Swift's Social Club

Sydney Mines, Cape Breton was a coal mining town with a number of years as a steel producer as well. That is all in the past as not one coal mine is operating as we read this blog and steel producing is a distant memory. There was however, a time when Sydney Mines was a vibrant community. Divided into four wards of about equal size and with a distinct ethnic and social mix.

I lived in ward four and our house was the last one at the end of our lane named after my grandparents. Practically  every man worked in the pit or coal mine. Dad worked in one of the largest and oldest mines in Canada. Princess Colliery was a submarine mine on the north shore of Sydney harbour and reaching out for many miles under the Atlantic Ocean.

Our ward four had a community spirit and most of the people who lived there were either related, Scottish or friends. From this vantage the people formed a social club called the Swifts. I do not know the background of the name but all our sporting teams were called Swifts. The club was a loose collection of citizens who took responsibility for the development of sports facilities in the area as did the other wards. Hockey, football, baseball and a skating rink were developed and maintained by the local people without help from any level of government.

A clubhouse was also built by volunteers and was the focal point for cards, suppers and social events. As a youngster we were often entertained there on special occasions. I remember one such time when a bean supper was provided by the ladies with home made brown bread and plenty of home made pie. After supper Mr. Bennett played his guitar and soon many musical instruments appeared and there was a real hoe-down. Everyone joined in the singing and some did a step dance and you get the picture. It was right out of West Virginia.

That was the last time I remember the hall being used as it was just after WW11 and times had changed. The community had changed as well and the old Swift's Club just disappeared. My fond memories of our Dad's playing hockey and ball against the other clubs still lingers. Our arch rivals were a club from Cranberry where the Travellers played so well during the games and celebrated just as well thereafter. There was a type of healthy spirit developed in those local social clubs and because they made their own fun it was pure and not contaminated by politics, money and greed as we see in the professional ranks.

The Swift's are no more and I dare say not too many remember them very well but I shall never forget seeing my uncles and cousins taking the field and defending the honour of the ward four Swift's.