Whitney Pier Community Heritage Trail – A Walk Through Our History

Extending between Muggah Creek and South Bar, Whitney Pier was first settled as farmland. In the late 19th century, the abundance of coal in Cape Breton and the impending construction of the Intercolonial railway fostered coal mining and then steel production. By the mid 1890’s, a Bostonian named H.M. Whitney, who was the president of Dominion Coal Company had additional coal loading piers built adjacent to the existing pier and local residents soon adopted his name to identify not only the piers but also their expanding community.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Whitney Pier was forever altered by the construction and opening of the Steel plant. The influx of immigrants who came to work in the steel plant peaked in the 1920’s and 1930’s. This created a multi culture Community.

The Whitney Pier Community Heritage Trail Society and The Whitney Pier Historical Society www.whitneypiermuseum.org in co-operation with SERL , CBRM, NS Department of Natural Resources and Nova Scotia Power Corp are developing the Community Heritage Trail to increase recreation opportunities for the Whitney Pier community and other CBRM residents. The trail will commemorate the historic association of Whitney Pier and the former Steel Plant, while honouring the ethnic past and fostering community pride. The trail will run from Matilda St, to Railroad St with access through Harbourside Industrial Park to the North End of Sydney.

Next Public meeting TBA

Mailing Address & Contact Info:

Whitney Pier Community Heritage Trail
c/o Whitney Pier Historical Society
88 Mount Pleasant Street
Sydney, Nova Scotia B1N 2G1

Phone: (902) 564-9819
Fax: (902) 564-1115

Whitney Pier Community Heritage Trail Committee

Trail email: wpchtrail@eastlink.ca

Coordinator: Mary Mombourquette… 371-2771

CHAIR: Charlie Neville… 862-3827