Former Dept. of Mines building scheduled to be demolished

STELLARTON – The days are numbered for a longstanding Pictou County landmark.

The former Department of Mines building on Bridge Ave., the large white building beside the train tracks, is now slated for demolition after being found unsafe.

The building is around 70 years old and is currently used by the Museum of Industry for storage.

In an emailed statement to The News, the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage said the building has deteriorated over time and will be torn down.

“The structure has been deemed unsafe for staff and unsuitable for storage of museum collections, and it will be demolished.

Artifacts and other materials will either be moved to a new storage location, rehoused in other spaces with the Nova Scotia Museum or other local museums, or disposed of if they are in poor condition,” the statement said.

The Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, along with the Department of Public Works will start relocating artifacts from the building.

The email also stated that collections policy and bestpractice guidelines are being followed in making decisions to dispose of some artifacts.

No timeline has been set for the demolition; that will be determined after the artifacts are removed.