Springhill

Springhill is a town of 2,700 people (2016) in Nova Scotia. It had a large coal mining operation and is the birthplace of Canadian singer and songwriter, Anne Murray.

Understand
The community was founded as "Springhill Mines." Coal mining lead to economic growth, with its incorporation as a town in 1889. The mines in the Springhill coalfield were established in the 1870s. All coal mining had ceased in the area by the early 1970s. The community is famous for the Springhill Mining Disaster and being the childhood home of international recording star Anne Murray, who is honoured by the Anne Murray Centre, a popular tourist attraction.

There were three mining disasters in 1891, 1956, and 1958 in different mines within the Springhill coalfield. The third and final disaster in 1958 accelerated the closure of the largest mines when what was known as a "bump" occurred. The underground upheaval can be described as a bump due to a seismic jolt stemming from the collapse of one or more support pillars within a mine.

In 2015 the mine properties, among the deepest in the world were filled with water and provide Springhill's industrial park with geothermal heating. Geothermal energy from the waters of the abandoned mines are capable of providing heating and cooling for large buildings through the use of heat pumps. Because the water in a mine circulates by convection, shallow wells produce water of a temperature significantly higher than groundwater of the same depth.

By car
Springhill is on Highway 2 about 20 km south of Amherst and 50 km northeast of Parrsboro. It is connected to the Highway 104 (Trans-Canada Highway) by Highway 142 (exit 5).

Springhill is 1 hour and 52 minutes driving distance from Halifax, and approximately 45 minutes from Moncton, New Brunswick, both of which have international airports.

By train

 * Train operator:
 * Operates The Ocean route between Halifax and Montreal, including stops in Moncton and Sainte-Foy (near Quebec City). Operates three trips per direction per week. A shuttle between train stations in Sainte-Foy and in Quebec City is available for The Ocean trains, but must be reserved in advance.

See

 * Miners' monument on the main street of Springhill honours the lives of miners and their families. The statue is near to Miners' Hall, on the corner of Main and Pioneer Street.
 * Miners' monument on the main street of Springhill honours the lives of miners and their families. The statue is near to Miners' Hall, on the corner of Main and Pioneer Street.

Buy
Springhill is a haven for people who are tired of being dragged through shops by their spouses. There's a Foodland supermarket on Main Street, a couple of pharmacies, and the gift shop in the Anne Murray Centre. And that's pretty much it for shopping

Sleep
There are no hotels in Springhill, but Amherst (Nova Scotia) and Parrsboro aren't far away.

Go next
16 km east of town on the Trans-Canada Highway is the small town of Oxford, which hosts a wild blueberry festival every year for two weeks in late August: live music, community picnics, teas, suppers and pancake breakfasts, farmers markets, pie eating and baking contests, quilt fairs, exhibitions, children’s activities, U-Picks, processing tours, blueberry wine fest, beer gardens, and kitchen parties.