MALAGASH SALT COMPANY LIMITED

MINE AND PLANT REPORT

July 25th, 1928.

LOCATION

The Malagash salt mine is situated in the Malagash Peninsula, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, which lies between Northumberland Strait on the north and Tatamagouche Bay on the south. A spur line railway connects the mine with the Canadian National Railway branch line operating between Oxford Junction and Pictou. The distance from Malagash Station to the mine is approximately seven miles. Water transportation is afforded from a small wharf and warehouse on Tatamagouche Bay, two and a half miles distant from the shaft and is reached by a spur two miles long connecting the warehouse with the Malagash Station spur.

HISTORICAL

In 1912, Peter Murray, drilling a well for water on his farm on the Malagash road, about seven miles north west of Malagash Station, encountered a strongly Saline water and sent sample of same to Doctor Frank T. Shutt, Dominion Chemist at Ottawa; Doctor Shutt reported on this sample as follows:-

"Our analysis of this water shows it to contain 28.33 % total solids, of which 28.32 % is common salt. It is in fact a very strong brine. There are present very small quantities of sulphate of lime, and possibly of allied compounds, but essentially this is a saturated or practically saturated, solution of common salt."

No action was taken with regard to this discovery until the early months of 1917, when another sample was sent to Doctor Shutt, who reported 26.65 % common salt content. At this time Doctor Shutt referred the parties interested to the Mines Branch, Department of Mines. Steps were at once taken, by the Mines Branch, to obtain another sample for the purpose of having a fuller analysis made. It was found to be strong brine.