1966 Donald Commission to phase out coal production and diversify the economy of Industrial Cape Breton. The Trudeau government sought to use its ownership of DEVCO to reverse Nova Scotia's reliance on the importation of foreign oil for generating electricity ; approximately 70% of the province's electricity was generated by foreign oil by the late 1970s. New mines were built and opened near New Waterford (Phalen and Lingan collieries) and at

3180-407: The strikers to come to a settlement. On the 5th of August, a settlement was reached and workers once again returned to the mines. Every year on June 11, miners across Nova Scotia abstain from working on what is known as William Davis Miner's Memorial Day to commemorate William Davis who was killed by Besco company police, along with all miners who have died in the coal mines of Nova Scotia. The town

3240-399: The time 270 miners were working inside the mine. Methane gas and coal dust that was accumulated in the shaft due to poor ventilation were ignited resulting in the large explosion. The blast itself killed 62 miners aged 14–65 and resulted in many other injuries. Rescue efforts began immediately following the explosion. Firemen and miners including those from nearby mines which were closed after

3300-505: The town of North Sydney . Canadian author Ann-Marie MacDonald set her #1 bestseller “ Fall on Your Knees ” in New Waterford, set in the early 20th century. The song 'Auction Days' by Canadian artist Jon Brooks is set in New Waterford and describes the social collapse caused by the loss of so many men to war and the mines. In recent years, two emerging filmmakers from the community, Ashley McKenzie and Winston DeGiobbi , have attracted significant attention for independent films shot in

3360-497: The world. Research makes it apparent that there are common goals and objectives such as economic activities and programs that develop low-income communities. Community Development Corporations , reformers and other agencies have other common initiatives including services to fight homelessness, lack of jobs, drug abuse, violence and crime as well as quality medical and childcare and home ownership opportunities while also bringing economic prosperity. Another increasingly common objective

3420-534: Was amalgamated with Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC). Community economic development Community economic development ( CED ) is a field of study that actively elicits community involvement when working with government and private sectors to build strong communities, industries, and markets. It includes collaborative and participatory involvement of community dwellers in every area of development that affects their standard of living. Community economic development encourages using local resources in

3480-576: Was not and that there had been gas built up in the mine. a coroner's inquiry began to investigate the cause of the explosion and found the Dominion Coal company was guilty of gross negligence. The Amalgamated Mine Workers of Nova Scotia charged the company with criminal negligence and three of their officials with manslaughter. The crown prosecutor in the case had previously defended the Dominion Company did not bring in any evidence against

3540-413: Was the setting for the 1999 comedic coming-of-age film New Waterford Girl . New Waterford Girl is a drama about Moonie Pottie, a gifted teenager, who dreams of life beyond her small town. She becomes inspired when a 15-year-old girl from New York moves in next door. Starring many local actors and mostly Canadian talent, it is set in the mid 1970s. Most of the scenes in the movie were actually filmed in

3600-482: Was then taken by rail to the Lingan Generating Station. Devco Railway also began to be used for importing some coal from locations in the United States and South America , with the international shipping piers beginning to be used in the reverse of their intended design. On November 23, 2001, Prince colliery closed for good, after the federal government failed to entice any private sector investors to purchase

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