With the ending of 1956, another Christmas Season has passsed into history. The arrival of winter, in all its glory, previous to the Yuletide holidays, set the scene for another white Christmas.

The countryside, clothed in its mantle of snow, replacing the dull, lifeless appearance of Fall, presented a beautiful setup throughout the Festive Season.

Mining operations ceased on Dec 22^nd and employees began their annual Christmas vacation with pay on that date. Operations were resumed on Jan 2.

Those employees living on the local mainland spent the holidays there with their families. Employees living on Bell Island spent the time here with their families.

News from employees, on the occasion of their wedding anniversaries:
Pensioner Walter and Mrs. PARSONS, 51 years married in Dec. Previous to retiring on pension, Mr. PARSONS was Superintendent of Piers
Pensioner Robert and Mrs. DAVIS, 41 years married on Dec 20^th. Previous to retiring on pension, Mr. DAVIS was employed with the Engineering Department
Pensioner Thomas and Mrs. CONWAY, 37 years married on Dec 30^th. Previous to retiring on pension, Mr. CONWAY was Mine Captain at No. 4 Slope.
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel FOWLER, 24 years married on Dec 8^th
Mr. and Mrs. Stan HICKEY, 4 years married on Dec 4^th

Sympathy to the relatives of the following people, who died recently:

• Mrs. Alfred White, who passed away at her home, Dominion Ridge, Bell Island, during December.

• Mrs. Catherine Tremblett, who passed away at her home, Theatre Avenue, Bell Island, during December.

• Miss Mary Thistle, who passed away at the home of her brother, Theatre Avenue, Bell Island, during December.

• Mrs. Fred Lodge, who passed away at her home, Town Square, Bell Island, during December, following a short illness.

• Mrs. Jim Brown, who passed away at her home, Scotia Ridge, Bell Island, during December, following a long illness.

• Mrs. William Kavanagh, who passed away at her home, East End, Bell Island, during December.

• To Mr. And Mrs. Daniel Dwyer, on the death of their eight-month-old son, Eric, in January.

• To the relatives of the late Edward Basha, who passed away at his home, Town Square, on January 12^th, following a long illness.

• Mrs. Margaret Murphy, who passed away at her home, the Front, Bell Island, in January, in her sixty-sixth year.

• News was recently received of the passing of Billy Sightman, at his home, Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.A. He was employed here with the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company, in the early days of mining.

• To the relatives of Joseph H. Butler, who passed away at his home, Sudbury, Ontario, on January 5^th. Previous to leaving Newfoundland, to take up residence on the Canadian mainland, the late Mr. Butler was employed with the Company here.

News from Pensioners, on the occasion of their birthdays during the month of January
- Richard PARSONS, 88 on Jan 22^nd
- Alfred WHITE, 83 on Jan 31^st
- James FOWLER, 78 on Jan 20^th
- William HEALEY, 75 on Jan 26^th
- Charles NORMORE, 72 on Jan 3^rd
- Michael McLEAN, 69 on Jan 6^th
- Joseph BURSEY, 67 on Jan 3^rd

Former Bell Islander, Colin TAYLOR, son of N.R. TAYLOR, Engineering Department, is spending this winter on the far north Resolute Island, where food, mail and other supplies must be dropped by parachute. Colin holds a position with the Bell Telephone Company.

Between July 1, 1956 and Jan 1, 1957, the following 14 employees of Dominion Wabana Ore, Limited, retired on pension. During the period of long and faithful service, in many cases over 50 years, their contributions to Industry and to the Community were many and varied.
- Alexander LAHEY, born 1891, retired July 1, 1956 - 47 years service
- Michael KEELS, born 1891, retired July 1, 1956 - 43 years service
- Charlie SWAIN, born 1891, retired Aug 1, 1956 - 41 years service
- Peter NEARY, born 1891, retired Aug 1, 1956 - 20 years service
- Phillip MURRAY, born 1891, retired Sept 1, 1956 - 48 years service
- Thomas WAREHAM, born 1891, retired Sept 1, 1956 - 32 years service
- Joseph HAWCO, born 1891, retired Sept 1, 1956 - 44 years service
- Stewart KELLOWAY, born 1891, retired Sept 1, 1956 - 38 years service
- William DALTON, born 1891, retired Sept 1, 1956 - 42 years service
- Robert DAVIS, born 1891, retired Sept 1, 1956 - 50 years service
- Joseph BURSEY, born 1890, retired Oct 1, 1956 - 46 years service
- Edward BICKFORD, born 1891, retired Nov 1, 1956 - 52 years service
- Norman NOSEWORTHY, born 1891, retired Jan 1, 1957 - 52 years service
- Stephen HICKEY, born 1891, retired Jan 1, 1957 - 53 years service

In the transportation of the ore the mines horses had been used, but now due to the great changes, electrically powered locomotives are used. Loading was mostly done by hand and now it is done by mechanical loaders which I have first mentioned. Because of these changes, ore can be transported from all parts of the mine without difficulty.

First, cars laden with ore arrive in the tipple area. There they are grouped in fours and sent into the ??tary tipple. The man operating this presses a button which causes the tipple to turn over, and the ??rs to turn upside down. The ore is then discharged from the cars by a steel conveyor where it is sent to the primary crushing unit. After it is crushed, it is sent to a storage pocket which has a capacity of about 1100 tons. There it is sent to the conveyor belt which takes it to the surface; the speed of the conveyor being 550 feet per minute.

Ore is now transported from the mine to the surface by rubber conveyor belts installed in No. 3 Slope. Because of the length of this slope, the conveyor is arranged in ten ??ghts and at the top of each there is a transfer station.

Section missing.

There the rock is separated from the ore. From there it is loaded on the belt and sent to the Pier, a distance of 1.7 miles. There it is dumped into loading bins by means of a stacker conveyor, mounted on a traveling carriage, or, if the bins are filled, the ore will be placed in storage by the same stacker.

The belt, from Tank Hill to the Scotia Pier Area, is covered by a metal hood to protect the structure from the elements. Before the ore is shipped from Bell Island by ore ships, it has to be analyzed. To do this, sampling has to be done in the Laboratory. Before final analysis can be made, a set pattern has to be followed. The ore has to go through the following process: -

1. Primary Crushing.
2. Secondary Crushing.
3. Mixing and reduction in bulk of required amount.
4. Pulverization to minus 100 mesh. This is done by the Assay Department.

There are numerous other operations and happenings occurring at Wabana. Some of these are: "The Hobby Shop"; "The Welfare Plan"; "The Boys' Club".

There is, too, the operation and great work of the Company Warehouse. This store provides material and equipment necessary for mining operations. Since 14,000 different items have to be kept in stock, it has to be under skillful management, with all the store employees having a thorough knowledge of all items that are handled.

Mining methods and equipment at Wabana are being improved more and more as the years pass by and they must continue to do so in order to meet the demands for our ore which goes to England, Germany, other countries in Europe as well as to the Corporation's steel plant at Sydney, N.S.

The following organization change was announced recently, by Mr. V. J. Southey, General Superintendent, Dominion Wabana Ore, Limited.

Effective from January 1^st, 1957, the Mining Department will comprise two Divisions: - A Mine Operating Division and a Production and Planning Engineering Division.

Mr. H. D. CAMERON will assume the title of Superintendent of Mining and will head this Division which includes all slopes. Mr. Cameron will work closely with the Production and Planning Engineering Division, but his direct responsibilities will include: -

1. Organization of underground personnel;
2. Execution of all operations in accordance with plans and schedules prepared by the Production and Planning Division.

Mr. Fred REES will have the title of Superintendent of Production and Planning Engineering, and his direct responsibilities will include: -

1. Preparation of plans and schedules for all mining operations;
2. Development of improved mining methods;
3. Recommendations for additional and new mining equipment;
4. Supervision of the Geological branch of the Division;
5. Co-ordination of Operating and Maintenance programs.

In the initial stages of organization, Mr. Rees will have Messrs. P. M. Nixon, R. H. Paddon and J. A. Doyle in his Division.

The news of the passing of Mr. L. A. Forsyth, Q.C., President of Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation, Limited at Montreal on January 1^st, was received on Bell Island with feelings of profound regret.

As President of DOSCO, of which Dominion Wabana Ore Limited is a subsidiary, Mr. Forsyth made several visits to the Island during his tenure of office and on each occasion met and conversed with as many people as was possible. Here, as elsewhere throughout the land, this great man's humility and his genuine interest and belief in his fellow man, won for him a host of friends and inspired in those with whom he met a deep sense of trust in him personally and unbounded confidence in his ability as a leader.

The late Mr. Forsyth was born at Mount Denson, Hants County, Nova Scotia. Son of a sea captain, Enoch Avard Forsyth, he accompanied his father on world trips in his early youth. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees at King's College, Windsor, N.S. and later studied languages at Harvard University. Upon his return to Nova Scotia, he taught at King's and studied law in his spare time. Eventually, he devoted full time to law and was admitted to the Bar of Nova Scotia in 1918, and eight years later became a member of the Quebec Bar. Subsequently, he was admitted to the Bars of Alberta and Ontario.

Mr. Forsyth's first association with DOSCO was in 1928 when he was named legal counsel. In 1944 he was appointed a Director of the Corporation and became Executive Vice-President in April, 1949. On January 1st, 1950, he became President, the first Maritimer to ever hold that important post.

Mr. Forsyth is survived by his wife, the former Elsie Maie Dimock of Windsor, N.S., a son, Lewis Avard of Halifax and two daughters, Mrs. Allen Ramsey, London, Ontario and Mrs. Arthur Andrews, Halifax, N.S.

To the bereaved family, the "Submarine Miner" extends deepest sympathy in their great loss.

Deepest sympathy is extended to the bereaved relatives of the following employees, who passed away recently.

Pensioner William Kent, who passed away at his home, Kent's Ridge, Bell Island, on December 28^th, in his eighty-fourth year, following a long illness.

John Byrne, who passed away at his home, West Mines, Bell Island on December 31^st, in his forty-sixth year.

Pensioner Thomas Power, who passed away at his home, West Mines, Bell Island, on January 16^th, in his eighty-first year, following a short illness.