The History of Canadian Slate

• The slate industry in Canada dates back to the 19^th century when immigrants from Britain moved to Canada and began to discover slate deposits

• The initial quarries were all centred around the Quebec area

• The slate from this area tended to be black in colour and similar to the hard vined slate of Wales

• There were a number of slate quarries in the region including the Bedard quarry and the Melbourne quarry (also known as Walton Slate)

• Over time, many of these quarries closed down and the dominant player remaining was the New Rockland Quarry

• The New Rockland Quarry started up in 1868 and ended up supplying 80% of the domestic Canadian market

• They employed 150-300 workers in the late 1800s until its closure in 1924

• In the mid 19^th century, slate deposits in Newfoundland were discovered near Trinity Bay

• These slates were a purple colour and similar to the heather slates from Penrhyn and Dinworig in North Wales

• The quarry in Newfoundland has been closed since the end of the 2000s, and the only remaining slate quarry operating in Canada is the Glendyne quarry in Quebec