Resource Sectors
Fishing and forestry are the traditional sources of employment and economic growth in the District. They remain vital, but are joined by a range of existing and emerging opportunities in the resource sector.
Mining: Aggregate
Martin Marietta Inc. is the second largest construction aggregates producer in the United States and the quarry it operates in the District is its only Canadian aggregates operation. The quarry is located on tidewater within the Strait of Canso. Production at the facility has increased significantly in recent years, from two-million tons in 1998 to 4.4 million tons in 2006. The operation furnishes material via self-unloading ships and barges to customers in Nova Scotia, the Eastern and Gulf Coasts of the United States, and the Caribbean.
The Strait of Canso is Canada's second busiest port. The current terminal is capable of handling bulk carrier vessels up to 70,000 ton capacity. The facility employs 100 people. Products lines include fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, granular materials, and drainage materials.
A second aggregate quarry is in the planning stages near Canso on the District`s southern coast.
Gold
The Municipality has a rich history of mining. Some of the richest gold mines in the province were at Hurricane Pt., Upper Seal Harbour and the vicinity of Goldboro. New, commercially-viable gold deposits have been identified in several locations along with many other promising finds. Orex Exploration and Osisko Mining are the most active players, partnering to develop a property at Goldboro. Gold mining is back, although the magnitude of the industry remains anyone’s guess – but that’s gold mining. Along with gold, deposits of rare earth metals are being uncovered with regularity and mounting interest. A rich mining future in the district is a distinct and profoundly interesting opportunity.
The Registry of Mineral and Petroleum Rights of the Department of Natural Resources, issues Mineral Exploration licenses within the province (www.gov.ns.ca/natr/meb/one/rmt-home). An up to date map on the licenses issued within the Municipality may be downloaded and reviewed at www.gov.ns.ca/natr/meb/download/dp046dds.
Orex holds 37 contiguous claims (600 acres) in the Goldboro area. An exploration program was initiated in February 2004 - http://www.orexexploration.ca/projects. To date, Orex has spent over $18.9 million in exploration work on this gold bearing property
Aquaculture
The Guysborough County Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative (GCSAI) was started in 2002 to promote aquaculture development in Guysborough County in a sustainable and community friendly way. The ultimate product of the initiative was the GCSAI Tool, a GIS based program that will help select the more favourable areas of a body of water for aquaculture. Using the tool, the Guysborough County Regional Development Authority (GCRDA) can assist clients through the process of selecting a body of water and species of aquaculture and then interpreting the results.
Presently, the tool has water quality data for 18 harbours and more can be added upon request. It can compare and contrast the properties of the water with those of the requirements of six different species commonly farmed in Nova Scotia. Contact the GCRDA for assistance with aquaculture site selection and assistance with the application for an aquaculture lease. The site will have to undergo an environmental review and a public consultation. Guysborough County’s Regional Aquaculture Development Advisory Committee (RADACs) will review the application. See www.gov.ns.ca/fish/aquaculture/radac/index for roles and responsibilities of RADAC.
The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is responsible for aquaculture in the province. Approved aquaculture sites within the Municipality may be viewed at www.gov.ns.ca/fish/aquaculture/aquamap. The provincial website is www.gov.ns.ca/fish/aquaculture/home.
Forestry
Approximately 70 per cent of the 400,840 hectares of land, which comprise Guysborough County, is forested. A little more than half of the timber produced in the County is softwood, while the remainder is mixed wood and hardwood.
There are about 250 - 300 full-time forestry-related jobs in the area, in harvesting, trucking, road building, and silvaculture work. Guysborough County supplies approximately 30 per cent of the wood received by Nova Scotia's pulp and paper mills, around 625,000 cubic meters per year.
In total, the Northeastern region of Nova Scotia produces roughly 50 per cent of the province's pulpwood, 41 per cent of its lumber, and 74 per cent of its whole tree chips.
Nova Forest Alliance
New Page Port Hawkesbury - Forest Advisory Committee
NS Dept. of Natural Resources - Forestry Homepage
Christmas Trees
Christmas Tree Farms are a common sight in Guysborough County. We have ideal growing conditions and generations of acquired skills. The Christmas Tree business provides income for a multitude of people as Tree Farms require year-round attention. This includes shearing during the hottest summer months, planting, fertilizing, cutting, grading, dragging, bailing and loading the trees on transport trucks. There are 2,500 small to large Christmas tree growers in Nova Scotia harvesting 1.5 to 2 million Christmas trees annually, employing 400 people full time and 2,000 part time. Eighty percent of the trees harvested are exported to the United States. Annual sales are around $300,000,000 providing a healthy income for many locals, and top quality Christmas trees to buyers.
Northeastern Christmas Tree Association
Province of NS - Select Real Nova Scotia Christmas Trees
Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia