Broughton (2001 pop.: 24) was a former town in the
Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Cape Breton Regional Municipality (often referred to as simply "CBRM") is the Canadian province of Nova Scotia's second largest municipality and the economic heart of Cape Breton Island. As of 2016 the municipality has a population of 94,285. The ...
about 19 kilometers from the city of
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a former city and urban community on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolv ...
. It was going to be one of Canada's first planned towns, designed to eventually accommodate 10,000 residents.
In reality, it was mostly abandoned when mining operations failed.
During the First World War, Broughton was used by the
185th Cape Breton Highlanders as training ground. During this time, the famous Broughton Arms Hotel burned to the ground in April 1916. The Hotel is believed to have had North America's first revolving door.
History
Broughton was first settled at the turn of the 20th century as a mining town for the Cape Breton Coal, Iron & Railway Company. British mining engineer Thomas Lancaster and British businessman Col.
Horace Mayhew
Horace Mayhew (20 June 1845 – 15 August 1926) of Broughton Hall, Flintshire, was a British mining engineer and colliery owner who founded the town of Broughton, Nova Scotia, now one of Canada's most famous ghost towns. He was the son of Joh ...
, who owned the company, intended to develop the coal seam at Loon's Lake. The pair raised millions of dollars, mostly from English investors, and construction on the town was started, with streets laid out and a number of large official buildings constructed, including the Office Building, the Assistant Manager's House, the Broughton Arms Hotel and Crown Hotel.
ACAP proposes takeover of Broughton ruins, Tom Ayres, The Cape Breton Post Remains of these substantial buildings can still be seen today, the scale of which giving an impression of the town's lofty ambitions.
A railway was built connecting to the
Sydney & Louisburg Railway at False Bay Head, continuing through Broughton Junction to Broughton, a distance of four and a half miles. Construction began in 1905 and the railway was completed in 1906.
Nova Scotia Railways Unfortunately, due to the high costs of building such a modern town, the company went bankrupt in 1907. They could not afford to secure rail transportation to get coal from the mine to port.
Quickly after these problems arose, Lancaster and Mayhew left Cape Breton, abandoning the company and the town.
Mine Yard, Broughton, NS
Men in the Mines:A History of Mining Activity in Nova Scotia, 1720-1992
The community remained active until its peak in 1916. The army had taken over the hotels to house 1200 soldiers during the First World War.
Further reading
A long article, detailing this company's history, appeared in the ''Montreal Daily Star
''The Montreal Star'' was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It closed in 1979 in the wake of an eight-month pressmen's strike.
It was Canada's largest newspaper until the 1950s and remained the dominan ...
'', 25 May 1907.
''Broughton: Cape Breton's Ghost Town'' by Eleanor Anderson (Self-published, 2004)
''Broughton: A Return To Cape Breton's Ghost Town'' by Eleanor Anderson (Self-published, 2012)
References
{{coord, 46, 4, 52.38, N, 59, 57, 48.69, W, region:CA-NS_type:city, display=title
Communities in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Mining communities in Nova Scotia
Ghost towns in Nova Scotia