WABANA 493 Wabana WABANA (inc. 1950; pop. 1991, 3608). Wabana is the went on an unsuccessful strike, asking for 12 cents an largest community on Bell Island qv. The history of hour, a raise of2 cents. Four years later, 1600 workers Wabana is closely tied to the development of the struck, demanding a raise to 15 cents an hour. Some mines. As early as 1578, Anthony Parkhurst qv noted 1100 of them belonged to the Wabana Workmen and the presence of iron ore on Bell Island. In 1612, in­ Labourers Union, led by Thomas St. John. The bitter vestor Percival Willoughby qv was informed by Henry strike was ended by what became known as 'the Treaty Crout that, "the like land is not in Newfoundland for ofi<.elligrews': the men were given raises but the union good earth and great hope of Irone stone" (Cell). was dissolved. Willoughby attempted, unsuccessfully, to gain owner­ The total population of Bell Island was 1320 in ship of the island. There appears to have been some 1901, and included 199 miners. Other miners com­ attempt at mining the ore c. 1819; Lewis Anspach qv muted to work from around Conception Bay, many of noted a mine at Back Cove, but gave no details. In them living in company "mess shacks" during the 1891, just before full-scale commercial mining began, week and returning home on weekends. By 1911, 265 709 people were living on Bell Island, fishing and miners and their families, in a total population of 1604 farming. In 1895 the Butler family of Topsail gained people were living in the area around the mines. The the rights to the iron ore deposit, which was subse­ community had Roman Catholic, Church of England quently developed by the New Glasgow Coal, Iron and and Salvation Army churches. There were about 28 Railway Co. The secretary of the company, Thomas factory buildings in the community, and it had five Cantley, decided to name the area around the mine merchants and two doctors. By 1921 there were also ''Waban a''. Derived from the Abnaki words wabunaki Methodist and Presbyterian churches, and a popula­ (eastland) and waban (the dawn), the name was chosen tion of 2672, including 424 people employed in the because the mine was the most easterly in North Amer­ mine. The shore fishery had virtually ceased to exist. ica. The New Glasgow Co. purchased the mine from In 1920 mining operations were taken over by the the Butlers and in tum sold out to the Nova Scotia Steel British Empire Steel Company (BESCO), and later by and Coal Co., popularly known as the Scotia Co. It was the Dominion Steel Company (DOSCO). A new union, soon discovered that the main body of ore, acquired by the Wabana Mine Workers, was formed and was led the Whitney Company (later Dominion Steel), lay in for many years by D.l. (Nish) Jackman qv. The mine beds beneath the surface. As early as 1896, 180 miners experienced its share of disasters. In 1938 a methane 494 WABANA WEEKLY 5 km south of Labrador City qv. The area to the south of Wabush Lake was known to contain minerals from the 1930s. However, mineral rights to this parcel of land were relinquished by the Labrador Mining and Exploration Co. (parent company of the Iron Ore Com­ pany of Canada or I.O.C.) in the early 1950s, as it was felt that the deposits were not of high enough grade to be profitably mined. In 1953 John C. Doyle's Canadian Javelin Co. purchased the mineral rights in the area from a provincial crown corporation. The next year Doyle incorporated Wabush Mines Ltd. to promote de­ velopment of a mine at the site. Meanwhile, I.O.C. had begun to take an interest in deposits at nearby Carol Lake. By the time I.O.C. had established the townsite of Labra­ dor City and had begun full production from their mine and concentrator in 1962 a pilot plant had been in oper­ Mural at Wabana campus ofCabot College ation at the Wabush deposits for two years and the deci­ gas explosion killed two men, and 22 men, mostly sion had been taken to go ahead with production. commuting miners, were killed in 1940 by the colli­ Development of the Scully Mine and concentrating plant sion of the ferry boats W. Garland and Little Golden by Pickands Mather & Co. commenced in January of Dawn. During World War II the ore carrier S.S. 1962 and the project was officially dedicated in 1965, Saganaga was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1942, when full production had been reached. while the ore carrier S.S. Rose Castle and merchant The Wabush Mines townsite, across Jean Lake from ship PLM were also sunk near Wabana. the mine, was officially named City of Wabush (in From 1949 the mines were controlled by Dominion order to keep pace with its neighbouring town, Labra­ Wabana Ore Ltd., a subsidiary of DOSCO. Wabana dor City) and had a population of3500 by 1971, reach­ entered its most prosperous period, and until 1956 ing a peak of about 4000 people 10 years later. there was extensive modernization of the mine. The Beginning in the 1980s, however, depressed markets number of people employed in mining peaked at 2280 for steel led to shutdowns and layoffs at Wabush in 1958, and the next year shipments of iron ore Mines, and in 1994 many of the company-built homes reached 2.81 million tons. Most of it went to the steel and apartments in the town lay idle. mill at Sydney, Nova Scotia. The town of Wabana had Initially cut off from all but air traffic with the a population of 8026 in 1961 and was almost entirely outside world (and even from Labrador City), by the dependent on the mines. But increasing competition early 1960s the companies had agreed on joint owner­ from cheaper sources of ore led to the closure of the ship and operation of a spur railway line connecting number 6 mine in 1959 and the number 4 mine in with the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway, 1962. Production ceased in 1966 with the closure of while Wabush Airport also came to serve both commu­ the number 3 mine, and many people left Wabana. So nities. In 1976 a further road link was built to Ferm­ many families ended up in the mining town of Cam­ ont, Quebec, and by 1987 mining company roads in bridge (Galt), Ontario that it earned the nickname of northern Quebec had been upgraded to the point where Little Bell Island. By 1976, only 4824 people re­ there was a rough road to Baie Comeau and beyond. In mained in Wabana. Some people returned to small­ 1992 Wabush and Labrador City were also linked to scale fishing and farming while others commuted to Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay by the St. John's to work. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Trans-Labrador Highway. Cuff and Kelleher (1989), the main employers were the schools, the community college, the Walter Templeman Memorial Hospital and Pinnacle Seafoods fish plant. The Wabana mines were named a national historic site, and the town's history was celebrated in several large murals on public build­ ings. See BELL ISLAND; IRON ORE. Gillian Cell (1969), E.R. Seary (1971), Gail Weir (1989), Census (1891-1991), Rounder (June 1981), Centre for New­ foundland Studies (Bell Island). ACB WABANA WEEKLY. Officially registered on July 4, 1936, this weekly paper was published in Wabana and edited by D.W. Smith. There are no known extant copies. Suzanne Ellison ( 1988). ILB WABUSH (inc. 1967; pop. 1991, 2331). An iron ore mining town in western Labrador, Wabush is located The original ''pilot'' townsite WADHAM ISLANDS 495 C.K. Howse (BN III, 1967), J.R. Smallwood (1973), November 1982. Joe Waddon (interview, June 1994), Census (1971-1991), Wabush Mines (1965?). RHC DNLB (1990), Centre for Newfoundland Studies (Jo­ seph Waddon Sr.). LBM WADDEN,HUGH (1933- ). Athlete. Born Port Morien, Nova Scotia; son of Mary (Nicholson) and WADHAM ISLANDS. The Wadhams are a group of Thomas Wadden. Married Helen Head. Wadden began islands at the eastern entrance to *Sir Charles Hamil­ playing with the Buchans Miners senior hockey team ton Sound qv, southeast of Fogo Island. The largest is in 1953, as an "import"' and became one of the bet­ Peckford's Island, which is also the closest to the ter-known players in central Newfoundland (at that mainland at Musgrave Harbour qv, while the most time a hockey "hotbed"). He helped the Miners win northerly and easterly is known as the Offer Wadham. two Herder Memorial Trophy championships, and Also included in the group are Copper, Duck, White, once scored five goals in a game against Grand Falls. Green and James islands as well as numerous rocks and In 1965 he became playing coach of the Miners. He islets. The Wadhams are noted by name in "Wadham's retired as a player in 1967, but continued as coach until Song", which is said to have been written in 1756 by 1969. Wadden has also been a pioneer in competitive a naval officer of that name. It may be that the islands sailing in Newfoundland and has won several races and were named after (or indeed by) the same person. awards in local and provincial sailing competitions. He By the early 1800s the Wadhams were a renowned was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing ground, being fished for the most part by Sports Hall ofFame in 1983.