Malagash Salt Miners' Museum
Malagash, Nova Scotia

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The First Rock Salt Mine in Canada

 

 

TRANSCRIPT

You started at the Salt Mine when you were 16 was it?

Yeh? 1950. November 13th, 1950.

So tell us about when you started work at the Salt Plant, what was it like then?

Well, I was never a very big person, I only weighed about 125 lbs and when I went to work the first day, the first job I had was carrying 140 lb bags of salt. After a week of that, I had second thoughts about going back to school, but I didn't, I stayed with it.

So that was your first job was it?

Yes, carrying bags of salt out into the box cars.

So how many would have started, like how many were doing that job with you?

At the time, there would be one fellow filling the bags; two sewing the bags - these were jute bags, they call them feed bags today I guess - they'd be two sewing and then there would be two in the box car. They came down a chute. You carry them one end of the? from the middle of the box car to the back of the box car, so it was quite a little lug, and you'd pile them 6 or 7 high.

And they were pretty heavy then?

140 lbs!

So what time of day, was that day shift that you worked?

Day shift and afternoons.

What hours did you work, 8 hour shifts?

Eight to four and four to twelve.

What was the pay rate back then, do you remember?

Very little!! I don't remember the exact amount. I know that my take-home pay when I worked six days a week was $28.00.

And that was in 1950?

Yes. That was my take-home pay so it would be about $32.00 a week roughly.

 

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