Canadian Slate
The slate industry in Canada dates back to the 19th century when immigrants from Britain moved to Canada and began to discover slate deposits.
- The initial quarries were all centered 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 which remained was the New Rockland Quarry, which began in 1868 and ended up supplying 80% of the demand in the domestic Canadian market. The New Rockland quarry employed 150-300 workers in the late 1800s until its closure in 1924.
- In the middle of the 19th century, slate deposits in Newfoundland were discovered near to Trinity Bay. These slates were a purple colour and similar to the heather slates from North Wales – Penrhyn and Dinworig. 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
